Texas A&M vs. Alabama has become a must-watch among Southeastern Conference fans in recent years. Come Saturday, there's more than bragging rights on the line.
And for the Crimson Tide, they'll look to avoid history repating itself in early October once more.
The Aggies remain undranked following their 33-22 victory over Arkansas, ranking No. 24. The Crimson Tide moved up one spot to No. 11 following their 40-17 win over Mississippi State.
A&M stuffed the Razorbacks at AT&T Stadium despite an 11-point differential. The Aggies (4-1, 2-0 SEC) totaled 199 yards of offense in the first half thanks to consistency from new quarterback Max Johnson.
Trouble ensued to begin the third quarter. Johnson, who replaced Conner Weigman following a season-ending foot injury, was intercepted by Razorbacks Lorando Johnson for a 20-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half. He also totaled two more turnovers on fumbles after trying to pick up the first down with his legs.
Special teams became an x-factor to A&M's success, headlined by senior receiver Ainias Smith. Last season, Smith's year ended in the Southwest Classic after suffering a fractured leg during the third quarter. This time, he returned an 82-yard punt to the house to extend the Aggies' lead by 18.
“When I muffed it, I was thinking, ‘Now you’ve got to make a play. Don’t mess up and don’t get tackled,’” Smith said postgame. “Then I looked up and I saw my dog over there waving me to the sideline and I was like, ‘Oh, let’s ride.’”
The defense has turned the corner since its blundering performance against No. 18 Miami at Hard Rock Stadium. The Aggies went 11 quarters without allowing a touchdown, only seeing their streak be broken by a 48-yard pass from KJ Jefferson to Andrew Armstrong.
Jefferson, known for his mobility, was obsolete against A&M's front seven, rushing for -3 three yards on 18 carries. Running back Rahiem Sanders was limited to 34 yards on 11 touches, and the team averaged 1.1 yards per attempt.
We tackled very well in this football game and we gang tackled. We swarmed the football," A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said postgame. "We tackled with leverage. We got guys on the ground and kept him (KJ Jefferson) in the pocket at the same time."
In their previous two matchups against the Crimson Tide, the Aggies have kept things intriguing. Alabama suffered its first loss to a non-ranked opponent in over 100 games the last time it came to Kyle Field in a 41-38 victory. Fisher, who coached under Nick Saban at LSU, became the first assistant to defeat the seven-time national champion in the process.
Last season, A&M took Alabama (4-1, 2-0 SEC) down to the wire with Haynes King under center. Jalen Milroe started in place of the injured Bryce Young, and threw for 111 yards and three touchdowns against one interception.
King, who since transferred to Georgia Tech, replaced the injured Johnson and threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns. On the final drive, King pushed A&M into the red zone, but couldn't connect with Evan Stewart from the 2-yard line as time expired, securing the 24-20 victory.
"We got a very good opponent next week in Alabama," said Fisher postgame.
The winner of Saturday's game will take sole possesion of first-place in the SEC West. Ole Miss (4-1, 1-1 SEC) defeated LSU (3-2, 1-1 SEC) 55-49 on Saturday in Oxford to open the opportunity for both parties.
Kickoff from Kyle Field is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
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