Texas A&M is heading into one of its toughest road games of the season, and the Aggies need to find a way to make life easier for their offense. A trip to Tuscaloosa to face No. 13 Alabama is a significant step up in competition after a 41-0 win over The Citadel.

The Aggies showed what their ground game can do last weekend, rushing for 264 yards and three touchdowns. Freshman KJ Edwards led the way with 116 yards, becoming the first Texas A&M player to rush for more than 100 yards in a game this season.

That production will be much harder to repeat against Alabama, but the running game could be the key to keeping the Aggies competitive on the road.

Why Texas A&M's run game is the X-factor

Texas A&M needs to establish the run early to keep Alabama from dictating the game. When the Aggies can consistently gain yards on the ground, they can stay out of obvious passing situations, keep the defense honest and give quarterback Marcel Reed more manageable opportunities.

The offensive line will have its hands full against an Alabama defense that can create problems at the line of scrimmage. Texas A&M cannot expect the same rushing lanes it found against The Citadel, so the Aggies will need better execution and consistency to sustain drives.

There is reason to believe Alabama can be challenged on the ground. Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop rushed for 159 yards against the Crimson Tide last week. That does not guarantee Texas A&M will have similar success, but it shows the opportunity is there if the Aggies can win their matchups up front.

What Texas A&M needs from the running game

The Aggies need Edwards and the rest of the running back room to produce enough early downs to keep the offense balanced. Reed also has to make sound decisions and take advantage of the opportunities the running game creates.

Texas A&M does not necessarily need another 200-yard rushing performance to compete. It needs to avoid becoming one-dimensional, limit negative plays and keep Alabama's defense from attacking the quarterback on every passing down. The Aggies have struggled to find offensive consistency during SEC play. If the ground game can give them a dependable foundation, it could help change that against Alabama.

If Texas A&M can run the ball effectively and control the pace, the Aggies will give themselves a better chance to make this a competitive game in Tuscaloosa.