Texas A&M football returns to the grind of SEC competition in Week 8, as the team travels to Bryant-Denny Stadium to face No. 13 Alabama.
The Aggies bounced back on Saturday with a 41-0 shutout of The Citadel, but they will face a completely different beast this week. Alabama, led by outstanding dual-threat quarterback Keelon Russell, has weapons all across the field. The Crimson Tide suffered a 26-10 loss at Tennessee in Week 7 but remain a top-15 team in college football, with a defense ranked second in the league and 10 interceptions.
That means Texas A&M's offense must be sharp and consistent, which is something the unit has struggled with throughout the year. To pull off the Week 8 upset, leaders like tight end Micah Riley and defensive back Dezz Ricks will need to keep the team together and focused on every facet of the game to buy in against one of the team's toughest challenges to date.
Here are some quotes from Ricks and Riley as the Aggies prepare for their road trip to Tuscaloosa:
Ricks explains how the Aggies can carry the momentum from Saturday's win to Bryant-Denny Stadium this week
"(The win) definitely got our overall moral up. We know what we're capable of when we're at our best and on the same page," Ricks said. "Just using that (momentum), regardless of the opponent we played, going into this next one. If we're all on the same page, regardless of who we play, the same thing can happen."
Ricks discusses how he can continue to make an impact on the field for the team moving forward
"Just not getting bored because you never know when the ball will come. Just staying locked into my game and that's what the coaches have been implementing towards me. Don't fall asleep out there, because as soon as you do, that's when the ball will come," Ricks said.
Ricks gives high praise to sophomore wide receiver TK Norman and his uptick in production
"He's always somebody that works hard. With him getting opportunities from guys being down or whatever the case may be, he's just showing everyone else (what he can do). I'm not surprised by nothing (he's doing)," Ricks said.
Ricks' thoughts on Russell and his arm talent
"I think he's a really solid, young player. He can pass the ball, (he's) really good with his feet, so he's definitely going to be a challenge for us. As long as we communicate, stay on our keys, we will be up to the challenge," Ricks said.
Riley discusses the team's mentality entering Saturday's contest at Alabama
"We all know it's going to be a great game. They're a really good football team (and) we're a really good football team as well. Just staying calm and collected going into the week, understanding preparation while doing certain things on offense and defense and just calming yourself down before the game," Riley said.
Riley on being a vocal leader and improving his leadership on the offense moving forward
"I just got to be a better leader, same with Marcel (Reed). We've talked about it a lot, just what are little things we can do better throughout the week to prepare our team," Riley said. "I think just me holding everybody accountable to the standard, being energetic at practice and making sure everything is working correctly. That's the type of stuff that I can do to help this offense stay consistent and be the greatest we can be."
Riley's thoughts on the recent frustrations and how the Aggies have dealt with it
"Just making sure that we all understand that our potential and trying to get to that. That doesn't just happen on Saturdays, I think we all know that. We've kind of had to see it the last few weeks, so I think just buying in and coming to practice every single day with the right energy. That's been the main thing for all of us, just coming and putting it all together so we can finish this the right way," Riley said.
Riley's thoughts on the atmosphere at Bryant-Denny Stadium
"I've played there twice. Great fan base, hostile environment. I've been telling the guys about that too. It's actually really exciting to go to some of these places and see the culture and how things are done there," Riley said. "Their defense is really, really good. We've got to protect the ball. That's a key thing every week, especially in the SEC."
Riley on how the recent team meetings have gone
"They've been really productive. It's not like a huge emotional thing, I think it's more of just, 'Let's watch the film, let's break it down, let's see where you need to be on this route. What do we need to call on this protection?,'" Riley said. "I had some of those type of times at Auburn and it was super emotional and too much sometimes. Just getting down to why we're doing things (and) what we should do to execute better is really the point of them and I think we've done a good job of doing that and I think it's going to translate."
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: 'We know what we're capable of': Texas A&M DB, TE preview Alabama