No. 24 Texas A&M hosts No. 1 and untested Alabama

Posted October 10, 2019 7:00 am

By The Associated Press

Arkansas quarterback Nick Starkel throws a pass against Colorado State during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods) The Associated Press

No. 1 Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC) at No. 24 Texas A&M (3-2, 1-1) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT (CBS).

Line: Alabama by 17.

Series record: Alabama leads 9-2.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

Alabama has risen to the top of the poll without facing a ranked team. Now, the Crimson Tide gets its first Top 25 test, on the road. The Aggies could make a huge statement with a win after a disappointing start that includes a 24-10 loss to No. 2 Clemson.

KEY MATCHUP

Texas A&M's defense against Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa and his dangerous group of wide receivers. The Aggies are giving up just 17.8 points and 299.8 yards per game. The Tide ranks third nationally in passing offense and fourth in scoring offense. Tagovailoa and WR DeVonta Smith are coming off a huge game against Mississippi.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Alabama: S Xavier McKinney. The Tide gave up 109 rushing yards to Mississippi quarterback John Rhys Plumlee before an open date. McKinney made a career-high 13 tackles in that game and leads the team in that category.

Texas A&M: QB Kellen Mond. The Aggies have sputtered at times on offense but face a Tide defense that hasn't been nearly as dominant as usual. He'll have to produce if Texas A&M hopes to keep up with an Alabama offense averaging 51.8 points per game.

FACTS & FIGURES

Alabama has won all four meetings in College Station and has a six-game winning streak over Texas A&M. ... The Aggies beat a top-ranked Tide team 29-24 in 2012. They're only the fifth team since the AP poll started in 1936 to face two No. 1 teams in a season, having already lost 24-10 to then-No. 1 Clemson. Texas A&M also did it in 1970. ... Mond needs just 76 rushing yards to join Johnny Manziel, Reggie McNeal and Stephen McGee as the only Texas A&M players to pass for 5,000-plus yards and rush for 1,000-plus yards in a career. ... Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher was the offensive coordinator under Alabama's Nick Saban at LSU. Saban is 16-0 against his former assistants when they were head coaches.

___

More AP college football: http://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25

Arkansas running back Rakeem Boyd tries to get past Colorado State defender Tron Folsom during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods) The Associated Press

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher reacts after Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond (11) returns to the sideline after throwing an interception against Lamar during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft) The Associated Press

Arkansas coach Chad Morris leaves the field following the team's 31-24 loss to San Jose State during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.