Texas A&M heads into Tuscaloosa with a very specific blueprint in hand, and it comes straight from what Tennessee just pulled off against Alabama.
The Aggies and Crimson Tide are set to meet for the first time since 2023, when a Nick Saban-led Alabama team edged out Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M squad 26-20 at Kyle Field. That result kept A&M from reaching a third win over Alabama since joining the SEC in 2012. Now Mike Elko’s team gets another shot, and this one comes with Alabama in a rough spot after back-to-back losses.
Last Saturday’s 26-10 Alabama defeat at Neyland Stadium showed one glaring weakness: the Tide could not sustain drives. They managed just two third-down conversions in 13 tries and went one of three on fourth down. Tennessee leaned into that breakdown and made it matter.
That’s where Texas A&M can make this interesting. The Aggies haven’t been as sharp against opposing offenses on third down this season as they were a year ago, and they’re allowing 15 first downs per game right now. Still, the pieces are there for them to disrupt Alabama in the same way Tennessee did.
A&M has already shown some ability to create trouble on that front. The Aggies held LSU to four third-down conversions on 12 chances during their trip to Death Valley, and Missouri went just six of 16 on third down against the A&M defense.
There’s another path too: run the ball and force Alabama to keep chasing. Tennessee’s DeSean Bishop ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns against the Tide, helping the Volunteers stay on the front foot and limiting Alabama’s chances to answer. Texas A&M will look to its own backfield to try to do the same, with true freshmen KJ Edwards and Carsyn Baker joining veterans Rueben Owens and Jamarion Morrow as options to spark that part of the offense.
Of course, a strong showing from that group would be a step up from what Texas A&M has typically delivered, just as a defensive stand like the one against Tennessee would be.
And if the Aggies do pull it off, it would be a notable one for the record book as well. They would become the first unranked team to beat Alabama at home since Louisiana-Monroe did it in November 2007, early in the Nick Saban era.
Texas A&M and Alabama kick off at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday at 2:30 PM 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 🡒]