Terrion Arnold recalls big play against Texas A&M in 2022

Last year’s game between Alabama and Texas A&M was an absolute thriller that came down to the wire, as the Crimson Tide were able to hang onto their lead to secure a 24-20 over the Aggies.

Alabama defensive back Terrion Arnold came up big for his team in the game’s final moments, making a big play when it mattered most to secure the victory. And ahead of their rematch with Texas A&M, Arnold reflected on his stop that at the time kept the Crimson Tide undefeated and the top-ranked team in the country.

“That scenario last year Pete Golding called a timeout, changed the play, Coach Saban said we’re playing man-to-man,” Arnold said. “Obviously you come to Alabama to play in games like this, moments like that, and I was able to go out there, execute, and make a play.”

The Aggies got the ball back with under two minutes left in the game and orchestrated an impressive drive that started on their own 29-yard line. Arnold actually had a chance to end the game early in the drive, as a pass from Haynes King looked like it was going to be intercepted by him was hauled in by wideout Evan Stewart over two defenders to keep the drive going.

The game seemed over again when King threw an interception in the back of the end zone from the Alabama 15-yard line, but a defensive pass interference penalty moved the ball up to the three-yard line and gave the Aggies one more shot at pulling off the upset win.

In man-to-man coverage, the receiver Arnold was covering was targeted, but his lockdown defense forced an incompletion and sent Bryant-Denny Stadium into a frenzy.

“I mean the moment was surreal, everybody celebrated, and it’s one of those things I feel like it goes down in Alabama’s history as a positive note,” Arnold said.

The Crimson Tide are hoping things end on a positive note this weekend as well when they visit the Aggies, a matchup featuring the only two teams that are currently undefeated in conference play in the SEC West.

Arnold is in the midst of a solid season, ranking third on the team in tackles with 25, including 1.5 for loss. He also leads the Crimson Tide in pass breaks up with five on the year and recently got his first interception of the season in the team’s first SEC game against Ole Miss.

He’s made big plays for Alabama this season and made a huge one versus Texas A&M last season, and hopefully for the Crimson Tide, he can repeat his performance again this time around.