The Texas A&M Football team has their most important game of the season rapidly approaching. On Saturday, the Aggies will travel to Arlington to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks, who have been elite thus far in 2021.
Originally, this would have looked like an easy win for Texas A&M, who has taken home a victory in this matchup every time these teams have met since 2012, when the Aggies joined the SEC. This time around, however, things could get interesting for a few reasons.
Here are three reasons why Texas A&M vs. Arkansas will be the best game of the week.
Reason No. 1: The Texas A&M Football team is more vulnerable than they ever expected to be
I actually believe that the Texas A&M Football team’s struggles are being overblown. Yes, they don’t have their quarterback, but outside of the Colorado game, the offense has looked really good. They’ll get their toughest challenge against Arkansas though, a team that has won every single game this year by three scores.
A&M, on the other hand, has two comfortable victories and a close scare against Colorado.
Texas A&M has the edge in terms of talent, coaching, and experience. That said, the one thing that Arkansas holds over the Aggies is their resume. The Razorbacks already have a signature win over Texas, which they secured in dominating fashion.
Without their quarterback and with an unestablished run game, the unbiased choice to win this game would have to be the Hogs. Momentum is in the less talented team’s favor, which could create a great competition.
Reason No. 2: The Texas A&M Football team is coming up against a lethal Arkansas rushing attack
Thus far, Texas A&M’s defense has been elite in 2021. The Aggies are top ten in total defense, only allowing two touchdowns in three games.
The primary strength of the Aggies’ defense thus far has been their passing defense, which currently leads the nation in yards per game, yards per attempt, and any other relevant stat. A&M has not allowed a touchdown through the air.
Unfortunately, their rushing defense hasn’t measured up. In fact, A&M is in the lower half of college football, allowing 162 yards on the ground per contest.
Meanwhile, Arkansas holds a top ten offensive rushing attack, averaging 282.3 yards per contest on the ground through three games. Whether or not Aggie fans like it, the Razorbacks will likely have a dominant performance on the ground.
Hopefully, Texas A&M’s passing defense can hold off Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson enough to keep the Hogs’ defense one-dimensional.
Reason No. 3: The Texas A&M Football team is more experienced in close-game scenarios
Granted, the difference between the two squads on this slide isn’t much. The Aggies’ only late-game experience was in their Week 2 matchup against Colorado, where A&M won with a late-game touchdown that put them ahead by three points.
Arkansas, on the other hand, has won all three of their games by at least a three-score margin.
The Hogs have not yet played a real fourth quarter. The closest they’ve come to a fourth quarter was holding onto a double-digit lead against an imploding Texas Longhorns team.
If Arkansas does manage to secure another early lead, this game could come to an interesting finish. The Aggies already came back from a late deficit against the Buffaloes. If they find themselves behind in their Week 4 matchup, they’ll know what needs to happen to make things interesting.
Another thing that stands to favor the possibility of this game turning into a close contest is the fact that Texas A&M has played Arkansas close in every matchup under Jimbo Fisher. Last season, the game was decided by 11 points. In 2019, the contest finished just four points in Jimbo Fisher’s favor. The year before that — just a single touchdown seperated these teams.
Unfortunately for A&M fans, the stars are aligning for this to be a tight contest. That said, A&M should still be a favorite.