What Texas A&M HC Jimbo Fisher said about Arkansas
Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher began his sixth season with the Aggies this year after finishing the 2022 season with a 5-7 overall record and tied for sixth in the SEC West.
After starting the 2023 season off with a 52-10 win over New Mexico and a 48-33 loss to Miami, Texas A&M followed that up with a 47-3 victory against UL-Monroe before beating Auburn 27-10 at Kyle Field over the weekend. Up next, the Aggies have a meeting with Arkansas on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
In a matchup against the Aggies last year, the Razorbacks got out to a quick 14-0 lead before costly turnovers and a late missed field goal by Cam Little resulted in a 23-21 defeat.
Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson started for the Aggies and completed 11 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. The backup to begin the 2023 season, Johnson may have another shot to start against the Hogs after Connor Weigman exited the Aggies game against Auburn with an injury.
Here is everything Fisher had to say in his Monday press conference about Arkansas ahead of Saturday's game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, which is slated to kick off at 11:00 p.m. CT and will be available to watch on SEC Network:
On Arkansas' offense:
Fisher: "We got to get ready for an Arkansas team that I think is a really excellent team. They're 2-2, could be 4-0 as quick as they're 2-2. Offensively, it starts with KJ Jefferson. I mean the guy is — I say he reminds me of Cam Newton. He's a 6-foot-5, 250-255-pounder or whatever they say. I know he's a giant. I don't know what they weigh him at but he's big, he's strong, he's fast, he's throwing the ball excellent. He's making great decisions, he's hard to get on the ground. I mean, if you're a d-lineman he breaks through it. Going to have to make sure you wrap him up when you get pressure.
"Receivers are big, long and athletic. Got really good ball skills. The young tight end is making a lot of plays. The backs are running the ball. I know (Raheim) Sanders isn't in the game but they're still moving really well when they're scoring 36.5 points a game. So you got to be on offense to help your defense. We're going to have to get off the field and make plays. It's very challenging in what they're doing."
On Arkansas' defense:
Fisher: "Defensively, the two linebackers — 27 (Chris Paul Jr.) and 28 (Jaheim Thomas) — can run. They make plays, athletic, long. (Trajan) Jeffcoat can run up front. 40, (Landon Jackson) the big defensive end I mean can play up front. (Eric) Gregory the inside guy is physical. (Dwight) McGlothern has been a Preseason All-SEC player. He's physical, long, athletic at corner. Really makes plays. Safeties are athletic. They have a really good team."
On former Hog head coach Bobby Petrino coaching against Arkansas as A&M’s offensive coordinator:
Fisher: "Listen, when you win them you feel good. When you lose them, they hurt. I know that sounds cliche, but you can't get into that part of it man. You coach in this business long, when you get into our age you're going to cross over somewhere.
"Bobby is doing a great job. Moving the ball around. Getting good balance, good plays. Getting points and we're doing a good job. He's doing a really good job."
On preparing for Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson:
Fisher: "How do you rush him? Which way do you force him? How do you collapse the pocket? Every quarterback has things he does well and things he doesn't do as well as the others. You're always trying to force them to do the things they don't do well whether it's scrambling to their left or their right. Or sometimes containing the pocket. There's different ways to affect him, we're going to have to do all of them.
"There's going to be times where he's probably going to break through a few of them. I pray he doesn't and our spies can get him on the ground."
On Arkansas-Texas A&M games being close:
Fisher: "I mean you have two teams who are used to playing each other for many, many years. There's great history, there's great tradition back to the Southwest Conference days. When you play an opponent consistently over and over and over yearly, it's like playing your brother in a weird way. You're going to compete and play hard and it matters.
"It doesn't matter if you're supposed to be ranked high and they're not, it always seems to come back to those — that's what makes rivalry games and history games so great. The more you play somebody, the more comfortable you are. So, you know how to compete against them. I think that's what all this is part of."