Texas A&M Football: 3 reasons the Aggies will beat the Arkansas Razorbacks

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Sep 3, 2022; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Yulkeith Brown (8) celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Evan Stewart (1) during the first quarter against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports /

A sigh of relief from Texas A&M football fans following a big win over the Miami Hurricanes last week was short-lived, as the stakes for the looming Saturday SEC opener vs. Arkansas just got that much bigger. The Hogs are entering the matchup at 3-0 (1-0), with victories over Cincinnati, South Carolina, and Missouri State.

Questions have resounded throughout discussions of this game regarding the ability of the Aggies to stop a potent Razorback rushing attack, and whether a heretofore anemic A&M passing game can take advantage of an Arkansas secondary that ranks dead last in total passing yardage allowed in the nation (and still in the 100s in both per-game and per-attempt averages).

So what can Aggie fans look for in this matchup? What are the keys? Let’s look at three reasons the Aggies will take home the W come Saturday night in Arlington.

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – OCTOBER 31: Treylon Burks #16 of the Arkansas Razorbacks runs after a reception in the second quarter defended by Demani Richardson #26 of the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on October 31, 2020 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

Explosiveness will be key for Texas A&M football

Explosives will be the name of the game on both sides of the ball. For all the complaints that fans have had about the Aggie defense’s inability to get off the field and struggles against from the run, the unit has been stellar at limiting big plays and forcing defenses to drive the length of the field.

The longest pass they’ve allowed has been 29 yards, and the longest rush was a 48-yarder at the end of the App State game that was bounced outside when the Aggies sold out up the middle on short yardage, so not exactly typical circumstances.

https://twitter.com/AggieFootball/status/1571336498020057093

The Aggies have also done a great job at limiting not only scoring in general, but scoring efficiency of the teams they face. A&M’s defense has only allowed 0.120 points per play (a measure of scoring efficiency) in their three games so far— a stellar mark. That kind of performance will be necessary once again on Saturday.

On the flipside, A&M has to get a lot more explosive and efficient. They’ve shown more of the former than the latter, but still not enough of either for my comfort. However, there are reasons to think this can be possible— Max Johnson having another week under his belt as QB1, the return of Evan Stewart and Chris Marshall, another week for Bryce and the OL to continue to gel. There’s certainly reason for hope, but the Aggies will need to stay ahead of schedule on early downs, something that’s been tough for teams to do against this ferocious Arkansas front.