The Alabama Crimson Tide maintained their No. 2 position in the College Football Playoff rankings after a narrow win over LSU in Week 10. The Crimson Tide will look to cement their standing in the top 2 this Saturday when they face the New Mexico State Aggies. Here's our preview for a breakdown of this NMSU vs Alabama Week 11 game.
NMSU Aggies enter Week 11 as +51.5 underdogs
NMSU's losing woes show no sign of ending as the Aggies crashed to their fifth consecutive defeat with an embarrassing 35-13 loss to Utah State on Saturday. The Aggies had no answer for Logan Bonner, who passed for 359 yards and four touchdowns. It was another disappointing performance by NMSU, who dropped to 1-8 this season.
It won't get any easier for them in Week 11 as they will next face an Alabama team that has yet to lose at home this season. It is critical for the Aggies that they start strong against the Tide. They did so against Utah State, scoring the game's first 10 points to head into the second half with a 13-7 advantage.
NMSU faltered, however, in the second half, with Utah State outscoring them 28-0 in the third and fourth quarters. One guy who needs to step up for NMSU in the game against Alabama is Jonah Johnson. He completed 30 of 44 passes for 298 yards in the loss to Utah State. Juwaun Price recorded the only touchdown for NMSU in that game, running for 36 yards and a score on nine carries.
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Alabama Crimson Tide installed as -51.5 favorites
Momentum is with Alabama heading into Saturday's matchup against New Mexico State after the Crimson Tide defeated the LSU Tigers, 20-14, in Week 10. It was an important victory for the Crimson Tide, who improved their season record to 8-1.
Providing the impetus for Alabama's scorching start is its outstanding offense. They are fourth in the nation in scoring, averaging 43.0 points per game this season. The Crimson Tide were tested, though, by LSU in their last game, with the Tigers holding Alabama to just 308 total yards.
For the Crimson Tide to extend their winning streak against the Aggies, they will need Bryce Young to continue his stellar play. He completed 24 of 37 passes for 302 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the win against LSU. Quite concerning for Alabama, though, is its terrible pass protection with Young getting sacked four times in that Week 10 win.
Young remains the Heisman Trophy favorite, with the Alabama quarterback already having six 300-yard passing games this season. He will be licking his chops at the prospect of facing an NMSU side that allowed 359 yards through the air in Week 10.
Writer's Prediction
Alabama wins and covers the spread.
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