The Texas A&M Aggies beat the Arkansas Razorbacks 23-21 on Saturday night at AT&T Stadium. The Aggies were down by two touchdowns in the first quarter, but they responded well to win the game. Texas A&M gets their first win in SEC play, but there’s no time to rest as the team faces Mississippi State next week. For now, there’s a lot to learn from this win against the Razorbacks. Here’s a quick recap of Texas A&M’s close win over Arkansas.
Devon Achane is the Offense
It’s just something that Aggies fans have to accept. Achane is an incredible talent, and he deserves all the credit for this win. He finished with nearly 160 rushing yards and a touchdown. That was a better performance than the rest of the offense combined.
The flip side of this conclusion is that Max Johnson looked somewhat like Haynes King. The passing game did not seem much different from the first three weeks. But tight end Donovan Green did have an impact on the game. Evan Stewart also got his first touchdown as an Aggie, but Ainias Smith had less of an impact than expected.
The offensive line’s performance was similar to last week’s game against Miami, and the snaps might become a bigger problem. Bryce Foster is coachable and a great center, but the communication with Johnson has to be more in rhythm. Again, there’s a lot of room for improvement for the Aggies on offense; however, how much better can the unit look with either quarterback at the helm?
Still, the offense did just enough to come out with a win against Arkansas. The situation will likely be different in the coming weeks when facing teams like Alabama, Ole Miss, etc. Can Achane carry the Aggies even then, or who else could step up?
Defense Played Lights Out
You could not ask for more from Texas A&M on the defensive side of the ball. The Razorbacks have so many playmakers including KJ Jefferson, Raheim Sanders, Jadon Haswelwood, etc. Arkansas put up more than 400 yards, but the Aggies’ defense made plays when necessary.
Obviously, the biggest play of the game was when Demani Richardson returned a fumble by Jefferson for a touchdown. All the momentum seemed to be on the Razorbacks’ side at that time, but A&M’s defense really flipped the script. From there, the Aggies were able to take a two-score lead heading into the fourth quarter; that was because DJ Durkin adjusted his game plan to account for Jefferson’s plays.
Near the end of the game, Arkansas was pushing the ball down the field and Jefferson made some great throws. The Aggies’ defense could’ve gotten tired and allowed another touchdown, but they held up that time and forced a field goal attempt. Cam Little ended up missing that lone field goal towards the top of the right upright, which ended the game.
The defense continues to be the hero and soul of this Texas A&M team. It’s just a matter of time before the defense is challenged again, and that could be against Will Rogers and the air raid attack of Mike Leach next Saturday.
Concluding Thoughts
As they say, an ugly win is always better than a great loss. Texas A&M should be happy to be 3-1, and the month of October will undoubtedly be a tough one for the Aggies. It will be interesting to see how Jimbo Fisher continues to adjust his game plan according to his team’s strengths, and this squad is still very capable of having a 10-win season. Texas A&M will have its first real road test in Starkville next weekend before heading to Tuscaloosa. It should be a good one.
