Texas A&M heads into Tuscaloosa with plenty to prove, and the timing could hardly be more stark. At 4-3 overall and 1-3 in SEC play, the Aggies need a strong finish to the regular season, and Saturday’s matchup with No. 13 Alabama is the first big chance to show that this roster is better than its record suggests.
The setting is familiar enough, even if the recent history is not. Texas A&M last saw Alabama in 2023, during Jimbo Fisher’s final season as head coach, and the Aggies have beaten the Crimson Tide only twice, in 2012 and 2021. This time, though, Alabama enters off back-to-back losses to Georgia and Tennessee, and sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell has been held under 200 passing yards in both defeats.
Texas A&M’s path to an upset starts up front. The Aggies’ only SEC win came against Arkansas at home, built on a strong ground game, and that formula showed up again in last Saturday’s 41-0 win over The Citadel. Freshman running back KJ Edwards has given the offense a burst of speed and athleticism, and his emergence offers a glimpse of what’s ahead while also helping the unit right now.
For the Aggies to stay in this one, Marcel Reed has to do his part, too. That means making the easy throws, keeping the offense on schedule, and using his legs when the pocket breaks down.
There’s also a matchup that could help Texas A&M hang around deep into the game. The Aggies’ 10th-ranked pass defense will go against an Alabama offensive line that gives up three sacks per game, and that gives Texas A&M a real shot to keep things tight into the fourth quarter.
Follow along for live coverage of Texas A&M vs. No. 13 Alabama, starting at 2:30 p.m. on ABC.
In Other News...
Alabama Faces A Brutal Late Twist Before Texas A&M Showdown
Alabamas availability list for the matchup with Texas A&M is getting a lot of attention, and for good reason. Center Racin Delgatty, cornerback Zabien Brown and running back EJ Crowell all landed on the doubtful list, while wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams has already been ruled out. Defensive lineman Terrance Green is also unavailable, adding more uncertainty to a game that already carries plenty of weight for both sides.
Texas A&M has some encouraging news of its own heading into the trip, with wide receiver Mario Craver and defensive tackle DJ Hicks both upgraded to probable. The Aggies will be watching those late injury updates closely, because availability on both fronts could shape how the game is played at the line of scrimmage and in the passing game, especially with Alabama trying to sort through a thinning depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Gets An Opening Alabama Suddenly May Not Close
Texas A&Ms injury picture is looking a lot cleaner heading into its matchup with Alabama, with most of the players who had been listed as questionable now trending to probable. The lone exception on the Aggies report is Anto Saka, who remains questionable, but the overall direction is encouraging for a team trying to stay as close to full strength as possible in a game that figures to demand it.
Alabamas report tells a different story, with three players moving from questionable to doubtful, including running back EJ Crowell, center Racin Delgatty and cornerback Zabien Brown. Those shifts matter because availability in a game like this can swing everything from protection up front to depth in the secondary, and it gives Texas A&M a little more reason to believe the opening is real. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Just Sent A Message Before Its Alabama Test
Texas A&M took care of business in emphatic fashion, blanking The Citadel 41-0 for its second shutout of the season. The Aggies didnt just leave with a lopsided win, either, as the performance offered another reminder that this team has the kind of defensive backbone that can travel into a bigger stage.
Now comes the real test in Tuscaloosa against No. 13 Alabama, and the focus inside the program is on sharpening the running game and tightening the defensive approach before that trip. Mike Elko has also shifted defensive play-calling duties to first-year coordinator Lyle Hemphill, a move that gives the head coach more room to oversee the bigger picture as Texas A&M prepares for one of its most important games of the season. [Read more 🡒]