With the SEC East hanging in the balance, Missouri’s crucial three-game season-ending stretch begins at Kyle Field in a road matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies.

The last month or so proved tumultuous for Texas A&M, who at one point lost three straight games by a combined score of 142-51. A five-point win over UL Monroe under new quarterback Kyle Allen did little to quell any doubts of a continuing downward spiral, but last week’s stunning upset over Auburn instilled new life into the Aggies.

RELATED: After a big upset, Texas A&M presents much tougher challenge for Mizzou

In preparation of Saturday night’s showdown, here’s five things to watch for between these two former Big 12 schools.

1. Missouri and Texas A&M’s pass rush

The defining factor between these two schools could be which team generates more pressure on opposing backfields. It’s an area Missouri and Texas A&M both excel at. The Tigers are led by SEC sack leader Shane Ray and formidable defensive end Markus Golden, while the Aggies rely heavily on freshman phenom Myles Garret, who recently broke the SEC freshman sack record with 11 sacks. At some point, something has to give.

Texas A&M’s offensive success against Auburn last week certainly was help by the lack of a pass rush that Auburn possesses. In the games in which Texas A&M has struggled, the offensive line allowed 15 sacks, including three in the Aggies’ five-point win over UL Monroe. It’s clear a strong pass rush has troubled Texas A&M in the past and with Ray and Golden coming to town, it could be more of the same for a struggling offensive line.

2. Can Missouri’s DBs compensate for loss of Aarion Penton and Braylon Webb?

Starting Missouri cornerback Aarion Penton was suspended indefinitely last week after being arrested for suspicion of possession of marijuana and the Tigers’ secondary will be forced to do without arguably its best defensive back against an explosive Texas A&M passing attack.

As a result of Penton’s suspension, sophomore John Gibson will take his place this weekend as the starter. Missouri will also be forced to deal with not having starting defensive back Braylon Webb, who will be serving a mandatory half-game suspension because of a targeting penalty in Missouri’s last game.

For an already young secondary, there’s no doubt that Missouri will be thin at that unit and with how the Aggies looked passing the ball against Auburn, it’s less than ideal circumstances for the Tigers.

3. Kyle Allen — is he for real?

The true freshman quarterback was less than spectacular in his first collegiate start against UL Monroe. Allen managed to throw for just 106 yards, one touchdown and one interception along with a 46.4 completion percentage.

The next week was an entirely different story. Allen came alive under the bright lights of Jordan-Hare Stadium and the Aggies offense looked like the unit we saw early in the season. He finished the game with just under 300 yards passing and four touchdowns and was later named the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Week.

So which Kyle Allen will we see on Saturday night? Probably a little bit of both.

Missouri’s pass rush is certainly more talented and consistent than any of the other two opponents Allen has started against. You can bet that Ray, Golden and defensive lineman Harold Brantley will be in his face on many occasions. Yes, Allen has the speed, but it’s tough to imagine he’ll get out of this game without forcing some bad decisions.

On the other hand, Missouri’s pass defense in the secondary is average by SEC standards and with the absences of Penton and Webb, Allen and the plethora of offensive weapons he has around him should allow for the true freshman to pick up some big plays.

4. Maty Mauk’s effectiveness

Prior to the season, Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk was looked upon as one of the rising stars in the SEC. Unfortunately for the Tigers, he’s struggled in most of his SEC games — 554 passing yards, four TDs, five INT and a 43.4 completion percentage.

Saturday’s game will no doubt test Mauk, considering the raucous road environment he’ll face. Kyle Field is one of the largest and loudest stadiums in all of college football, let alone in the SEC.

RELATED: Mizzou’s finish mirroring last season’s East title run despite worse offense

So far Mauk’s ineffectiveness hasn’t cost the Tigers much in conference play, but with such a tough environment to play in this weekend, this could be the weekend that Mauk’s mistakes end up coming back and haunting the Tigers.

5. Marcus Murphy’s impact on special team

So many times in games such as this one, the road team needs big non-offensive plays, whether it comes from defense or special teams. For Missouri, that potential comes from senior running back Marcus Murphy who is an absolute dynamo in the return game.

Murphy showed just how explosive he can be when he return a kickoff and a punt for two touchdowns against the Gators a few weeks ago. Missouri won the game 42-13. Murphy contributed three total touchdowns while the Tigers score just two offensive touchdowns all game. He’s a guy who can change the dynamic of a football game with one play, with one return, with one catch.

If he’s able to flip the field position via big plays on special teams, you have to like Missouri’s chances against the Aggies this weekend.