Alabama wide receiver Christion Jones (22) celebrates with teammates after a long punt return in the Crimson Tide’s 59-0 win over Texas A&M on Saturday.No turnovers. No penalties. No points allowed and 59 points scored.
It all added up to an enjoyable Saturday afternoon for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Enjoyment had been lacking at times during the first half of the season for Alabama, but smiles abounded in a 59-0 thrashing of Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide began this month with a 23-17 loss at Ole Miss and a 14-13 escape at Arkansas before arriving at Bryant-Denny Stadium, where all their problems seem to vanish.
“That’s the kind of energy and enthusiasm we’ve been trying to get our guys to play with,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said after posting his biggest blowout of a Southeastern Conference foe. “There has been a lot of anxiety and expectations that our guys have played with that we’ve been trying to get rid of on our team. You make you who you are by what you do, and that’s what we’ve been trying to sell to our players. It’s all about the team and what we do and how we do it.
“Everybody has to forget about all that other stuff, and it does affect you. It affects a lot of teams, and that’s why we see a lot of these top teams struggling because you’re playing like you’re No. 1 rather than playing like you need to play to win.”