Southwest Classic Preview
Texas A&M and Arkansas square off in Arlington, TX in a game that always delivers.
By: The Hammer
Photo via Walt Beazley, Arkansas Razorbacks
No rest for the weary as Texas A&M and Arkansas will travel to Arlington, TX to square off at AT&T Stadium at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN. A&M is coming off an emotional win against Miami in front of 107,000 fans at Kyle Field. Arkansas is coming off a close win over Missouri State and former head coach Bobby Petrino. The Razorbacks were trailing by 10 to Missouri State in the 4th quarter before a punt return touchdown woke them up and propelled the Hogs to a victory. Both teams have been tested for several weeks now, but Arkansas remains unbeaten while the Aggies fell to Appalachian State.
I am going back and forth on this game. My gut tells me that Arkansas is the better team and they find a way to win here. Undoubtedly, Arkansas has been the better team so far in 2022 but that doesn’t mean they will be on Saturday. KJ Jefferson and Rocket Sanders have been running through opponents all year, and the Hogs average 243 yards rushing per game. Kendal Briles and KJ Jefferson are really finding a groove in this offense, averaging 500 yards of offense and 37.7 points per game. Compare that to the Aggies offensive attack that is just averaging 20.7 points per game and 313 yards per game, and it’s hard not to give the edge to Arkansas.
The path for A&M winning in this one is on offense and through the passing game in particular. The Arkansas defense is vulnerable overall, and has been really bad against the pass. In fact, they are the worst team in FBS against the pass right now, allowing 353 yards per game across their three games against Cincinnati, South Carolina and Missouri State. Arkansas has not seen a defense nearly as good as the Aggies yet, but I think they will still get into the 20s on offense. Which means Texas A&M is going to have to score as well, and attacking that leaky secondary has to be the plan. Max Johnson is capable, and hopefully he takes a leap in his second start for A&M, but it’s really hard to trust the Aggie passing game right now. The protection has been inconsistent, and Arkansas gets after the quarterback. Drew Sanders has 5 sacks so far for the Hogs and can wreck a game if A&M doesn’t have a good plan for him.
I know Johnson and Jimbo are capable of exploiting this Arkansas secondary. They have the potential and ability, but I have to see it before I put blind faith into them. Evan Stewart is the X factor in this one. Against Miami, Johnson made good decisions all night but the wide receivers really struggled to get separation. I think Miami’s defense is better than the Hog’s is right now, but someone from A&M has to get open. Enter Evan Stewart, who missed the Miami game due to suspension for breaking curfew. The five star true freshman has to come up big in this one for the Aggies to win. Stewart has shown the ability to get separation, tallying 10 catches for 105 yards in two games. This game will not be won by A&M hitting wideouts in the flats or on short routes. The intermediate and deep passing game has to be successful in this one.
I hope to see Achane involved in the passing game like he was against Miami as well. He needs to be running a couple of wheel routes every game. No linebacker can cover him in the open field, and feeding Achane is paramount for the Aggie offense to move the ball. He’s the most dynamic player on the field.
In conclusion, I’m leaning toward Arkansas here. As I have talked through the path for A&M to win so far in this stream of consciousness blog, it seems more likely to me that the Hogs pull out a win. They have been the better team so far in 2022 and I trust their offense to put up enough points. The A&M offense is going to have to score points to win this game, and so far that’s not something they’ve shown they are capable of. I hope I’m wrong but I’m going with what I’ve seen with my eyes so far this year rather than potential on paper. Please make me look like a fool, Aggies.
Arkansas 27
Texas A&M 24