The Aggies are averaging 133 yards a game on the ground through five games, but the numbers against serious opponents are far worse. A&M ran for 53 yards against Clemson, 56 against Auburn and just 89 against Arkansas, which is still giving up 144 yards per game after playing the Aggies.

While Alabama's rushing defense has not been its usual stellar self so far this year and is currently ranked 51st in the nation giving up 135 yards a game, those are not numbers that inspire confidence as the No.1 Crimson Tide prepare to visit Kyle Field. Still, the Aggies can't exactly give up on the running game, because they cannot afford to be one-dimensional.

“To establish a running game, you may throw to run or you may run to throw,” coach Jimbo Fisher said. “You’ve got to have balance and you’ve got to be able to do both, so they can’t lay their ears back.”

A&M did run for more than 100 yards in last season's 45-23 loss in Tuscaloosa, but 98 of those came on the legs of Kellen Mond. But Alabama head coach Nick Saban indicated this week that his team remembers what Mond did to them in 2018 and won't be caught by surprise twice.

"The quarterback runs hurt us last year, so they’re something that you always have to be concerned about with (Mond) at quarterback," he said.

That means that the Aggies are going to have to try doing things the old-fashioned way and pick up yards with their running backs.

Even though both Jacob Kibodi (9 carries, 38 yards) and Isaiah Spiller (7 carries, 0 yards, 1 TD, 1 fumble returned for a TD) had forgettable days against Arkansas, the Aggies feel like things may be ready to improve for the ground game.

“We have a lot of young backs and a lot of young offensive linemen, so we’re kind of just figuring it out,” junior right tackle Carson Green said. “(We have to be) making sure we’re getting to the right holes; hitting the right people.”

Even with the losses of Trayveon Williams and Erick McCoy to the NFL and Jashaun Corbin to a torn hamstring, the running game was expected to be a lot better. Green believes it can still become a strength as the season wears on.

"“We’re still searching, but we’re right there,” he said. “We just need to fix a couple of different things.”

For that, there's no time like the present.