The No. 21 Missouri Tigers (6-1, 3-1 SEC) have won consecutive games and returned to SEC play with their comeback win against Auburn on Homecoming. Now they face the game that has been circled on everyone’s calendar since the schedule came out.

No. 15 Alabama (5-2, 2-2 SEC) hasn’t been the top team most expected of the Crimson Tide coming into the year the past four weeks. After just holding off a comeback against Georgia (41-34), the Tide lost to Vanderbilt (40-35), barely beat South Carolina (27-25) and lost to Tennessee (24-17) last week.

Alabama opened the season with big wins against Western Kentucky (63-0), South Florida (42-16) and Wisconsin (42-10) before the game against Georgia.

Alabama opened as 13-point favorites according to Circa Sports.

Here’s a glance at Alabama and what Missouri will see at 2:45 p.m. central time Saturday:

When: 2:45 p.m. CT, Saturday

Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

TV: ABC (KMIZ)

Radio: Tiger Radio Network

Alabama leads the all-time series 5-2 and has won the past five matchups. Missouri’s last win was in 1975.

The last matchup was a 35-19 Alabama win in 2020.

Scoring offense: 38.1 points per game (No. 19)

Scoring defense: 21.29 points per game (No. 42)

Rushing offense: 164.3 yards per game (No. 59)

Rushing defense: 141.3 yards per game (No. 63)

Passing offense: 259.7 yards per game (No. 37)

Passing defense: 210.6 yards per game (No. 56)

Offense

Jalen Milroe, QB

The 6-foot, 2-inch, 225-pound redshirt junior entered the season as a Heisman hopeful, but has recently dropped back in the odds race as he struggled against Tennessee.

Through the first half of his second season starting for the Tide, Milroe has completed 121-of-177 passes (68.4 percent) for 1,722 yards and 13 touchdowns with six interceptions, which all came in the past four games, including two each of the past two games. He also has 330 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns on 91 carries.

He is fifth in the SEC in total offense with 2,052 yards, putting him at 293.14 per game and is first in total touchdowns with 24.

His best game this season came against Georgia, when he completed 27-of-33 passes (81.8 percent) for 37you 4 yards, two touchdowns and an interceptions, while rushing 16 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns.

He has not rushed for more than 40 yards in a game since, but put up passing totals of 310 yards, one touchdown and one interception (Vanderbilt), 209 yards one touchdown and two interceptions (South Carolina) and 239 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions (Tennessee).

The past two games have been his worst performances this season.

Ryan Williams, WR

The outstanding 6-0, 175-pound freshman wont turn 18 until early February, but has been fantastic this season against players years older than him.

He leads the Crimson Tide with 649 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 31 catches.

His performance of six catches for 177 yards and a score helped the Tide hold off the Georgia comeback on Sept. 28, and he opened his college career with two catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns against Western Kentucky.

He averages 20.9 yards per catch and 92.7 yards per game.

Williams leads the SEC in receiving touchdowns, is second in receiving yards, third in receiving yards per game and fourth in yards per catch.

Jam Miller & Justice Haynes, RBs

I’m going to pair the two main running backs in Alabama’s backfield. Milroe is the second-leading rusher on the team behind Miller and ahead of Haynes.

Miller has 402 yards and five touchdowns on the ground to go with six catches, 52 yards and one touchdown through the air.

His best game came against USF in Week 2 when he rushed for 140 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown.

He has not reached 50 yards rushing since Week 3 against Wisconsin. His performances since have been 5 rushes for 8 yards (Georgia), 5 rushes for 45 yards and two scores (Vanderbilt), 12 rushes for 42 yards (South Carolina) and 12 rushes for 42 yards (Tennessee).

He is still averaging 6.4 yards per carry this season.

Hynes has been the third option on the ground in each game since Week 1 when he rushed four times for 102 yards and a touchdown. He hasn’t reached 40 yards on the ground the past five games and hasn’t reached 30 the past three.

Hynes has 271 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and 88 yards on 15 catches this season.

Defense

Deontae Lawson, LB

The 6-2, 239-pound junior leads the Tide with 61 tackles, including two sacks, and he has a forced fumble and three passes defended.

He has played a major role the past four games, averaging 10 tackles a game since the matchup with Georgia. Both of his sacks came in that stretch.

Que Robinson, LB

A 6-5, 241-pound senior, Robinson leads the Tide with four sacks this season out of 20 total tackles. He also has one forced fumble, which he recovered as well against Wisconsin.

He hasn’t had a full sack since the Wisconsin game after starting the season with one in each of the first three games, but he did have half a sack against Georgia and South Carolina.

Keon Sabb & Domani Jackson, DBs

Sabb, a 6-1, 206-pound sophomore, and Jackson, a 6-1, 197-pound junior, co-lead Alabama with two interceptions each.

Sabb had both of his interceptions against Western Kentucky and returned them for 87 total yards. He adds 39 total tackles, including 12 against South Carolina, and four passes defender with one last week to break a streak of four consecutive games without one.

Jackson had an interception against Georgia and another against South Carolina. He has defended one pass in each of his past five games. He did not play against Wisconsin.

The junior adds 25 total tackles to his production.

Jalen Milroe vs. Missouri’s rush defense

Since the first quarter against Boston College, the Tiger defense has done a good job containing running quarterbacks. If the Tigers are able to continue that trend and make Milroe more one-dimensional, that would be a big step toward Missouri claiming its best win of the season.

Missouri’s secondary vs. Ryan Williams

The biggest issue in the Missouri defense has been allowing deep passes once or twice a game. If he’s not the best yet, Williams is among the most talented receivers the Tigers have faced this year. If a coverage or two are blown once again, Milroe and Williams will be able to make the Tigers pay.

Head on over to the Tiger Walk to discuss this story and so much more.