Mac Jones Dazzles with 435 Yards, 4 TDs as No. 2 Alabama Beats No. 13 Texas A&M

Vasha Hunt/Associated Press

The Alabama Crimson Tide proved yet again they’re one of best teams in the country with a 52-24 win over the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday.

Mac Jones was the star of the show for No. 2 Alabama, throwing four touchdown passes, including three that went for more than 60 yards. John Metchie III scored the first two touchdowns of his career in what became a blowout during the Tide’s first home game of the season in front of a limited crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

It was a complete effort to knock off the No. 13 team in the Associated Press poll, giving Alabama its first resume-building win of 2020.

Kellen Mond recorded three touchdown passes, but Texas A&M still suffered its eighth straight loss to its SEC West rival.

Notable Performances

Mac Jones, QB, ALA: 20-of-27, 435 passing yards, 4 TD, 1 INT

Najee Harris, RB, ALA: 43 rushing yards, 26 receiving yards, 2 TD

John Metchie III, WR, ALA: 5 catches, 181 receiving yards, 2 TD

Jaylen Waddle, WR, ALA: 5 catches, 142 receiving yards, 1 TD

Kellen Mond, QB, A&M: 25-of-44, 318 passing yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Isaiah Spiller, RB, A&M: 25 rushing yards

Ainias Smith, RB, A&M: 29 rushing yards, 123 receiving yards, 2 TD

Mac Jones Leads Exciting Alabama Offense

The Crimson Tide might have lost several key players from last season to the NFL, but it still boasts one of the top attacks in the nation behind Jones.

He had 435 passing yards on just 27 attempts, turning heads on the first drive with a 78-yard touchdown toss to Metchie, which featured a beautiful deep ball:

Jones spread his targets around with each of his top three receivers catching at least five passes.

There were some question marks about Jones heading into the season since he is replacing Tua Tagovailoa, but there will be few doubters after just two games.

Najee Harris also provided plenty of help, totaling 69 yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns.

Even with limited touches, his work as a runner and receiver makes him an elite NFL prospect:

The Tide made some mistakes, including a bad interception by Jones, but 544 yards with only about 22 minutes of possession showed they will be difficult to stop.

Few Big Plays Not Enough to Keep Texas A&M Competitive

The Aggies showed great resolve in the first half, overcoming a 14-0 deficit with huge plays.

The comeback made it seem as though this would be a competitive matchup.

But it was not.

The Texas A&M defense struggled to stop Alabama, while key mistakes led to huge turnarounds:

Other miscues, including a missed field goal on the opening drive and two failed fourth-down tries, also didn’t help the Aggies stay in the game.

There were positive moments in the second half, including the emergence of Ainias Smith:

It still wasn’t enough to keep up with the Tide.

This is clearly a talented team that could win a lot of games, but you need to be near perfect to beat Alabama on the road, and that wasn’t the case Saturday.

What’s Next?

The schedule remains difficult for Texas A&M, which will host No. 3 Florida next Saturday. Alabama will go on the road to face Ole Miss.