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Texas A&M Football: FULL PREVIEW – Arkansas Razorbacks

By Graham Harmon

LSU Tigers take on the Arkansas Razorbacks at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Sept. 23, 2023.
LSU Tigers take on the Arkansas Razorbacks at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Sept. 23, 2023. /
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When Arkansas is on offense vs. Texas A&M football

The headline of the Arkansas offense, and really their whole team, is senior QB KJ Jefferson. Built like a defensive end at 6’3″ and 245 lbs, Jefferson is a load for any team to deal with in the running game. But it’s not just his legs that threaten opposing defenses; his passing acumen has developed nicely over his three seasons as the Razorback starter, and he is now one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the SEC.

Over the last two years, however, his volume of passes against the Aggies has been quite low. Jefferson has a total of 34 attempts over the past two matchups against Texas A&M football, completing 19 of them. Former OC Kendal Briles preferred to lean on the running game against the Aggies and choose his spots to take big shots down the field—shots which Arkansas has connected on early in each of the last two matchups at Jerryworld. Containing the downfield passing game will be key for the Aggies, and this will be their first big test in that regard since the Miami game.

One thing that will aid them in that dimension is the complete regression that Arkansas has seen up front along the offensive line. Both BYU and LSU recorded four sacks against the Hogs, and the ability to get a push in the run game has seemingly abandoned the Razorbacks as well. Arkansas currently ranks 98th out of 133 FBS teams in average yards per carry with 3.76. This isn’t a result of facing defensive stalwarts, either; the rushing defenses Arkansas has faced consist of an FCS team (Western Carolina), and the the 117th-ranked (Kent State), 86th-ranked (BYU), and the 98th-ranked (LSU) defense by YPC. The Aggies currently rank as the 44th-ranked defense by YPC allowed. This will be another game in which the Aggie defensive line can shine; we saw what they can do when they get pressure, and stifling the Arkansas rushing game without dedicating too many numbers to the box will allow Durkin’s defense to dictate the terms of the game.