Auburn begins a critical stretch Saturday when the Tigers travel to College Station to open SEC play against Texas A&M. In what should be a close game, the margin between walking out of Kyle Field victorious or being 0-1 in the conference will be slim for Gus Malzahn’s team.

The Tigers already have 1 marquee win, rallying to beat Oregon in the opener. This will be another tough test. A&M’s only loss was at top-ranked Clemson. The Aggies are talented, deep and looking to contend for a spot in Atlanta.

So where does Auburn have advantages in this SEC West matchup? Here are 5.

Experience in close game

This is Bo Nix’s first true road start. But Nix has already stated that playing against Oregon in a neutral site game in the opener will help him deal with the pressure of playing on the road. It will also benefit the Tigers that they have already been in a game that came down to the wire. With the game on the line against the Ducks, Nix and the Tigers came through. They can draw on that experience if necessary.

The Aggies, on the other hand, have only experienced one quasi-close game, against Clemson, and the outcome was largely decided by the time the 4th quarter rolled around.

Running game humming

Granted, it was against Kent State, but Auburn seemed to find its footing in the rushing attack, running for 467 yards with 3 guys exceeding 100 yards on the ground each. The combination of Boobie Whitlow and Kam Martin is better than anything A&M can put on the field, especially since starting tailback Jashaun Corbin is out with a hamstring injury. Take the pressure off Nix with the running game and the offense should be good to go.

Success at Kyle Field

A small sample size, yes, but the Tigers are 3-0 in SEC games in College Station. In 2 of those games (2013, 2015), Auburn entered as underdogs. In fact, until last season’s victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the visiting team had won every game in this series dating to 2012, when the Aggies joined the league.

Malzahn and his staff will have the team prepared for the 12th Man and will use the success in the past to give the players confidence.

Defensive line play

The Aggies’ offensive line has been solid, allowing just 3 sacks. Two came against Clemson, one of the most talented defenses in the nation. Auburn’s Tigers will present another challenge, and Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson and Co. will be ready to get after Kellen Mond.

Brown, who sat out almost all of Saturday’s game against Kent State after becoming a bit hydrated during the first drive, will be fresh and rested. This line is good enough to decide games, and that could be the case again against A&M.

Kicking game

Through 3 games, Anders Carlson looks more dependable on field goal attempts, making 5-of-6 tries, the lone miss against Oregon. In a close game, Carlson’s leg could become the difference between a victory and loss. It also helps that he has still not missed an extra point attempt in the year-plus since taking over for his brother, Daniel.