Crimson Tide Take On a Different Aggie
Will the second time facing Aggies work out better for the Tide?
By: Dave in Tuscaloosa
Will Anderson racked up 12 tackles, including 1.5 sacks and 4 TFL against LSU. Photo via Alabama Athletics
On October 9th, the Crimson Tide met defeat at the hands of the Texas A&M Aggies, and the loss left a sour taste in the mouths of Tide Nation. On Saturday, the 2nd ranked Crimson Tide will get another shot at an Aggie football team, however this time, it will be the Aggies from New Mexico State. The Tide should enter the game in a nasty mood after a subpar performance last week against LSU. Despite narrowly edging the Tigers at home last Saturday night, Bama maintained their CFP #2 ranking and with games against ranked Arkansas and Auburn around the corner, the Tide cannot afford another lackluster performance on either side of the ball.
The independent Aggies are led by head coach Doug Martin, who led NMS to their first bowl game in 57 years in 2017. This season, the Aggies sit at 1-8 but boast a respectable offense. Led by junior quarterback Jonah Johnson, who has completed 58% of his passes for a touchdown to interception ratio of 8 to 7, the unit currently ranks 88th nationally, averaging 378 yards and 20.6 points per game. Johnson enters the game against the Tide having thrown for over 200 yards in five straight contests. Bolstering the attack is freshman tailback Juwaun Price, who is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and has scored 6 touchdowns on the season. The receiving corps is led by sophomore Isaiah Gracia-Castaneda, who boasts 31 receptions for an average of 15.4 yards per catch and 4 touchdowns. The offense has shown big play capability and will look to stretch the Tide defense. Sophomore placekicker Ethan Albertson has hit on 12 of 17 field goal attempts with a long of 45 yards. Defensively, the Aggies have struggled, ranking 126th out of 130 FBS teams. The unit has surrendered an average of 462 yards and 38 points per game...not good as they face an angry Tide offense on Saturday.
Outside of the LSU game, the Alabama offense has been steady and productive, ranking 13th nationally averaging 473.3 yards and 42.4 points per game. Bryce Young is having a terrific season, completing 69% of his passes for 28 touchdowns against only 3 interceptions. Tailback Brian Robinson (12 touchdowns on the season) had a frustrating game against LSU, netting only 18 yards on the ground, and will look to rebound bigtime against the Aggies. Junior receivers Jameson Williams (7 touchdowns, averaging 19.3 yards per catch) and John Metchie III (6 touchdowns, averaging 11 yards per catch) are having fine seasons as well, and will be key components to a conference and playoff run for the Tide. Kicking woes hit the Tide last week as reliable junior Will Reichard missed a field goal and an extra point against LSU, partly due to snap and hold problems. On the season, Reichard has hit on 10 of 13 attempts with a long of 51 yards. Defensively, this side of the ball has had its struggles this season but came up big against LSU, holding the Tigers to 14 points and stopping them three times inside Tide territory in the fourth quarter to preserve the close win. The unit ranks 11th nationally, giving up 305 yards and 19 points per game. Linebackers Will Anderson, Henry To’oTo’o, and Christian Harris lead the way for a group that needs to continue to progress if the Tide hopes to make it to Atlanta and beyond.
Look for an angry Crimson Tide to take out it’s frustration on the Aggies, as this one should get out of hand well before half. Coach Nick Saban should have ample opportunities to get young players valuable playing time as the Tide rolls on towards a showdown with Arkansas next week.
Alabama 63
New Mexico State 10