Texas A&M Football vs. Arkansas: Game Recap

Recapping 34-22 Win for Texas A&M football over Arkansas

Texas A&M football started the day on defense after winning the toss and deferring. Stout defense on the first two plays of the game led to a third and long, but the Hogs were able to convert on a rub route to freshman Luke Hasz, who appeared to exit with an injury. The next play was the Aggies’ first sack of the day, taking down KJ Jefferson for a loss of four. Rocket Sanders’s first carry of the day on second down went nowhere on second down. On third down once again, though, the Hogs were able to convert on long yardage after the protection held up for Jefferson (though there may have been an unreviewed drop by the receiver). On the ensuing third down, Jefferson picked up the conversion with his legs. That made the Hogs 3/3 on third down after hardly any success on first and second down. Jefferson picked up another first on a second-down rush, but pressure from McKinnley Jackson and Edgerrin Cooper moved Arkansas back 8 yards, with Texas A&M football picking up their second sack of the day. A handoff to Rashad Dubinion resulted in a TFL after Walter Nolen went to work. This time, the third and 20 was too much for the Hogs, and the Razorbacks were unable to convert. A kick from Cam Little sliced through the uprights from 52, and the Hogs took a 3-0 lead.

Max Johnson and the Aggie offense took their first crack at things, starting off the day with a handoff to Amari Daniels. Max Wright caught a pass on a second-down tight end throwback, put the moves on a Hog DB, and picked up the first. The next play saw a short pass caught by Noah Thomas, his first in a couple of games after a combination of injury and family matters have kept Thomas out of the last few contests. A few plays later, a perfect pass from Johnson to Stewart for a 32-yard TD capped off the drive, putting the Aggies up 7-3.

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Jefferson picked up a quick 15 yards with a pass to Andrew Armstrong on the first play of the ensuing drive, but pressure on the next down forced him to throw it away. A fake screen almost caught the Aggies sleeping on second down, but Jacoby Matthews made a great play to break up a pass to Isaac TeSlaa that would’ve been a first down. Another third and ten for the Hogs was another conversion, however, on a screen pass to Rocket Sanders that was well-read by the Aggie defense, but Sanders’s skill helped him pick up 38 yards. The Razorbacks made it inside the red zone as the first quarter drew to an end.

Three running plays ultimately went nowhere for the Hogs, culminating with a very slow handoff that saw multiple Aggie defenders swarming Sanders in the backfield. Cam Little knocked through another kick, making the score 7-6.

The first play of the drive was another dart from Johnson, this time to Ainias Smith, picking up 29 yards on the pitch and catch. Amari Daniels picked up a chunk on the ground on third down, moving the Aggies right outside the red zone. Evan Stewart was down with an injury following the play, but was reportedly able to walk off pretty normally. A short run and dropped pass set up a third and long for the Aggies. Johnson was on target on the third down play, but there was a no-call both on an offsides by the Razorbacks and a pass interference that resulted in the ball falling incomplete. Randy Bond hit a 42-yarder to make the score 10-6.

A plus return on the kickoff by Arkansas set them up with favorable field position. Sanders got a short gain on first, but Nolen sacked Jefferson on second down, setting up yet another third and long for Arkansas. Pressure in Jefferson’s face forced an incompletion, resulting in the first three-and-out of the day for the Aggie defense. Max Fletcher’s punt was almost perfect, but it bounced out of the end zone for a touchback.

The refs threw their first flag of the day, calling a false start on the Aggies that set up a 1st and 15. No matter, as a swing pass to Le’Veon Moss gained 12 yards, setting up a second and short that he converted—and then some—with a tough run out to near midfield. Another punishing if short run on 1st down by Moss resulted in an injury to Arkansas LB Jaheim Thomas, the Cincinnati transfer. A strange second down play by Johnson set up a third and long, but Max made up for it with another dart to Ainias through coverage. Two keepers by Max Johnson set up a short third down for Texas A&M football, but the Arkansas line blew up a rollout by the Aggie QB, who was able to get the ball in the dirt near Noah Thomas. Randy Bond’s kick, however, hit the upright, keeping the score at 10-6.

Arkansas could not do anything, however, and went three-and-out again after three rush attempts. An offsides call moved the ball forward, resulting in a 4th and 1. The Hogs lined up to punt once again, but called a timeout to reconsider. The Razorback offense came out after the timeout, but they could not convert on a Rocket Sanders handoff. The Aggies took back over in positive territory.

The Aggies faced a long third down, but the brotherly connection from Johnson to Johnson picked up the required 11 yards to keep the drive alive for Texas A&M football. Another two keepers by Max on first and second set up a third and short inside the ten. Le’Veon Moss converted on a physical run, bouncing off would-be tacklers and putting the ball inside the five yard line. Earnest Crownover picked up his second touchdown of the season on a short fullback pass to put the Aggies up 17-6 with only 13 seconds remaining in the half. Arkansas would only run one play before the halftime break.