Oct. 18, 2014
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama(AP)--Blake Sims passed for 268 yards and three touchdowns and scored on a 43-yard run while leading No. 7 Alabama to 35 second-quarter points and a 59-0 win over No. 21 Texas A&M on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide (6-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) shut down the nation's No. 4 offense and dominated a game that had produced two straight thrillers.
Led by Sims, T.J. Yeldon and Amari Cooper, Alabama outgained the Aggies 602-172. Texas A&M (5-3, 2-3) has lost its past three games, all to teams now ranked in the top 10.
Alabama set a school record for most points in a quarter and matched the second-most scored in a half while racing to a 45-0 halftime lead.
Yeldon had 114 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, all in the first half. Cooper gained 140 yards on eight catches with a pair of touchdowns.
ABOUT THE GAME...
NOTABLES
•Senior WR Malcome Kennedy returned to the lineup after missing the past two games due to injury. He had four catches for four yards.
•Sophomore LB Shaan Washington posted a game-high 10 tackles. It was the first time he’s ever led the team in tackles in a game and it was the first double-digit tackle game of his career.
•Junior punter Drew Kaser had a career-high nine boots against the Crimson Tide (previous game high punts was eight vs. Missouri in 2013). He averaged 45.0 yards, put one punt inside the 20 and three 50-yard-plus boots.
•True freshman WR Speedy Noil surpassed the century mark in all-purpose yardage for the third straight game and for the fourth time in seven career games. Against the Crimson Tide, Noil gained 138 yards -- 32 receiving and 106 on kickoff returns.
•Junior RB/KOR Trey Williams’ 75-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter was the Aggies’ long kickoff return of the season and the longest by an Aggie since Williams had a 95-yarder against Mississippi State in 2013.
FOR THE RECORD
•Game captains were senior Malcome Kennedy and juniors Julien Obioha and Drew Kaser. The Crimson Tide won the toss and chose to receive the opening kickoff
•Junior Sam Moeller, a junior from San Antonio, Texas, was the Aggies’ 12th Man for the 21st straight game.
•With the loss, the Aggies fell to 5-3 overall and 2-3 vs. the Southeastern Conference.
•The Aggies have lost three straight games for the first time since the 2011 season.
•The 59-0 shutout marked the first time the Aggies have been shutout since 2003 (77-0 at Oklahoma).
•The 59-point margin of defeat was the most since the 77-0 game in 2003 and the second-most in school history.