For the first time in history, Texas A&M beat the University of Alabama in front of the 12th Man at Kyle Field.
This game was one for the record books. It was the first time one of Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s former assistants defeated him, with A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher breaking Saban’s previous 24-0 record against his previous co-workers. Additionally, on Oct. 9 the Aggies sold out Kyle Field; the 106,815 people in attendance made it the second most attended game ever in College Station.
Here are some of the national reactions from the Aggies’ 41-38 upset over Alabama:
A&M fans offered praise to multiple players, including junior tight end Jalen Wydermyer, junior safety Demani Richardson, sophomore running back Devon Achane and senior placekicker Seth Small.
Of all the players in the contest, Achane received the most support on social media as a result of his 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada found his groove and also finally received his share of support, boasting an impressive 21 completions from 31 attempted passes and throwing for three touchdowns. The signal caller is now one of only two A&M quarterbacks who have rolled the Tide, the other being Heisman winner Johnny Manziel.
Moving forward, NCAA polls and playoff conversations will certainly be shaken up. In 2021, A&M was placed in the Orange Bowl following its only loss of the season being to then-No. 1 Alabama. The Crimson Tide’s only loss of the current season so far is to the maroon and white.
Whether Alabama will suffer the same fate as the Aggies did in 2021 is to be determined during post regular season play.