Aggies escape Jerry World with a win
A roller coaster of a game ends with a doink off the upright and A&M winning 23-21.
By: The Hammer
Jefferson’s fumble here proved costly. Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
What a game! Shame on me for doubting the Ags. They pulled out a miraculous win over Arkansas in Jerry World on Saturday, giving the Aggies their 10th win over Arkansas in 11 matchups since joining the SEC. In other words, Texas A&M OWNS ARKANSAS. All the hype about Sam Pittman, KJ Jefferson, Kendal Briles, blah, blah, blah...they lost to Texas A&M yet again. For the record, I think Pittman and Briles are very good coaches and Jefferson is one of the better QBs in the SEC, but none of that mattered on Saturday.
Arkansas jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and this one felt like it was over. The way A&M’s offense had looked in the first three games inspired no confidence they would be able to dig out of a 14-0 hole. Yet, they did. The defense tightened up and held Arkansas to just 7 points for the final three quarters. The offense found some running room thanks to an improving offensive line and Devon Achane being a freak of nature. Then of course, the scoop and score caused by Chris Russell, started by Tyreek Cahpell and finished by Demani Richardson was one of the craziest and best plays you will see all year. Just when it looks like Arkansas is going to take a 21-7 lead, KJ Jefferson tries to leap into the end zone from way too far out and gets the ball punched out. Next thing you know Demani Richardson is grabbing the ball from his fellow DB Tyreek Chappell and blazing 97 yards down the sidelines to pay dirt. This was the turning point in the game.
The story of this game for A&M’s offense was missed opportunities. It was far from great, but there were several instances where the Aggies had a big play and either shot themselves in the foot with a penalty, or dropped a wide open touchdown in the case of Moose Muhammed. I’ve been calling for Moose to play more all year based on what we’ve seen in his first two years at A&M and the lack of production on the outside so far in 2022, but I think we saw why he hasn't been playing. He can still be a good receiver and contribute to this team, but he played really poorly against Arkansas. Would love to see him bounce back against Mississippi State this weekend.
Heading into this game, everyone was watching to see if Max Johnson and A&M could take advantage of the awful Arkansas secondary. Spoiler alert, A&M did not take advantage of this. Johnson went 11/21 for 151 yards and a TD through the air. Jimbo seemed to put an emphasis on establishing the run. He wanted to get momentum on the ground, and it worked. Achane found some running room and was able to rip off a lot of chunk runs, finishing with 159 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries. He has to get 20-25 touches every single game. The offense runs through him right now. Johnson ran the ball effectively as well, which really helped against a hungry Arkansas pass rush.
On defense, it’s hard to complain about anything. The bend don't break defense worked yet again as A&M gave up 415 total yards, including 244 rushing, but Arkansas only scored 21 points. I have a ton of confidence in this defense right now. Sure, they give up yardage but up to this point, teams have really struggled to score on A&M. And with all the young players playing, especially on the defensive line, we should only see this group get better as the season goes on. The defense will keep the Aggies in every game we play.
Overall, things were not pretty for the Aggies but they found a way to win. After what this team has been through so far in 2022 with the loss to App State, QB change, suspensions against Miami, etc - it would have been easy for them to roll over and let Arkansas run away with this one once it was 14-0. But that isn’t how A&M is built. This team fights, scratches and claws every game. It’s far from perfect, especially on offense, but the grit this team has is great to see. I expect most of A&M’s games this fall to be similar to this one: very close, hard fought games that are determined by turnovers and big plays. The defense will keep A&M in every game and the offense hasn't shown the ability to put up a lot of points and pull away from teams, so get ready for a high stakes roller coaster ride each Saturday. Now we’re on to Mississippi State!