TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Texas A&M's game on Saturday at Alabama looks a lot different now than it did on the afternoon of Oct. 10.
Missouri had just pounded Texas A&M, sending the Aggies spinning down to 1-3 in conference play as coach Mike Elko questioned whether answers could be found for the Aggies sputtering offense, The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, were undefeated with a potential No. 1 ranking awaiting them if they could beat Georgia that evening.
But the referees missed a key pass interference call and instead the Bulldogs escaped with a victory in the primetime matchup. Then Tennessee defeated Alabama this past week to send the Crimson Tide further down the rankings.
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Suddenly, the stakes are different for Saturday's matchup. Alabama isn't playing to maintain a top ranking. The Crimson Tide are playing to keep from spiraling out of the playoff hunt while Texas A&M looks to prove it can still live up to its potential.
"Texas A&M has got a very good team," Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said. "They got great personnel, great coaching staff. Everyone in the league is coming in in the same scenario where you gotta be at your best. That's the way we gotta approach it."
This will be the third road game of the season for the Aggies, and the previous two have been disastrous offensive performances.
Over those eight quarters of action against LSU and Missouri, Texas A&M has just four field goals and zero touchdowns on offense. The Aggies also converted just eight of 35 third downs while its defense, which kept the games close in the first half, broke down in the second half.
Texas A&M needs to do a better job when faced with the natural adversity that comes from a road environment, Elko said.
"You're going to have to make plays early but you're also going to have to overcome failures," Elko said. "You're also going to have to have swings in momentum. That's what it's going to take. It's going to take a full three and a half hours of battling all of the ebbs and flows that come with a road game in this conference."
The Crimson Tide offense is led by Texas native Keelon Russell, a sophomore who played his high school ball at powerhouse Duncanville outside Dallas.
Elko is familiar with Russell, who he called a "really special player," from his recruitment process. The dual-threat quarterback can attack a defense in many different ways and throws a tight spiral.
"We'll be up to the challenge for sure," said cornerback Dezz Ricks, who played his freshman year at Alabama before transferring to Texas A&M.
Russell has thrown 12 touchdowns this year while averaging just under 250 passing yards per game, which is fifth best in the SEC.
But the Aggies have done a good job stopping opposing quarterbacks through the air. The defense is third in the conference in passing yards allowed per game (165).
That number is helped by the blowout victories over Missouri State and The Citadel, two overmatched opponents, but Missouri's Austin Simmons did have just 147 passing yards against the Aggies.
It's important for Texas A&M pass rush to be disruptive, Elko said, when facing a dynamic signal-caller like Russell. The unit hasn't done it as consistently as it did last year.
"We've got to just continue to find ways to get creative disrupting the quarterback," Elko said. "That's really, really important with how the game unfolds."
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There’s more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Texas A&M's challenge at Alabama: Find more offense and stop Keelon Russell.