With two wins in two games needed for Auburn to make a bowl game, the improbable, but not impossible task starts with a home game against Texas A&M, its final game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2024.
It’s a rematch of Auburn’s 27-10 loss in College Station last season, but against a different-looking team with a new head coach and a lot more to play for.
The game is a must win for Texas A&M just as much as it is for Auburn, with the Aggies looking to keep their SEC Championship hopes alive.
Here’s a closer look at Texas A&M:
The coach
As mentioned above, this year’s matchup with Texas A&M comes against a new head coach as Mike Elko will lead the Aggies into Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.
He spent two seasons as Duke’s head coach prior to getting the Texas A&M job, following four seasons as Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher. Hugh Freeze mentioned earlier in the week that he is relatively unfamiliar with Elko, meeting him for the first time last spring.
The biggest connection between the two coaching staffs is Auburn defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, who spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons in College Station before leaving for Auburn after Jimbo Fisher was fired.
The Aggies’ two best wins on the season were home contests against LSU and Missouri, both top 10 teams at the time, but LSU is now unranked, and Missouri sits at No. 23.
What stands out most about Texas A&M is its rushing attack, but that took a significant hit in the loss against South Carolina. Star running back Le‘Veon Moss suffered a season-ending leg injury in that game, taking away the Aggies’ leading rusher.
They still rushed for 209 yards as a team in the one game since losing Moss, but that came against an overmatched New Mexico State team.
Texas A&M has other weapons in the run game, but Saturday’s matchup with Auburn will be the first time its run game without Moss will be put to the test since his injury.
Players to watch
With Moss now out of the picture, the two biggest names to watch on offense for Texas A&M are quarterback Marcel Reed and running back Amari Daniels.
Daniels will likely be the feature back alongside Reed in the backfield against Auburn. While not being the leading rusher, he has put together an impressive 2024 season, rushing for 550 yards and seven touchdowns through 10 games.
With the offense focused more on the run game, no Texas A&M wide receiver has more than 27 catches this season, but Noah Thomas and Jabre Barber lead the way for the Aggies in the receiver core.
Whenever Freeze was asked about Texas A&M’s defense leading up to the game, one of the first things he’d often mention was the length in the secondary.
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With corners Will Lee III and BJ Mayes and safeties Marcus Ratcliffe and Bryce Anderson all over six feet, they have the ability to cause problems and make plays in the secondary.
Up front, Nic Scourton is the standout player, leading the team with five sacks and 30 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
As a nation, we’ve been through a rough patch. The election season seemed to drag on and on like a bad cold that wouldn’t go away. Angry words flashed through the air like lightning. Candidates hurled insults at each other on the TV news.
Much has been written on this website and elsewhere about the other-worldly abilities of Alabama freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams, the 17-year-old phenom from Saraland who combines elite speed and ball skills with a dancer’s moves and a nose for the end zone.
Through 10 games this season heading into Saturday’s night SEC battle at Oklahoma, Williams has caught 40 passes for 767 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 19.7 yards per catch and 76.7 yards per game. He’s a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award — given annually to the country’s top pass-catcher — and is likely to show up on various All-SEC and All-America teams at season’s end.
But just how good has Williams’ season been in comparison to those who have come before him in crimson and white? You can make the case that he’s the greatest freshman receiver in Alabama program history, or will be by the time the season is over.
If we’re going to make such a statement, we have to consider who the other candidates might be. Given that freshmen were not eligible for varsity play until 1972, that rules out much of the game’s early history.
And the way passing offenses have developed in the last 30-plus years — really since Steve Spurrier’s Florida “Fun N’ Gun” offense revolutionized SEC football in the 1990s — means that most of the top pass-catchers (by both production and opportunity) will be from recent years. In addition, Alabama’s level of success in the Nick Saban years means that there were simply more great receivers on the Crimson Tide’s rosters in the last two decades than at any point in school history.
Alabama’s Ryan Williams has already established himself as one of the greatest freshman wide receivers in program history, and he’s still got several games to go this season. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Getty Images
That being said, two players from the 20th century deserve special mention.
One is Ozzie Newsome, who starred at split end for the Crimson Tide from 1974-77 (Newsome became a Hall of Fame tight end in the NFL, but he was a true wide receiver in college). Newsome, as many readers know, played in a wishbone offense, where throwing the ball was done either to catch the opposing defense off-guard or when the offense was in a third-and-long situation.
Newsome caught 20 passes for 374 yards (an average of 18.7 yards per catch) and one touchdown as a freshman in 1974. He added six catches for 68 yards in the Orange Bowl (bowl stats weren’t counted in the official record at the time).
Those are modest numbers to be sure, but it’s worth noting that Alabama completed only 78 passes for 1,212 yards all season, bowl game included (by comparison, the 2021 team completed 380 passes for 5,073 yards). In other words, Newsome was responsible for almost exactly a third of the Crimson Tide’s receptions and more than a third (36%) of its receiving yards his freshman year.
The other notable is David Palmer, among the most-electrifying all-purpose players in Alabama history. As a freshman in 1991, “The Deuce” caught 17 passes for 314 yards (averaging 18.5 yards per catch) with three touchdowns.
Palmer’s contributions were not just as a receiver, however, as he also lined up at quarterback and running back at various times. He returned four punts for touchdowns (including one in the Blockbuster Bowl, when he also caught a scoring pass) and ran for the only touchdown in Alabama’s 13-6 Iron Bowl victory over Auburn.
Alabama was also a run first, second and (mostly) third team in the early 1990s under Gene Stallings, though Palmer’s numbers would increase over time. As a junior in 1993, he recorded the first 1,000-yard receiving season in program history on his way to a third-place finish in the Heisman Trophy balloting.
Those caveats out of the way, there are essentially four other candidates. Here they are, in chronological order:
Alabama’s Julio Jones (8) makes a catch for a touchdown as Georgia’s Bryan Evans defends during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game in Athens, Ga., Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)ASSOCIATED PRESS
1. Julio Jones (2008)
Jones might be the most important player in Alabama football history, given the way his toughness and work ethic helped transform the Crimson Tide program in the early Saban years. He was dang good on the field, too, of course, catching 58 passes for 924 yards — averaging 15.9 yards per catch — and four touchdowns in 14 games as a freshman in 2008.
Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) stiffs arm out of the tackle of Mississippi linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche (4) in the first half of an NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)ASSOCIATED PRESS
2. Amari Cooper (2012)
The gold standard for being a dominant player from Day 1, Cooper helped Alabama to a second straight national championship as a freshman in 2012. He caught 59 passes for 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games for the SEC and BCS champions, averaging 71.4 yards per game and 16.9 yards per catch. His touchdown reception and yards-per-game numbers are school records for freshmen (at the moment, at least).
Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley (3) catches a pass over Kentucky defensive back Jordan Griffin (3) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Alabama won 34-6. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP
3. Calvin Ridley (2015)
Ridley picked up where Cooper left off three years later and then some, catching 89 passes for 1,045 yards (both school records for freshmen), with seven touchdowns. His 11.7 yards per catch and 69.7 yards per game averages were more modest, and it must be noted he played in one more game than Cooper and Jones. And due to some difficulties in his early life, he was also 21 years old by the end of his freshman year, so was not a “freshman” in the traditional sense.
Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) carries the ball on a punt return during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Auburn Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP
4. Jaylen Waddle (2018)
The evolutionary David Palmer, Waddle contributed in multiple ways as a freshman despite a loaded receiver room that also included sophomores DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs. In 15 games for a team that reached the national championship game, Waddle caught 45 passes for 848 yards (an average of 18.8 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns. He also averaged 14.6 yards on punt returns, including a touchdown.
Here’s that same list, in chart form, and including Williams:
Player, Year
Gms
Rec.
Yards
YPC
YPG
TD
Ryan Williams, 2024
10
40
767
19.2
76.7
10
Jaylen Waddle, 2018
15
45
848
18.8
56.5
7
Calvin Ridley, 2015
15
89
1045
11.7
69.7
7
Amari Cooper, 2012
14
59
1000
16.9
71.4
11
Julio Jones, 2008
14
58
924
15.9
66
4
(If you’re wondering where Smith — the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner — might be, he caught only eight passes for 160 yards as a freshman in 2017, though two of them were game-winning touchdowns — against Mississippi State during the regular season and obviously vs. Georgia in overtime of the national championship game. Smith is arguably the greatest receiver in Alabama football history — though you could also make the case for 1930s superstar Don Hutson, he’s just not the greatest freshman receiver.)
Williams is already comparable to everyone on that list, and of course, he’s still got several games left in which to add to his raw numbers (and either increase or decrease his “rate” stats). We know Alabama will play two more regular-season games and at least a bowl game, so he’s guaranteed three more games barring injury. However, if the Crimson Tide reaches the SEC championship game as it is currently on-track to do, that would make 14 games (including a bowl). And with the expanded College Football Playoff, there’s a chance Alabama could play up to 17 games this season.
Here are Williams’ stats extrapolated out for 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 games, assuming he stays at his current pace (which he probably won’t, one way or the other):
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Games
Rec.
Yards
TD
13
52
997
13
14
56
1,074
14
15
60
1,151
15
16
64
1,228
16
17
68
1,305
17
Any one of those statistical finishes would give Williams an argument for being the greatest freshman receiver in Alabama football history. As former Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips once said of All-Pro running back Earl Campbell, “he might not be in a class by himself, but it doesn’t take long to call the roll.”
Creg Stephenson has worked for AL.com since 2010 and has covered college football for a variety of publications since 1994. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @CregStephenson.
Several employers drive Huntsville’s low unemployment rate, but a few stand out, providing thousands of jobs in the Rocket City.
They span government, manufacturing, healthcare, and education, as reported regularly for decades by the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber.
“Our local employment is growing at 3.5% per year (that is a 5-year average) and this growth also accounts for 26% of Alabama’s total employment growth over the past 5 years,” Claire Aiello, the chamber’s marketing & communications vice president, stated in an email.
There is only one safe prediction as we hit the home stretch toward the bigger, bolder and allegedly better College Football Playoff. The latest committee rankings will not hold all the way through Championship Saturday into Selection Sunday.
There are too many ranked vs. ranked matchups between now and then certain to render meaningless the committee’s work to date. Besides, the four-team field was set only twice in 10 years with two weeks left in the regular season. Even in 2020 and 2022, the final order would change in that final window.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’m a man who is 6-foot-6 and 62 years old. My entire life, I have found myself bent in half when greeting women for whom a welcome hug is appropriate. My aunties, cousins, sisters and any number of others might throw their arms up, initiating a hug.
When women (of any age) hug me, they always want to put their arms above my own — their arms are basically around my neck during the hug. Picture me bent in half hugging my 4′11″ mother-in-law.
I’m wondering, is this just hugging etiquette? Would I be in violation if I just kept my arms above theirs, allowing myself less of a stoop? Is it a rule or custom?
GENTLE READER: It is not a rule, and Miss Manners gives you leave to bend only as far as is consistent with your principles and your back.
Please send your questions to Miss Manners at missmanners.com, by email to [email protected], or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
Dear Annie: I have a recommendation for your older readers who are considering getting married: I strongly suggest they talk to a financial adviser about the monetary perils of marriage.
Married people are also liable for each other’s debts (think medical expenses). Nothing like suddenly being widowed and facing crushing medical bills. Long-term care also taps into both people’s assets if married. I know two couples who got divorced because of this.
Losing even a few hundred dollars a month could make a world of difference in their standard of living. By all means, have a commitment ceremony, but senior citizens should be mindful of the financial hazards of becoming legally married. It could threaten their well-being. — Practical
Dear Practical: Thank you for offering your perspective.
All couples, regardless of age, should have a conversation about finances before deciding to get married. The more money is at stake, the more need for professional advice.
“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to [email protected].
Dear Annie: I’m a 47-year-old woman, and I’ve been with my boyfriend, “Greg,” for almost six years. I’m really happy with him, and I am at the point where I really can’t imagine being with anyone else. There’s just one thing: He has not proposed, and I don’t know if he ever will.
It’s gotten to the point where I feel almost desperate for him to propose, but I don’t want to ruin what we have by pushing him away. I also don’t want to waste any more years in a relationship that doesn’t have a future.
I brought it up once with him, and he sort of brushed it off, saying, “One day, when the time is right.” But I’m starting to feel like “one day” might never come? He was married once before and had a messy divorce, and I noticed he always does seem a little bitter about the whole concept. Whenever someone we know gets engaged, he’ll make a comment like, “Let’s see how long that lasts.”
Recently, several friends and family members have asked when we’re getting married, and it’s so embarrassing to me that I don’t have an answer. One friend advised me to give him an ultimatum, but I’m too scared it’ll backfire. I love him and don’t want to lose him, and I know he loves me, too.
How can I bring up marriage in a way that doesn’t feel like I’m pressuring him but lets him know how important this is to me? Am I wrong for wanting this commitment, or should I just be happy to be in this good relationship? — Waiting and Wondering
Dear Waiting and Wondering: For some people, marriage is the ultimate symbol of love and commitment. Others could take it or leave it. Still others are fundamentally opposed to it, arguing they don’t need paperwork to prove their love.
The only way to figure out Greg’s stance is to talk to him directly. It sounds like he is holding onto some bitterness and fear from his first marriage, which can be worked through with communication and the help of a good therapist.
If marriage is a nonnegotiable for you, tell Greg sooner rather than later. You don’t want to stay with somebody who can’t ultimately give you what you want.
“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to [email protected].
The sun continues the journey on a chariot of centaurs as we gallop into Sagittarius season in a glow of optimism for the adventure ahead. And so the period of exploration begins — whether through travel, learning or new perspectives. It’s time to stretch boldly for liberation and then recover in the warmth of connection, sharing treasures discovered and obtained.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Evolution isn’t always flashy, but it’s always essential. You’ve grown in ways you don’t yet realize. The passion you once had for something may shift, and that’s not a loss; it’s your signal to explore new directions.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It fortifies you to know that people need what you do, even if it means you are very busy delivering the goods. The long hours are worthwhile, not just because they pay you, but because they signal the relevance of your efforts.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You could spend your time trying to out-perform the others, but it would be much wiser and more efficient to focus on finding the right audience. When the room and the talent are an excellent match, the magic isn’t so much work.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). The crabs are born with hard shells on their backs, but the hardest parts of you are on the inside, right next to the softest parts. Surrender to your frailty. Being vulnerable with those you trust will offer you the connection you seek.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You want all you say and do to land sweetly. This you can achieve by reading the room and delivering your goods in a timing that works for all. Wait for a welcome signal or the pause that invites a fill.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Avoid the incurious. You’ll have much more fun with others who can relate to your active, questioning mind. Teaching is the fastest way to learn today. Whatever you want to know about, make a goal to relay the information to someone else.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The way to amplify your attractive qualities is to feel good inside about who you are. Put in the effort to get right with yourself. Accept the past instead of blaming yourself, highlight the flaws instead of hiding them, and love yourself unconditionally.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Scientists can tell the difference between bad stress and good stress because of the chemical reaction it causes in the blood. You can tell the difference because of how you feel. You’ll keep it exciting in just the right measure today.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You know someone so well it’s like you can read their mind. But before you lock that in, consider another angle. Assumptions are easy to make, wise to challenge.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The mind is the lens through which every connection is viewed. You can’t force someone else to see through the same lens, but you can move around to try to get a better perspective.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Of course it’s easy to tune into novel distractions and new people you want to impress, but today it’s much more important to turn your attention to your familiar, faithful crew first. Spoil them with your focus. You won’t regret it.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You have no excuses, only decisions, and you’re too busy powering through to concern yourself with doubt. It’s no wonder you gain followers. You know what you want, and you waste no time in getting it — how attractive.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Nov. 21). You’ll apply the gift of laser-sharp focus to rise to prominence in the very things you most want to be known for. An act of service leads to an unexpected lifestyle upgrade. More highlights: a creative project that gains momentum and financing, personal and spiritual growth come in waves, and a relationship will evolve into a shining gem of your life. Aries and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 3, 18, 28, 41, and 5
CELEBRITY PROFILES: Born on the cusp, Goldie Hawn is a Scorpio whose keen awareness of the human condition has allowed her to connect deeply in humor and compassion with audiences across generations. Her charitable work through The Hawn Foundation promotes mindfulness programs for children to help them manage stress and emotional challenges. Mercury in worldly Sagittarius indicates openness to foreign cultures and methods.
Holiday Mathis’ debut novel, “How To Fail Epically in Hollywood,” is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.
The energy was still high in the BJCC as Latrell Wrightsell stepped to the foul line with 23 seconds left.
Hitting triple figures was all the drama left in downtown Birmingham and Wrightsell delivered. Two-for-two and No. 8 Alabama left with a 100-87 beating of 25th-ranked Illinois.
That was the 23rd time a Crimson Tide team coached by Nate Oats needed three digits on the scoreboard. This one was different.
Points No. 99 and 100 were witnessed by preseason All-American and national player of the year candidate Mark Sears from the bench. He’d been there for the final 11 minutes and 27 seconds of a game against a ranked opponent that was never truly in doubt.
Alabama scored 100 points Wednesday night.
Sears had exactly none of them.
That a player who averaged 21.5 points last season could lay the goose egg against a quality team that never threatened an upset says a few things.
First, Sears is the target every coach scheme to eliminate. He isn’t sneaking up on anyone in his final collegiate season and that can take a toll. Illinois coach Brad Underwood called Sears “the head of the snake,” who they were committed to giving him as little oxygen as possible Wednesday night.
Second, this Crimson Tide team is deep enough to score a hundred points with its top scorer contributing zero.
While there were clear aspects of the game that could use some improvement, this Alabama team previewed what was possible the machine got cranking even without its best player.
This was a night Alabama made its first four 3-pointers out of the gate, then missed 14 of its next 16.
Yet once Alabama’s lead hit double figures with 10:37 left in the first half, Illinois never got closer than eight the rest of the way.
Grant Nelson hit his first three 3s en route to a team-high 23 points. He made 4 of 9 from behind the arc after making just 3 of 10 in the first four games.
Underwood said he wasn’t quite bothered that Nelson was doing that damage because they were playing the percentages and Nelson traditionally wasn’t the deep threat. But he was Wednesday and made them pay.
So did Labaron Philon.
And Aden Holloway.
And Wrightsell.
Philon and Halloway (a transfer from Auburn) played up the recruiting hype each carried into college as they sped up a long yet young Illinois team team still finding its sea legs. Halloway’s 18 points included three 3s in four attempts after making just 5 of 16 in the first four games and hitting double figures only once.
All Philon, a freshman from Mobile, did was threaten a triple double with 16 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
“Wow,” Illinois’ Underwood said of Philon. “He’s not going to be in a Bama uniform very long.”
Five others joined the four double-figure scores.
None were named Sears.
So, what was the deal?
“I mean, he just, he was struggling,” Oats said. “There’s a lot of pressure on him. Obviously, being the home-state kid who came back, preseason player of the year. You know, he’s trying to do well. Teams are gearing their defense towards him. You know, he had some good looks tonight.”
Oats said he tried to put Sears back in the game at some point after exiting with 11-plus minutes left. But Sears said the guys on the floor were doing the job so they should be left in there. He said star players of the past like Herb Jones made similar requests earlier in his Alabama run and Oats respected Sears point.
And his All-American had a point.
Sears’ teammates had his back and made sure a talented Illinois team never got close enough to spoil a good time in Birmingham.
When Illinois cut it to 8 midway through the second half, Alabama quickly scored the next nine points.
And when it got back to 8 with just over 3:00 to play, Alabama scored the next six in a 40-second span.
Of Alabama’s 39 made shots, 23 came with an assist — easily a season high. The barrage was relentless and came from multiple directions.
The momentum lost in last Friday’s disappointment at Purdue was, at least partially, recaptured Wednesday night. And they did it with its star player in a slump.
It comes right on time for a brutal stretch as Alabama heads to Las Vegas for a three-game tournament beginning with Houston.
December opens with a road game at North Carolina and a visit from Creighton. No doubt, better days are coming for Sears.
But this Alabama team proved an important point in his scoring absence.
Triple digit games against ranked teams are still possible without the head of the snake.
And that’s scary.
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.
