The Texas A&M football team is looking to build on last Saturday’s 38-14 win over Ole Miss as it prepares to take on the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
UAB is coming into the matchup with a season record of 9-1 — it’s best start ever — including last week’s 26-23 victory in overtime against Conference USA opponent Southern Miss that earned the Blazers their first division title in school history.
The Blazers are a force on defense, allowing 260.8 yards per game, which makes them the third best defense in the nation. UAB also ranks in the top five in the nation in sacks, scoring defense, passing defense and total defense.
Last week, the UAB defense accumulated a season-high seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Senior and C-USA Defensive Player of the Week Tre’ Crawford led the defense with 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.
The A&M run defense is ranked second in the nation and holds its opponents to an average of 80 rushing yards per game. Last week against Ole Miss, the run defense allowed the Rebels to accumulate 67 rushing yards.
The A&M offense boasts the Southeastern Conference’s leading rusher in junior running back Trayveon Williams, who garnered 228 yards on 31 carries last weekend to climb to a season total of 1,159 yards.
The leading rusher for the Blazers is sophomore Spencer Brown. Ranked fifth in the nation in rushing touchdowns, Brown notched his 14th last week to give the Blazers the win over Southern Miss and has 913 rushing yards this season.
At the helm of the A&M offense is sophomore quarterback Kellen Mond, who is currently No. 2 in the SEC in total offense with an average of 279.7 yards per game and No. 4 in the SEC with 2,488 passing yards. Last Saturday, Mond accounted for four of A&M’s touchdowns — three through the air and one on the ground — and added 236 passing yards with 19 completions on 38 attempts.
UAB’s signal caller, redshirt freshman Tyler Johnston III, will make his third collegiate start against the Aggies. In his first two starts, Johnston has garnered 456 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions.
This is the Blazers’ second year playing football since a two-year hiatus from 2014 to 2016. The No. 25 ranking in the Coaches Poll is the first time since 2004 that the Blazers have been ranked in any poll.
Saturday night will be Senior Night for A&M as they honor the 17 seniors on the team. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Kyle Field, and the game will be televised on ESPN2.