Texas A&M met its goal of defeating its final non-conference opponent by shutting out The Citadel 41-0 in Week 7, and now heads to Tuscaloosa to face No. 13 Alabama, as the Crimson Tide has lost its last two games since blowing out Mississippi State on the road.
For the first time since 1993, the Aggies shut out two teams, including the season-opening 50-0 win over Missouri State, but that fact won't excite the fan base given Texas A&M's 4-3 record and 1-3 standing in SEC play. Still, third-year coach Mike Elko was encouraged by the offense, which produced 264 rushing yards, led by sophomore RB Jamarion Morrow's three touchdowns and freshman back KJ Edwards' career-high 116 rushing yards.
Redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed made his seventh start of the season, completing 8/13 for 130 yards and a touchdown, while backup quarterback Brady Hart completed 8/12 for 107 yards and a touchdown and finished with a higher Pro Football Focus passing grade.
Marcel Reed is fully expected to start against Alabama on Saturday, but if things go sideways early, I wouldn't be surprised if Brady Hart makes his second appearance in SEC play to help give the offense a jolt.
Amid the most chaotic SEC weekend in quite some time, after Texas, Georgia, and Alabama all lost at home and on the road, the rankings saw plenty of movement in USA TODAY's Re-Rank update.
Texas A&M moved up six spots to No. 49 after shutting out The Citadel, while Alabama and Texas both dropped ten spots to No. 16 and 17.
Texas A&M will face Alabama on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m., and ABC will air the game.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M moves up six spots in the latest USA TODAY RE-Rank