2023 Alabama Football Early Opponent Preview | Game 6: at Texas A&M

The Crimson Tide returns to where Nick Saban lost to one of his former assistants for the first time in 2021, snapping his 24-0 record in those games.

Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

When game six rolls around, it will be Alabama's first trip back to College Station since the field was stormed immediately following a walk-off 28-yard field goal from Seth Small when Texas A&M upset Alabama 41-38 in 2021. 

The victory on Jimbo Fisher's 56th birthday marked the first time a former Nick Saban assistant beat the legendary head coach head-to-head. 

If anything though, the rivalry between Saban and Fisher has grown even larger since that last meeting at Texas A&M despite the Crimson Tide winning the game in Tuscaloosa last season. 

The two have gone toe-to-toe on the recruiting trail for multiple top recruits and did not mince words about each other in the early days of NIL. The 2022 offseason set up a potentially big matchup between the two programs in Tuscaloosa, but ended up being a bit of a letdown. 

The Aggies rolled into town with two losses already and finished the season with seven. Alabama was without star quarterback Bryce Young, who had suffered a shoulder injury the game before. Jalen Milroe earned his first career start and did have three touchdowns through the air and 81 rushing yards, but also turned the ball over three times. 

Could Milroe be facing off against the Aggies again this season as the starter? That's something we'll have to wait and see as the Alabama quarterback battle continues to unfold. 

Here's a look at what Texas A&M brings this year coming off a disappointing 5-7 season:

Offense

Texas A&M struggled to get consistent play out of the quarterback position last season, but returns sophomore Conner Weigman as the starter in 2023 after Haynes King transferred to Georgia Tech. 

Weigman made four starts and five appearances as a true freshman in 2022, throwing for 896 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions. However, it will be a new look overall for the offense under first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. 

The former Louisville and Arkansas head coach will have his work cut out for him in his first season with the Aggies, but has some solid pieces to work with. Texas A&M will have to replace leading rusher Devon Achane, but brings back the top three receivers from a season ago. 

Evan Stewart (53 receptions for 649 yards) led the Aggies in receiving as a true freshman last season, and Moose Muhammad III (38 receptions for 610 yards) had a breakout season in his sophomore campaign. Petrino gets the added bonus of Ainias Smith returning for his fifth season. 

Smith missed the last eight games of 2022 with a leg injury, but has been a major thorn in Alabama's side in his two previous matchups. The wide receiver racked up over 200 yards and four touchdowns in his last two games against the Crimson Tide. 

The Aggie offensive line is anchored at center by junior Bryce Foster, a 2021 freshman all-American. He also missed the last eight games of last season, and his return to the field should help an offensive line that showed some weaknesses. However, A&M has a lot of experience up front with all five guys having starting experience. 

Defense

While the offense struggled a lot last season, the defense kept the Aggies in most games, finishing the year in the top-30 in scoring defense. The passing defense was the best in the country, only allowing 156.2 yards per game. 

The back end of that highly-touted pass defense is highlighted by senior safety and leading tackler Demani Richardson alongside junior defensive back Jardin Gilbert.  

On the inverse side, the rush defense was dreadful. Texas A&M was 128th in the country in run defense and allowed over 200 yards per game on the ground– something second-year defensive coordinator DJ Durkin will have to improve.

Despite an overall disappointing season, Fisher has continued to bring in top talent on the recruiting front, especially along the defensive line. According to 247's recruiting rankings, the top signee in A&M's last three classes have all been defensive linemen with Shemar Turner in 2021, Walter Nolen and Shemar Stewart in 2022 and David Hicks in 2023. Fellow defensive lineman Fadil Diggs led the Aggies in sacks last season even though he only appeared in eight games. 

Schedule

Last time Alabama played at Texas A&M, Saban tried to warn the team and fans that it was a potential trap game. The team clearly didn't heed the head coach's warning. 

It was the Crimson Tide's sixth game in 2021 and will be in 2023. This time however, unlike 2021, Alabama will be coming off a road game (Mississippi State.) It will be the only time this season the Crimson Tide has back-to-back true road games. 

Texas A&M will be coming into the game off a road trip to Arkansas, and the Aggies' schedule doesn't get any easier with road games at Tennessee, Ole Miss and LSU to follow. 

Outlook

Since Fisher took over in College Station, expectations have been high for the head coach as evidenced by his massive 10-year, $95 million contract. But the Aggies haven't quite met expectations so far, failing to make the College Football Playoff or SEC championship game and finishing with at least four losses every year under Fisher except 2020. 

Obviously last season's 5-7 record was a huge disappointment, and Texas A&M has almost nowhere to go but up with the type of talent Fisher has amassed. 

This Week 6 matchup will be one of the biggest games on the schedule for both teams, and there's a good possibility both teams could be undefeated heading into this game. 

Alabama currently doesn't know who its starting quarterback will be, but by this point in the season, the position battle will be settled. Regardless of who is the quarterback, the Crimson Tide showed last season it could still beat Texas A&M with a backup quarterback when Milroe started the game.

I think this will be the toughest road game on Alabama's schedule, but until a Fisher team proves it is ready to compete at the highest level, I have to give the nod to the Crimson Tide. 

Alabama at Texas A&M

The Game

Date: Oct. 7

Time: TBD

TV: TBD

Location: Kyle Field (102,733)

Series: Alabama leads series 12-3

Last meeting: Without Bryce Young, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury, Alabama survived four turnovers and two missed field goals to top the Aggies. Jalen Milroe had three touchdown passes during his first start, while passing for 111 yards and running for 183, but also had an interception and two lost fumbles. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 159 yards. 

T.G. Paschal, BamaCentral

The Team

The Coach: Jimbo Fisher

Offensive Coordinator: Bobby Petrino

Defensive Coordinator: DJ Durkin

2022 Record: 5-7

2022 Rankings: Total offense No. 93; Total defense No. 52

Returning Starters: 20, 10 on offense, 10 on defense

Players to Watch: DT McKinnley Jackson, WR/PR Ainias Smith, G Layden Robinson, S Demani Richardson, C Bryce Foster,TE Donovan Green, T Reuben Fatheree, LB Edgerrin Cooper, LB Bryce Anderson, P Nik Constantinou.

Top Newcomer: Long-term it's probably David Hicks, as the defensive lineman was considered the top prospect in the state for the recruiting Class of 2023. But for this season, running back Rueben Owens is probably going to get more opportunities. He eclipsed 7,000 rushing yards and 100 rushing touchdowns during his career at El Campo High School.

Biggest Question: Even though he has that huge contract, this could be the make-or-break year for Fisher with the Aggies. They're coming off a 5-7 season, which included a six-game losing streak and no bowl game. Even though A&M has 20 returning starters, most of the talk in the division has been about Alabama and LSU (which Texas A&M beat to close the 2022 season). All eyes will be on offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, and what he may be able to do with quarterbacks Conner Weigman and Max Johnson.

The School

Location: College Station, Texas

Founded: 1876

Enrollment: Approximately 73,000

Nickname: Aggies

Colors: Maroon and white

Mascot: Reveille

The Program

Coaching Changes During Saban Era: Three

Last Time Beat Alabama: 2021. The last time Texas A&M won at Bryant-Denny Stadium was 2012.

Last Time Won Division: Never.

Last Time Won SEC Championship: Never.

National Championships (3): 1919, 1927, 1939

Playoff Appearances: None

Conference Championships: 18 (17 SWC, one Big 12)

Bowl Appearances: 20–22

Last Time Didn’t Play in a Bowl: Last year.

Heisman Trophies (2): John David Crow (1957), Johnny Manziel (2012)

Consensus All-Americans During Saban Era (8): Jerry Hughes, DL, 2008-09; Tejay Johnson, DB, 2010; Paul Dawson, LB, 2014; Josh Doctson, WR, 2015; Kenyon Green, OL, 2020-21; DeMarvin Leal, DL, 2021

First-Round NFL Picks During Saban Era (10): Defensive lineman Myles Garrett was the first-overall selection by the Cleveland Browns in 2017. However, the Aggies have had just one since then, guard Kenyon Green. He was the 15th-overall pick by the Texans in 2022.

2023 NFL Draft: Three selections led by running back Devon Achane, who was a third-round pick by the Miami Dolphins.

Last Four Recruiting Class Rankings: No. 10 class in 2023; No. 1 class in 2022. No. 8 in 2021, No. 6 in 2020.

The Schedule

Sept. 2: New Mexico
Sept. 9: at Miami
Sept. 16: ULM
Sept. 23: Auburn
Sept. 30: vs. Arkansas in Arlington, Texas
Oct. 7: at Alabama
Oct. 14: at Tennessee
Oct. 28: South Carolina
Nov. 4: at Ole Miss
Nov. 11: Mississippi State
Nov. 18: Abilene Christian
Nov. 25: at LSU

Did You Know?

It's the final season for the SEC West as the conference will do away with divisions when Oklahoma and Texas join the league in 2024. So how many division titles have the Aggies won since joining the conference? Zero. It obviously has yet to reach the SEC Championship Game. 

This team could be good enough to play in Atlanta, and contend for the national title. Aggies fans will tell you that it's been a long time coming. The last time Texas A&M was ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll was 1957, when it topped the voting for three weeks. The coach was Paul W. "Bear" Bryant, who subsequently left for his alma mater. 

Texas A&M / Bryant Museum

This is the sixth story in series previewing Alabama's opponents:

Middle Tennessee

Texas

at South Florida

Ole Miss

Mississippi State