No. 1 Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC) at Texas A&M (4-1, 2-0), Saturday, 7:15 p.m. ET (ESPN) Line: Alabama by 26 ½. Series record: Alabama leads 7-2. WHAT’S AT STAKE Alabama is trying to keep rolling after dominating Southeastern Conference opponents
No. 1 Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC) at Texas A&M (4-1, 2-0), Saturday, 7:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Line: Alabama by 26 ½.
Series record: Alabama leads 7-2.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Alabama is trying to keep rolling after dominating Southeastern Conference opponents Vanderbilt and Mississippi by a combined 125-3. The Aggies have already regrouped from a difficult opening loss to UCLA and can stamp themselves at SEC Western Division contenders with an upset in this one.
KEY MATCHUP
Alabama’s defense against Texas A&M’s running game. Led by RB Trayveon Williams, the Aggies trail only the Crimson Tide in rushing offense among SEC teams. Alabama is tops in the league in run defense, allowing an average of 73.8 yards on the ground with only one rushing touchdown. Williams is the SEC’s No. 2 runner with 384 yards.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Alabama: QB Jalen Hurts. He’s facing a defense that leads the SEC with 20 sacks. Hurts presents a different challenge for pass rushers because of his ability to run. He is fifth in the league in both rushing and pass efficiency. Hurts is from Houston and said Texas A&M was among his finalists in recruiting.
Texas A&M: WR/RS Christian Kirk. The versatile threat has more than a quarter of Texas A&M’s 87 receptions and four of the team’s six touchdown catches. Kirk also already has a 100-yard kick return and is averaging 118.4 all-purpose yards per game.
FACTS & FIGURES
Alabama topped 50 points in back-to-back SEC games for the first time since 1945 the last two weeks. … The Aggies have twice beaten a No. 1 team, 30-26 over Oklahoma in 2002 and 29-24 over the Tide in 2012, their last win over Alabama. Texas A&M is 2-12 against top-ranked opponents. … Alabama is outscoring opponents by an average of 37.6 points per game and outrushing them by 241.8 yards on average. … Texas A&M S Armani Watts is the only FBS player with at least five tackles for loss, three interceptions, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble. … The Tide has a 34-quarter streak without committing a turnover, dating back to the second quarter of last season’s Auburn game.
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