On Saturday, the Alabama Crimson Tide will face off with the Texas A&M Aggies for the thirteenth time in Alabama football history.
The Texas A&M Aggies will be headed to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to face the Crimson Tide in a game that will, no doubt, be an incredible matchup.
Both teams are coming off of a win.
The Aggies, who defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores 17-12 are looking to redeem themselves after a rough season opener. Although the Aggies won, they struggled on both sides of the ball, and only finished with 376 total yards of offense. Aggies’ quarterback Kellen Mond finished the game going 17-28 for 189 yards and 1 TD. This game against Alabama will be a statement game to show what they’re capable of this season in the SEC.
As for the Crimson Tide, who beat the Missouri Tigers 38-19, the Tide is looking to win big in their home opener of the season. Alabama showed room for growth and improvement on both sides of the ball, but they showed to be a much more hungry and determined team than they were last season. Mac Jones put on a show going 18-24 for 249 yards and 2 TDs.
Simply put, for a team like Alabama, this is a chance to prove the hype isn’t unwarranted, and that the Crimson Tide is truly a playoff-contending team.
And for the Aggies, well, it’s simply a game to prove they’re better than they are given credit for, and are a team to watch out for in the SEC West.
This is a game that doesn’t have as mich history as other teams the Tide will face this season, but the Aggies never disappoint to put up a fight against Alabama.
And the series history shows that.
The first-ever time these teams met was back in 1942 in Dallas, Texas where the Tide beat the Aggies, 29-12.
26 years later, these teams met again, And it just so happens that the Cotton Bowl in 1968 between Texas A&M and Alabama is one of the most historical games ever in this series. Why do you ask?
Because it was Gene Stallings vs. Paul “Bear” Bryant. Stallings had played for Bryant while at Texas A&M and was now facing his former coach in a faceoff.
At the time, Stallings was the head coach for the Aggies, and Bear was at the University of Alabama.
The Aggies defeated the Crimson Tide 20-16.
Bryant gave Stallings a bear hug at midfield afterward which is one of the things this matchup is known for.
It would be 17 years before the two teams met again.
This time, in 1985, the Crimson Tide beat the Aggies, 23-10 in Birmingham, Alabama.
3 years later in 1988, Alabama traveled to College Station, Texas for the first time in series history. where the Tide rolled over the Aggies, 30-10.
Alabama and Texas A&M wouldn’t face again for another 24 years until the Aggies joined the SEC.
That year, Texas A&M, led by Johnny Manziel, shocked the Tide at home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 29-24. But it’s okay because Alabama went on to win a national title that season anyway.
And it’s the last time the Aggies have beaten the Crimson Tide.
Alabama has won 7 straight matchups against Texas A&M.
It has been a yearly matchup since the Aggies joined the SEC. Here are the results:
2012- Aggies wins, 29-24, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
2013- Alabama wins, 49-42, College Station, Texas
2014- Alabama wins, 59-0, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
2015- Alabama wins, 41-23, College Station, Texas
2016- Alabama wins, 33-14, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
2017- Alabama wins, 27-19, College Station, Texas
2018- Alabama wins, 45-23, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
2019- Alabama wins, 47-28, College Station Texas.
All in all, Alabama is 10-2 against the Aggies in series history.
Under Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide is 7-1 against the Aggies.
Alabama has outscored Texas A&M, 423- 220, and under Saban, Alabama has also outscored the Aggies, 325- 178.
Simply put, this series never disappoints, and this is a great home opener for Alabama.
Roll Tide!
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