TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama quarterback Mac Jones made his first pass of Saturday's game against Texas A&M a long one, and John Metchie III made it a 78-yard touchdown.
It was most definitely a sign of things to come.
Jones passed for a career-high 435 yards and four touchdowns, including a pair of deep throws to Metchie and an even longer one to Jaylen Waddle, as the second-ranked Crimson Tide romped past the No. 13 Aggies, 52-24 in a Southeastern Conference matchup.
Briefly threatened early, Jones and the Tide (2-0) flexed their considerable big-play muscle in the passing game to put away the Aggies (1-1).
"Our guys stayed the course and kept competing in the game," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "That's really what we wanted to do."
Metchie looked like the Tide's latest major receiving threat, alongside Waddle and DeVonta Smith.
Jones topped that initial score with an 87-yard touchdown pass to Waddle, who had sprinted past two defenders to make the grab with nothing but green in between himself and the end zone. Metchie and Jones hooked up for a 63-yarder in the fourth, giving the sophomore five catches for 181 yards.
Waddle said the emerging receiver possesses "sneaky speed. He got to showcase that today."
Jones finished 19-of-26 passing for a second straight surgically precise performance marred by one interception off a deflection.
"We won, so it's a good game," Jones said, when asked if it was his best performance.
Waddle had 142 receiving yards, and his touchdown catch - tied for the fifth longest in program history - came after three Alabama penalties in four plays. Jones' three career touchdown passes of 85-plus yards are the most by a Tide quarterback.
Najee Harris rushed for two short touchdowns, and safety Daniel Wright scored by picking off a Kellen Mond pass and returning it 47 yards.
Mond put up big numbers, but it wasn't nearly enough. He completed 25 of 44 passes for 318 yards with three touchdowns - and the pick-six.
"I've always said, to me, what makes Bama so special, they're very disciplined and they also capitalize off other teams' mistakes," Mond said.
Ainias Smith had six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns for Texas A&M.
"We've got to stop the big plays, learn to be more efficient on offense and take advantage of some more of those opportunities to be able to play and compete," said Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher, whose loss made Saban 20-0 against his former assistants. "We had some opportunities. I'm disappointed we didn't do it, but there's still a lot to work with, some of our young guys."
Alabama was off to the races in its home opener after the Aggies scored two quick first-half touchdowns to tie the game.
"I think guys were shocked that we were right there with them," Texas A&M linebacker Buddy Johnson said. "And there's no reason to feel that way. It's important that the leaders keep everyone in the moment, stay in the moment and don't get carried away."
The offense couldn't get Isaiah Spiller and the running game going after getting undone by turnovers in a 17-12 win over Vanderbilt a week earlier. Smith, a former running back, emerged as another needed threat in the passing game, with his touchdown catches a 47-yarder in the first quarter and a 14-yarder in the fourth.
Wright had the huge defensive play but also one that drew the ire of Saban. He tried to push Smith out of bounds on the Aggies' first touchdown of the afternoon but failed.
"I just didn't like the way he approached and finished," Saban said. "He should have gotten the guy out of bounds, and he didn't."