NO. 1 ALABAMA (5-0, 2-0 SEC) at NO. 24 TEXAS A&M (3-2, 1-1)
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019
3:30 p.m. EDT at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas
VIDEO & RADIO
CBS & 97.3/99.3 FM
THE MATCHUP
When Texas A&M is on offense and Alabama on defense, both units will be seeking improvement coming off an open date. Jimbo Fisher's Aggies have been far from impressive despite the return of quarterback Kellen Mond, failing to score first-half touchdowns in losses to Clemson and Auburn. The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, will be out to prove they can still be formidable after allowing 459 and 476 total yards in their first two Southeastern Conference games against South Carolina and Ole Miss. "I'm really excited to get this game going, because I think there is going to be a lot of improvement from those first five games," Alabama junior safety Xavier McKinney said. "We've worked on everything."
ONE TO WATCH
Alabama junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was viewed this time last year as the Heisman Trophy favorite, a position he held until struggling and getting hurt against Georgia in the SEC title game and getting passed in the early December balloting by Oklahoma quarterback Tyler Murray. Tagovailoa has ascended to the top spot again, having thrown an FBS-leading 23 touchdowns with no interceptions this season. "He had a tremendous year last year," Fisher said. "I know there were a couple of tough games at the end, but it's hard to maintain the level that he was playing at. He does a great job of anticipating throws and getting the ball out of his hand, and he processes the information pre-snap and post-snap really well, which allows him to make quick decisions. He's also a very good athlete. He gets his feet where he has to, and he has very good hand and arm talent to throw the football." This is Tagovailoa's biggest stage yet this season, though there will be bigger ones.
IN THE END
Texas A&M is the first ranked opponent of the season for Alabama; the Aggies trailed Clemson by 21 points and trailed Auburn by 18 for much of those contests. "It's important for us to stay focused and have discipline so that we can execute in a challenging environment," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "We're playing a really good team from top to bottom." The Tide will win their seventh straight in this series, but will it be by a lot or a little?
PREDICTION
Alabama 45, Texas A&M 21
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.