Texas A&M entered Saturday looking for an upset like last season. The college football world wanted a follow-up to this summer’s theatrics between Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher. Ultimately, a prime-time matchup turned into a battle of second-string quarterbacks.

Neither side looked great as the offenses were sporadic and some self-inflicted mistakes, namely two Tide field goal misses, kept it close. The scoreboard finished at 24-20 in No. 1 Alabama’s favor. The Tide (6-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) outlasted the Aggies (3-3, 1-2), overcoming four turnovers (three by Jalen Milroe) by riding a dominant defensive line to avoid a final-drive collapse.

Here’s what we learned from Alabama’s win:

Alabama nearly collapses for similar loss

On the final drive, Haynes King took short completions against Alabama’s zone. Facing a third-and-one on his own 38-yard line, King hit Evan Stewart for 23-yards. On a third-and-10, King found Moose Muhammad III for 12 yards. The play of the game was almost a pass interference on Brian Branch in the end zone that put the ball on the 2-yard-line with seconds to go.

The pass rush was getting home on every snap, it seemed, but King was either able to throw it away or inch closer. The Tide had multiple drives when all it needed was a first down to waste precious seconds, but Texas A&M kept pushing.

Eventually, a potential game-winning pass to the right side pylon flew out of bounds and Alabama escaped with a win, avoiding last year’s result at College Station.

Turnovers mar Jalen Milroe’s first start

Despite Bryce Young participating in pregame drills and the Bryant-Denny Stadium public address announcer stating he would play, it was the first career start for Milroe, a redshirt freshman from Texas. Overall, it was a mixed bag.

He completed 12-of-19 passes for 111 yards and rushed for 83 yards. Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien showed off a few designed keeps and gave Milroe some more read options than he had called for Young. Milroe also threaded the needle on a touchdown pass to Cameron Latu near the goal line in the second quarter. On his opening drive of the third, Milroe hit JaCorey Brooks in stride a few yards away from the line of scrimmage for a 29-yard score.

The Tide ran for 288 yards as Gibbs followed up his show-stealing performance at Arkansas with 154 more yards. Yet, each of the Aggies’ scores came off Milroe’s fumbles.

He climbed the pocket twice with the ball untucked in his right hand. Fadil Diggs punched it loose on both occasions, giving A&M the ball on the Tide’s 30- and 49-yard line, respectively. King converted the short fields with a pair of short touchdown passes. The crowd grew a bit restless in the ensuing Alabama drive as Milroe tried to find Jermaine Burton late across the middle and threw an interception.

Milroe never looked comfortable in the pocket for an extended time. It was a mixture of Milroe’s indecisiveness and Tide wideouts not getting open often enough. A fumble by McClellan, while he lunged for the first-down marker, didn’t help.

Tide defensive line eats

Lackluster offenses usually execute one play on its opening drive versus Alabama’s defense before the Tide squashes momentum. King followed that script after a 15-yard scramble on his first snap: batted pass by Byron Young; near pick-six from Brian Branch; collapsing pocket forces check down that gains nothing on third down.

Alabama finished with 14 hurries and three sacks, including a pair by Dallas Turner. Will Anderson drew the majority of attention on passing downs, leaving gaps for a blitzing Henry To’oTo’o. Alabama’s speed rush package of Turner, Anderson, Byron Young and one defensive tackle caused issues for A&M’s blockers.

In the first quarter, Terrion Arnold nabbed the Tide’s second interception of the year after King was flushed out of the pocket by Young. King tried to lob it over the defensive back’s head but was hit as he threw and Arnold was in the right place along the sideline. On a fourth-and-3 to start the final frame, Anderson shoved King to the ground to force the incompletion and change of possession.

King’s touchdown throws were split-second completions with the rush in his face. Texas A&M’s biggest gains came after turnovers before threatening late.

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Alabama special teams don’t get a break

Alabama had some mental errors that threatened its point total. Jermaine Burton was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that pushed a Will Reichard field goal attempt to 50 yards. He made that one but then missed a 47-yarder in the second half after Milroe was sacked for a 12-yard loss.

Reichard also pushed a 35-yard attempt wide left. It would’ve made it a 10-point deficit with about nine minutes left in the game.

The Aggies benefited from the miscues to keep an upset within reach (Alabama was favored by three touchdowns). Nik Constantinou slowed the electric return game of Kool-Aid McKinstry with an average of 41.6 yards a punt. McKinstry, who averaged nearly 19 yards a touch in all other games, was limited against the Aggies.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].