Texas A&M heads into Week 8 with one simple assignment: find a way to crack Alabama on the road.
The Aggies come out of a short reset against the Citadel still sitting at 1-3 in SEC play, and they’re walking straight into a Tuscaloosa test that demands more than just a decent showing. Alabama is coming off a heavyweight fight with Georgia, while Texas A&M is trying to shake loose from a rough stretch against ranked opponents. That’s the backdrop for a game that could turn on a handful of specific battles.
One of the biggest questions starts at quarterback. Marcel Reed has had a hard time against AP-ranked teams, throwing two touchdowns and five interceptions in three such games.
In the matchups with LSU and Missouri, he didn’t throw a touchdown and the Aggies managed fewer than 300 passing yards combined. If Reed gets the start, Texas A&M will need him to get the ball out fast and handle pressure without getting swallowed up by Alabama’s pass rush.
That rush is led by linebacker Yhonzae Pierre, who tops the Crimson Tide with 3.5 sacks. He’ll be a constant threat off the edge, and Reed will have to stay composed if A&M wants any chance to build an offensive rhythm.
If Reed can’t do it, Brady Hart is next in line on the depth chart. Alabama’s pressure has been spread around, too, with eight different defenders recording at least one sack.
The Aggies will also have to navigate a difficult matchup on the perimeter. Cornerback Dezz Ricks has been one of the SEC’s better defensive backs, with the lone blemish coming in a rough showing against LSU.
Outside of that, he has been sharp, allowing just one catch for one yard over a two-game stretch and blanking Missouri as the primary defender. Now he could be lined up against Ryan Coleman-Williams, who shares the team lead in receiving yards for Alabama with 415 and leads the Tide with four touchdown catches.
Lotzier Brooks also has 415 receiving yards, and three more pass catchers have at least 140.
Texas A&M’s defense did enough to hang with Missouri, but the offense let that effort go to waste. If Ricks can again erase his assignment, the Aggies still need the other side of the ball to hold up. That makes the run game another major factor.
The Citadel game gave Texas A&M a look at its younger backs, and they made the most of it. Jamarion Morrow, Carsyn Baker and KJ Edwards combined for 224 rushing yards and three touchdowns, with Edwards finishing with a team-high 116 yards.
He was one broken tackle away from turning in a 98-yard touchdown run. After Rueben Owens II had trouble generating explosive plays, the young group took center stage and flashed what could be ahead for the Aggies on the ground.
That matters because Alabama has been tough to run on, allowing just 107 rushing yards per game. For Texas A&M, establishing the run early would take pressure off a passing game that has struggled against top competition. If the Aggies can move the ball on the ground and keep Reed from having to force everything, they’ll have a path to staying alive in a game that otherwise looks like a steep climb.
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