Alabama's Derrick Henry piled up a career-high 236 yards on 32 carries with a pair of touchdowns in a 41-23 road win over Texas A&M on Saturday, once again putting his stamp on a Crimson Tide offense that has been inconsistent.
Henry, a 245-pound bruiser of a rusher who could be eligible for the NFL draft in either 2016 or 2017, ripped through a porous Aggies defense for 153 yards in the first quarter alone. The Aggies were able to slow Henry in the second half after Crimson Tide senior center Ryan Kelly, a Rimington Award candidate as one of the top centers in college football, was lost for the game due to a concussion.
Three NFL clubs were credentialed to scout the game -- the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.
Henry's effort and three interception returns for touchdowns (all on throws by Aggies QB Kyle Allen) by the Alabama defense was more than enough to keep the Crimson Tide (6-1) in the SEC and College Football Playoff race. UA safety Eddie Jackson set a school record with 119 interception return yards, taking one of his two picks for a 93-yard touchdown.
Freshman Minkah Fitzpatrick recorded two more interceptions and returned both for scores.
While Texas A&M had no answer for Henry, the Aggies were unable to generate a rushing attack of their own. Texas A&M carried 25 times for just 32 yards as a team, just a week after Arkansas managed just 44 rushing yards against perhaps the best defensive front in college football.
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