HawgBeat Staff Predictions: No. 10 Arkansas vs. No. 23 Texas A&M
The No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks and the No. 23 Texas A&M Aggies will face off at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for the 79th meeting between the two teams Saturday.
Arkansas holds a 42-33-3 all-time series lead over the Aggies, but Texas A&M has won nine of the last 10 meetings. The Razorbacks won 20-10 in last year's meeting, and the last time they won multiple games in a row against the Aggies was when they won three straight from 2009-2011.
The Hogs are 4-7 all-time against the Aggies when the teams meet in Arlington.
Arkansas currently sits as a +1.5 point underdog against Texas A&M (BetSarcen).
Here is how the HawgBeat staff thinks the game will go Saturday:
Mason Choate - Managing Editor
The way I look at this game, Arkansas has the upper hand offensively — by a lot on paper.
The Aggies have been great against opposing quarterbacks, but their run defense has not been anything impressive. Rocket Sanders should have another great game on the ground in this one, and the Hogs will likely find a nice balance of run-pass to keep A&M on its toes.
Texas A&M's offensive line has not been very consistent through three games, and the Razorbacks lead the country in sacks. Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom will get Myles Slusher back in the secondary to help cover up weaknesses on the back end.
I see this being somewhat of a low-scoring affair for most of the contest, but a Cam Little field goal in the fourth quarter will help keep the Razorbacks undefeated.
Arkansas 24, Texas A&M 21
Robert Stewart - Staff Writer
Missouri State is a team Arkansas could sleep on, and that is what we saw in the first half last week. Texas A&M is not, so I expect the Razorbacks to show some offensive explosion right away. The Aggies' run defense is subpar, setting Rocket Sanders up for what will be his fourth game above 100 rushing yards this season.
Of course, the question of the Arkansas secondary lingers, and I don't think Myles Slusher alone will be the fix. While the A&M offense has yet to flash brilliance in 2022, it has a golden opportunity to do so this week with talented playmakers Devon Achane and Ainias Smith.
Expect this one to come down to the wire as most Southwest Classics in recent history have, but the Hogs will end up on top for the second straight year.
Arkansas 31, Texas A&M 27
Daniel Fair - Staff Writer
After a close call against Missouri State last weekend, the Razorbacks are 3-0 for the second year in a row heading into the Southwest Classic against Texas A&M.
The Aggies are 2-1 following a 17-14 upset loss against Appalachian State, but they followed up that performance with a 17-9 win over No. 13 Miami. This game always has its own twists and turns, and this year will be no exception.
I like Arkansas’ chances in the matchup, with KJ Jefferson getting comforted airing the ball out last weekend and the Razorback’s running game clicking on all cylinders to start the year.
It will be a rowdy environment at AT&T Stadium, and expect both teams to show their best, even with Texas A&M’s question marks offensively. It'll be close and fans will need their nitroglycerin, but Arkansas will come back to Fayetteville with a win.
Arkansas 27, Texas A&M 24
Jackson Collier - Basketball Recruiting Analyst
This past week there seems to have been two major talking points: Arkansas’ pass defense and the ineptitude of A&M’s offense.
I’m not necessarily of the mindset that “something has to give.” The raw numbers of the Razorbacks pass defense are abysmal, but require a closer look. A good chunk came when the game was out of hand against South Carolina and as a result of poor tackling, not always poor coverage, in any game so far this season.
This isn’t advocating that the secondary is good, but it is me saying that as long as Arkansas secures initial tackles and minimizes YAC, the coverage should be good enough for the Aggies' offense.
Max Johnson is the new quarterback and frankly, better than King, but that’s not saying much. The offense is still outdated and the lack of points with an insane amount of talent proves that something is amiss.
Arkansas will give up some yards through the air to a bad offense, but ultimately will control the line of scrimmage on both sides again to get the win.
Arkansas 31, Texas A&M 24