Nick Saban has been down this road before with Robert Foster.

In the past -- and particularly last season -- the Alabama coach has seen the receiver irritated and out of sorts.

But back then, the frustration that simmered within Foster billowed over a protracted period of time as the wideout dealt with the fallout from being marginalized. This latest bout of annoyance and disappointment felt by the senior came to a head after a calamitous sequence that would have shaken any football player.

During one series in the third quarter of Alabama's 27-19 victory over Texas A&M last Saturday, Foster lost track of a deep pass that wouldn't have counted anyway had it been completed, dropped another throw from Jalen Hurts and then committed the Tide's first turnover since Nov. 26, 2016 when he fumbled away the ball.

After the ghastly montage of lowlights, Saban confronted the receiver and told him to forget about it.

"Hey, you've got to focus on the next play," Saban said to Foster. "Don't worry about that, don't get frustrated with that, just focus on the next play.'"

Saban hopes Foster will take those words to heart. The senior had only one additional opportunity to make a play -- drawing a pass interference penalty in the final quarter -- after his giveaway helped kickstart a brief Texas A&M rally with Alabama leading by three touchdowns.

The Aggies scored nine consecutive points, including a touchdown off Foster's fumble, which was lost at Alabama's 34-yard line.

"No player wants to not play well," Saban said. "He doesn't want to line up in the wrong formation. He doesn't want to drop a pass. He doesn't want to fumble the ball. He's as frustrated about that as anybody, but I think he has to overcome his frustrations and overcome the adversity of those circumstances and situations and focus on what he needs to do better. That's what we'll encourage him to do and hopefully that's the way he'll respond."

Foster has been a bit of an enigma since he suffered a major shoulder injury in September 2015. Before that setback happened, the former five-star recruit appeared destined for big things in Tuscaloosa.

Yet, in the 16 games he's played since then, Foster has produced only 12 catches, 151 receiving yards and a touchdown.

In the one instance when he did reach the end zone, Foster showed his potential and physical gifts after outrunning the Colorado State defense on a 52-yard reception in a victory last month.

"I don't think there's any question about the fact that Robert Foster is a real key piece to us moving forward," Saban said on his radio show the following week. "He's got big-play capability because he does have great speed. Robert is getting more confident."

But is that still the case after what happened against A&M?

His teammates hope Foster wasn't rattled by the trying episode he experienced against the Aggies.

"All guys are going to have their moments where things don't go the right way." said left guard Ross Pierschbacher. "And just be there for him, support him, know that the coach is not giving up on him and players, too."

Once again, the ball is in Foster's hands. Going forward, what he chooses to do with it will be interesting to see.

Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin