TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Keelon Russell threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair of fourth-quarter scores that helped Alabama pull away, and the 13th-ranked Crimson Tide beat Texas A&M 31-20 on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium to shake off back-to-back losses to a pair of Southeastern Conference border rivals.
The Tide (6-2, 4-2 SEC) entered their first meeting with the Aggies (4-4, 1-4) since 2023 coming off losses to Georgia and Tennessee. Alabama trailed 20-17 in the second half before taking control with a fourth-down stop and two scoring drives.
Kalen DeBoer, in his third year as Alabama’s head coach, avoided what would have been the program’s first three-game losing streak since 2007, predecessor Nick Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa.
Russell completed 19 of 30 passes with an interception, and he found Daniel Hill, Marshall Pritchett and Kalen Edwards for touchdowns. His top target was Rico Scott, who finished with six catches for 156 yards as Alabama played a second consecutive game without star receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, who’s dealing with a knee injury.
“Rico came up in a big way,” DeBoer said. “He’s developed those expectations for himself above and beyond. Keelon has a lot of confidence in him.”