In football, the entire game can be decided in a single moment. For defensive tackle Alonzo Williams, that moment came with 54 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s upset over Auburn.
The then-No. 3 Tigers trailed the unranked Aggies 41-38 during the final drive of the game. Miscommunication between Auburn center Reese Dismukes and quarterback Nick Marshall caused a miscue on the snap. Sharp instincts and good hustle helped 6-foot-4, 296-pound Williams fall on the fumbled football and lock down an Aggie road win.
Some may say the Aggies got lucky recovering two fumbles in the last three minutes of play, but Williams said final score is what counts.
“A win is a win no matter how you get it,” Williams said. “We’re just here to play football.”
The junior from Long Beach, Calif. has appeared in every game this season, recording a total of 43 tackles. Williams made an impact against the Tigers, securing an Aggie win with the last-minute fumble recovery in addition to a critical sack on third-and-goal to keep the Tigers out of the end zone.
Part of a struggling defensive line earlier in the season, Williams said the unit is building confidence.
“I feel like our confidence got bruised and I think people are getting confidence back in themselves,” Williams said. “We have to keep building and keep bringing the same type of intensity and emotion to practice as we did in the game. If we prepare hard and work hard I think we’ll be fine. Everybody’s getting better every day. That’s what we look forward to; people getting better.”
Williams said practice during the week before the Auburn game had a huge impact on the team’s performance Saturday.
“All the guys came out with a lot more energy in the game and a lot more emotion,” Williams said. “The practice environment has been vivid. Everybody’s been having a lot of energy. The coaches are bouncing around, the players are bouncing around, and it has been a great environment. It carried over into the game because the same emotion we were practicing with, we ended up playing with.”
Senior right tackle Cedric Ogbuehi said Williams is a well-rounded teammate.
“He’s a great player, plays hard, great teammate, vocal, great leader,” Ogbuehi said.
As someone who values hard work, Williams’ teammates take notice of his passion for improvement. Junior defensive end Julien Obioha praises Williams’ dedication.
“I think Alonzo’s just been getting better,” Obioha said. “He’s been working hard. I think one of the main things is he put on a lot of weight. That really helped. Alonzo’s a great athlete, and he’s a really quick guy so he gives centers and guards a lot of trouble. It’s just hard for opposing centers and guards to get a hand on him because he’s so big and quick.”
Obioha said Williams works well with the team, helping the other members of the defensive line make plays in the game.
“Sometimes I wonder why I was able to make a tackle,” Obioha said. “Why was I able to make that play? It’s because Alonzo is driving his guy five yards into the backfield. [Williams does] something to help me make a play, [and] sometimes I’ll help him make a play too. We’ve been kind of feeding off each other because we play on the same side. Alonzo’s been playing great and helping me play great.”
Williams looks forward to closing out the season with two home games.
“I don’t like to lose at home,” Williams said. “With 110,000 people out there, I really don’t want to lose. It’s a great feeling because I know the 12th Man is going to be live.”