The Alabama Crimson Tide opened SEC play with a huge win over SEC West foe, Ole Miss. The Rebels offense was completely shut down by the Tide. Meanwhile, the notorious “Land Shark” defense was absolutely no match for Tua Tagovailoa and the Alabama offense as the Tide finished the game with 306 passing yards and 210 rushing yards. Alabama’s defense was also stifling allowing only 248 total yards. There were a few anxious Bama fans headed into this game and on the first play of the game Ole Miss scored, creating more anxiety. After that however, it was all Bama as the Tide rolled 62-7.
Alabama Crimson Tide: Know Your Foe – Texas A&M Edition
Week four of the college football season has the Texas A&M Aggies headed to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to face the Alabama Crimson Tide. This will be the second time that first year Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher has faced Alabama’s, Nick Saban. In the first meeting in week one of last season, the Tide beat the Florida State Seminoles 24-7 to kick off the season. With the Aggies coming this Saturday, Alabama will be business as usual. However, A&M is not a team to overlook. So far this season, the Aggies offense has averaged 596 yards per game while the defense has only given up 992 in three games. They have been very good in all aspects of the games that they have played so far. With college football being so unpredictable week to week, it’s always a must to know your foe.
Offensive Weapons
The Aggie offense has not been spectacular so far, but they have been solid. Averaging 44 points per game, they have been able to move the ball and score almost at will. The issue for the Aggies this week is that they are facing the number one team in the nation with one of the most dominating defenses.
Quarterback
Kellen Mond, Sophomore (6’2”, 210 pounds) has 824 passing yards and six passing touchdowns. Mond is one of the biggest quarterbacks that the Tide defense will face this season. He has also rushed for 103 yards and three more touchdowns.
Running Back
Trayveon Williams, Junior (5’9”, 200 pounds) is the premier back. He’s rushed 59 times for 399 yards and four touchdowns.
Wide Receivers
Kendrick Rogers, Sophomore (6’3”, 210 pounds) is a sure-handed playmaker with nine receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns.
Camron Buckley, Sophomore (6’2”, 190 pounds) is another great target with nine receptions for 165 receiving yards, but no touchdowns.
Jhamon Ausbon, Sophomore (6’2”, 220 pounds) is the primary target for Mond. He has 13 catches for 201 yards but has yet to get into the end zone.
Defense
The Texas A&M defense has been good this season. They have kept their combined opponents under 1,000 yards of offense (992 yards). The most points that the Aggies have given up is 28 in their loss to the Clemson Tigers. The A&M defense has shown that they can make stops when needed, but their playmakers are going to have to step up big against this Bama offense.
Linebackers
Otaro Alaka, Senior (6’3”, 240 pounds) has 16 tackles.
Tyrel Dodson, Junior (6’2”, 242 pounds) has 15 tackles.
Defensive Backs
Charles Oliver, Junior (6’2”, 202 pounds) has nine tackles.
Donovan Wilson, Senior (6’1”, 207 pounds) has 15 tackles and one sack.
Deshawn Capers-Smith, Senior (6’, 200 pounds) has seven tackles.
Defensive Linemen
Kingsley Keke, Senior (6’4”, 305 pounds) has 11 tackles and one sack.
Justin Madubuike, Sophomore (6’3”, 300 pounds) has five tackles and one sack. He did not play in week one.
The Big Fish
Fisher, another former assistant for Saban, is in his first year at Texas A&M. After being the head coach for the Florida State Seminoles for eight years, has taken his efforts to College Station, Texas. This is his second head coaching position that he has held. He has been an assistant at Samford University (Graduate Assistant/Quarterbacks Coach/Offensive Coordinator, 1988-1992), Auburn University (Quarterbacks Coach, 1993-1998), University of Cincinnati (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach, 1999), LSU (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach, 2000-2006), Florida State University (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach, Head Coach, 2007-2017). Jimbo has one National Championship on his resume after winning the title against Auburn in 2013.
So far in this 2018 campaign, the Aggies are 2-1. They have beaten the Northwestern State Demons 59-7 and the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks 48-10. The one loss that the Aggies have suffered this season has been to the second-ranked Clemson Tigers at Kyle Field. The Tigers were able to hang on to win 28-26 as the Aggies’ Kendrick Rogers made an amazing catch with 46 seconds remaining in the game for the touchdown that put them down by two. Clemson was able to intercept the 2-point conversion pass from Mond to seal the win.
Fisher has fallen right in with the Aggies and seems to have them on the right track to be a contender in the SEC West. However, this is the SEC. Jimbo is no longer coaching in the ACC. Although it may be true in recent years the ACC has proven that they can be competitive. But, the expectations in the SEC are higher than any other conference in the nation.
Wrap Up and Prediction
Alabama has defined dominance to this point in 2018. On paper, the biggest challenge for the Tide this season has been Mississippi and the score was 49-7 at the end of the first half. The Aggies defense has played fairly well against their opponents so far, but they haven’t faced anything like the Alabama offense. Bama is the first SEC team in history to score 50 or more points in each of its first three games. The Bama defense has been one of the stingiest in college football as well by allowing a total of only 28 points through three games. This will be another big win for the Tide as they will roll to a 53-17 victory.
Prediction: Saban still will not be happy with his team’s performance which is why Alabama is the best team in the nation.
