Tyler Stafford, sports editor of The Battalion, interviewed Kelly Ward, sports editor of Alabama’s student newspaper The Crimson White, about the game this Saturday.
THE BATTALION: With the loss to Ole Miss and the too-close-for-comfort win over Arkansas, is it fair to say that this is a down year for Alabama?
WARD: I don’t think you can call it a down year with half of the season left. People aren’t thrilled with the loss to Ole Miss and the close game at Arkansas, but it’s hard to go undefeated any year, let alone this year.
THE BATTALION: Do you remember the 2012 game? What was the feeling like on campus after the upset?
WARD: I wasn’t working at The Crimson White when A&M rolled into Tuscaloosa in 2012 so I was in the student section. That was the loudest I had heard the stadium. There was a lot of disbelief after the game. I went to one of the dining halls right after the game. It was the most crowded I’d ever seen the dining hall, but it was so quiet. The next weekend, the atmosphere shifted when Kansas State and Oregon lost, so it’s hard to remember everything about the week after A&M.
THE BATTALION: After the big game last season, have students started to view this game as a budding rivalry?
WARD: I can’t speak for the entire student body. What I can say for certain is that Alabama has a rival: Auburn. Tennessee is a rival, but it’s nowhere close to the Iron Bowl. Alabama-A&M is like any other conference game. It’s not friendly, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a rivalry.
THE BATTALION: What players should we be keeping an eye on Saturday?
WARD: On offense: Amari Cooper, Blake Sims, T.J. Yeldon, DeAndrew White. I could go on. Basically, Alabama has the ability to run the ball or go in the air. On defense: Cyrus Jones, Landon Collins, Reggie Ragland, Jonathan Allen. Even freshman Tony Brown if he’s in. Basically, anyone can step up on the defense. Special teams: JK Scott. As Nick Saban said in August, “Have you seen him punt?” Also Tony Brown and Jonathan Allen are responsible for two blocked extra point attempts.
THE BATTALION: What is your prediction for the game?
WARD: A&M 21, Alabama 17