College Football
Texas A&M vs Alabama: Three Musts for the Aggies
It seems like eons ago that A&M went into Tuscaloosa and shocked the football world defeating Alabama. Johnny Football was then and this is now. The Aggies, despite being -27 according to the oddsmakers, have the tools to put aside the Crimson Tide in 2018. Let’s take a look at the three musts for Texas A&M.
Aggie Defense
In a game that the pundits thought would be a blowout, Jimbo Fisher’s crew came within a two-point conversion of beating then number two Clemson. The defense is that good. It is fourth nationally in third point conversions allowed. Opposing offenses have converted 7 of 35 attempts in 2018. The defense has allowed 15.0 points per game (ppg). The defense will need to bend and not break against the “Bama” offense. With five sacks and 18 tackles for losses, the Aggie defense will bring pressure as no defensive front has brought in Alabama’s first three outings. Alabama will not put up 50 or 40 against A&M. Maybe 30 but more likely in the 20’s.
Kellen Mond
The strong-armed, quick of foot Mond is made for beating Alabama. He leads an offense that is seventh in the nation yards per play at 7.45. It is an offense that puts up nearly 600 yards per game and is seven spots better than the 14th ranked Alabama offense. Mond has excelled at the red zone offense, converting 13 of 17 into touchdowns. The scores are almost equally balanced (7 rushing, 6 passing) leaving opposing offenses guessing. The Aggie offense is adept at controlling the clock. Averaging 36 minutes of possession time per game, A&M is better than “Bama” by four minutes. That is a lot of time when it comes to football. Mond is an agile quarterback who has the mobility to pick up a first down with his legs. In the past, those kinds of signal callers have presented a problem to Alabama, whether it was Johnny Manziel or DeShaun Watson. Now, possibly Kellen Mond.
Zero Turnovers
It’s cliche to say that the team that wins the turnover battle wins the ballgame. In a game like this, just as with the Clemson matchup, a turnover can decide the ballgame. Although A&M does not turn the ball over a great deal, it cannot afford to do so at all against Alabama. The Crimson Tide has returned three of five interceptions for touchdowns this season. That alone is enough to turn a close game into a runaway.
At the same time, if there is something to be critical of about the A&M defense, it’s the Aggies’ lack of forcing turnovers. This may change if TAMU forces Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa into a position of discomfort.
The Final Whistle
Just for a moment, forget that it’s Jimbo Fisher against Nick Saban because really it’s not. It’s always hard choosing against arguably the best team in the nation however on this Saturday look for the upset. A&M has the type of quarterback to give the Alabama defense fits. It has the type of running game to control the clock. Alabama’s defense is not Clemson and we saw what happened there. The Aggies’ defense is the best the Crimson Tide will face this season. Watch for guys like Tyler Dodson and Otaro Olaka. If those two have a big game, Alabama is in trouble.
Final score: Texas A&M – 28 Alabama – 24
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