Alabama Football: What Tide fans will look for against the Aggies

Alabama football fans will be looking at three key game components as the Tide takes on the Aggies Saturday afternoon in College Station.

Alabama football fans are confident Jimbo Fisher will not become the first Nick Saban former assistant to take down the GOAT. The Aggies are probably better than they have shown after two losses and a perplexing, weak performance against Arkansas.

The main story for the Aggies has been the lack of a consistent rushing offense. Jimbo has not countered the weakness by relying too much on Kellen Mond’s legs. That could change on Saturday. Given what Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee did on the ground against the Crimson Tide, unleashing Mond makes some sense.

Alabama football fans hope to see improved performance from the Tide defense in two aspects. First is a more consistent pass rush that as Nick Saban says, “affects the quarterback.” The second is better containment. The Tide has been somewhat vulnerable on the edges caused by mental errors. Add to that too frequently poor tackling angles and the Tide defense has not looked like one ready to shackle a true dual-threat QB.

Practices this week indicate another true freshman will start on the defensive line. Instead of true freshman, Justin Eboigbe filling in for the injured LaBryan Ray, Byron Young is likely to start. Both young men have bright futures. Playing in front of a big, road crowd can intimidate some freshmen, but it is also a chance to mature quickly.

The other area of particular interest to Tide fans will be the offensive line and how it performs in run-blocking. With Chris Owens injured and replaced by Landon Dickerson, a new center can bring problems. On the plus side, Dickerson and Deonte Brown (at right guard) added to the group of Leatherwood, Neal and Wills is the run-thumping quintet Tide fans have longed to see.

The Aggies will be the best defense the Crimson Tide has faced with a stout defensive line and big defensive backs. TAMU defensive coordinator, Mike Elko runs a 4-2-5 while having a tendency to bring one of his safeties into the box. Facing Tua Tagovailoa and the explosive Alabama football receivers with a single high safety is risky.

Assuming Elko does not bring an extra man in the box, the Tide rushing game could flourish. Not that the Aggies are weak against the run – but they have surrendered some long runs this season.

Some Alabama fans may notice an omission in the ‘what to look for’ list. There is another one and it is the Tide’s punter woes. Without a fully healthy Will Reichard, perhaps the less said the better.