When it comes to two giant college football programs facing off on the field of play, it doesn’t get much better than this.
On Saturday, No. 1 Alabama will travel to Austin, Texas to take on the famed Texas Longhorns. The last time the two programs met was on January 7, 2010 when they met in Pasadena, California in the Rose Bowl for the BCS title.
Combine that with the fact that Texas is scheduled to join the Southeastern Conference along with rival Oklahoma in the next two years, and the stories seem endless.
Aside from the Crimson Tide’s 2010 national championship win over the Longhorns, Alabama hasn’t had much luck. All-time, Texas boasts a 7-1-1 record over the Crimson Tide.
Another story is that of Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian, who previously served as Alabama’s offensive coordinator from 2019-20 before leaving Tuscaloosa for Austin. While Texas was just 5-7 in 2021 during the first season of Sarkisian’s tenure, the improvements the team made, particularly offensively, show what this team is truly capable of.
In Week 1, Alabama handled Utah State with ease, defeating the Aggies 55-0 inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Texas had a similar performance against Louisiana-Monroe, defeating the Warhawks 52-0 at Texas Memorial Stadium.
There is much more at stake in this game than a 2-0 record. These are two storied shows fighting for bragging rights, as well as serving as a sort of welcome party from Texas to the SEC. Regardless of who wins, it’s sure to be one of the best games of week 2.
Here’s everything you need to know about No. 1 Alabama’s trip to Texas:
How to watch No. 1 Alabama in Texas
Who: alabama in texas
When: 11 a.m. CT, Saturday
Where: DKR Texas Memorial Stadium
TV: FOX
Live broadcast: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network. Play-by-play Chris Stewart, analyst John Parker Wilson, fullback Roger Hoover, host Cory Reamer. Syrian/XM: 81 (Alabama)/199 (Texas)
Opening Line by SI Sportsbook: Determined
Alabama Football 2022 Early Opponent Preview: Texas
Series: Texas leads 7-1-1
last meeting: January 7, 2010 at the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl, where Alabama defeated Texas 37-21 to give Nick Saban his first national title with the Crimson Tide.
Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mark Ingram rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. Second-row running back Trent Richardson was equally impressive, rushing for 109 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.
Ingram and Richardson also tied for the team lead in receptions with two apiece.
Quarterback Greg McElroy completed 6 of 11 passes for 58 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. Wide receiver Julio Jones caught just one pass for 23 yards, while Marquise Maize had a catch for four yards.
While the passing game was pretty lackluster, Alabama’s defense was what really won the night for the Crimson Tide. In total, Alabama recorded four interceptions, including two by defensive back Javier Arenas. While defensive back Tyrone King also had an interception, the defensive highlight of the night came when defensive lineman Marcell Dareus caught a batted shovel pass and ran the ball back 28 yards for a pick-six.
Dareus was flagged for excessive celebration on the play when he threw the ball into the end zone. However, he was the highlight of the night for the Crimson Tide.
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last timeyou: No. 1 Alabama defeated Utah State inside Bryant-Denny Stadium 55-0 to start the season 1-0.
Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young was the star of the show, completing 18 of 28 passes for 195 passing yards and five touchdowns. On the ground, Young was also Alabama’s leading rusher with 100 yards on five carries, as well as a rushing touchdown.
In all, Alabama’s offense recorded 559 yards, 281 passing and 278 rushing. Utah State, on the other hand, finished the game with 57 passing yards and 79 rushing yards for a total of 136. The Aggies finished with just seven first downs compared to the Crimson Tide’s 30.
Utah State finished with six 3-pointers and outs in the game and was also stopped 2-for-4 on fourth down. Meanwhile, Alabama kicked the ball just twice on the night.
“I’m really pleased with the way the players approached this game,” Saban said after the game. “I thought we had good energy, I thought we had good intensity. We had a good preparation throughout this week. They are a bit challenging with some of the things that they do. I think the first group did a very good job and we had a lot of intensity. “.
On defense, linebacker Jaylen Moody led Alabama with six total tackles, with defensive back Brian Branch and outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr. finishing second with five tackles apiece. While no Crimson Tide player was able to record a sack in the game, Alabama totaled five tackles for loss and four quarterback rushes.
About Texas: The Longhorns finished 2021 with a 5-7 record, not reaching a bowl game for the first time since the 2016 season. After starting the season 4-1, Texas proceeded to lose six straight, including an overtime loss. 57-56 at home to Kansas, before saving the final victory over Kansas State.
Texas fans may not have gotten everything they hoped for in head coach Steve Sarkisian’s first season, but there were still some notable improvements. The Longhorns averaged 424 yards and 35 points per game. While it wasn’t enough to improve his record, Texas was on track for progress heading into 2022.
Of all time, the Longhorns rank as the sixth winningest show on FBS, with an overall record of 928-385-33. In addition to four national championships, Texas boasts the third-best FBS bowl showing with 57.
When it comes to story shows, Texas is undoubtedly at the top of the list.
SEC Hours
Saturday, September 10, 2022
No. 1 Alabama at Texas, 11 a.m. CT, FOX
South Carolina at No. 19 Arkansas, 11 a.m. CT, ESPN
No. 22 Wake Forest at Vanderbilt, 11 a.m. CT, Red SEC
Missouri at Kansas State, 11 a.m. CT, ESPN2
Appalachian State at No. 6 Texas A&M, 2:30 p.m. CT, ESPN2
Tennessee at No. 17 Pitt, 2:30 p.m. CT, ABC
Samford at No. 3 Georgia, 3 p.m. CT, Red SEC
No. 20 Kentucky at Florida, 6 p.m. CT, ESPN
Central Arkansas at No. 21 Ole Miss, 6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+/ESPN+
San Jose State at Auburn, 6:30 p.m. CT, ESPNU
Southern at LSU, 6:30 p.m. CT, Red SEC
Mississippi State in Arizona, 10 p.m. CT, FS1
*Ratings at time of publication
