Three Turning Points from Texas A&M Football vs. Arkansas
![Sep 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Enai White (6) sacks Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports Sep 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Enai White (6) sacks Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/91b154fd7be4f8f02783ebc2fa2aab6a217088aeb62956d4f5f93de259601431.jpg)
Three Big Moments from Win over Arkansas for Texas A&M Football
What a huge game for Texas A&M football. Great win—let’s waste no time here and get right into it.
Taurean York Stands Tall in the Red Zone
Early in the game, Arkansas was moving the ball much better than they would at any other point in the afternoon. The Hogs got the ball all the way down to the red zone for the first and only time on the afternoon and were getting going on the ground, with their offensive line moving things up front. You could feel that, though the Aggies had been able to keep the Razorbacks a bit off-balance offensively, a score here for the Hogs would be demoralizing.
On a second-and-medium, Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson tucked the ball under his arm and began to run to the short side for a designed quarterback keeper. Watching the play unfold myself, it really felt like the Aggies didn’t have enough guys to that side of the field, and behind some pulling linemen, I started to think that Arkansas would at least get the ball down to the one for a first down. What I didn’t see, though, was true freshman Taurean York standing right in the gap that Jefferson was moving towards. What looked like it should’ve been undoubtedly a decent gain turned into barely one yard, bringing up a 3rd and 4.
This one play might seem like a strange thing to fixate on. York has been playing well, so why pick what is admittedly a good tackle, but definitely not a flashy play? Well, the next play was one of seven sacks notched on the day by Texas A&M football, forcing the Razorbacks to kick a field goal. That was huge, but I couldn’t help but feel it was the second down play that was largely to thank for that red zone stop. Having watched the Aggies for quite some time, that play, as it developed, felt just like the type that ends with Jefferson slipping through or running over tacklers en route to the end zone if it were the A&M defense of years past, particularly 2022. But York is a different breed. The young freshman just keeps making plays, whether flashy or not, and showing up in these huge moments.