Texas A&M took control early and carried a 24-7 lead into halftime against Arkansas at Kyle Field in College Station, with the first half shaped by a sharp Aggies ground game and an up-and-down showing from Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson.
Arkansas came into Saturday with one of the nation’s weakest rushing attacks, but the Hogs did find a little life on the ground before the break. They didn’t run it much - just eight times - yet Sutton Smith made the most of his chances with three carries for 33 yards, a hefty 11 yards per rush. Braylen Russell added two carries for six yards, and Arkansas finished the half with 38 rushing yards on eight attempts, or 4.8 yards per carry, almost doubling its pregame average of 2.56 yards per carry.
Jackson’s first half told a much messier story. After turning in his best game of the season last week against Tulsa, he opened Saturday by throwing what was easily his roughest pass of the year. He overthrew a deep ball that drifted straight to Dalton Brooks, and Brooks returned it 39 yards to help set up Texas A&M’s first touchdown.
Jackson did bounce back briefly. After Arkansas went three-and-out, he put together what was arguably his best drive of the season, finishing it with a clean 26-yard touchdown strike to Chris Marshall. Marshall finished the half with four catches for 59 yards, while Smith added two receptions for nine yards.
That was about as good as it got for Arkansas through the air. Jackson spent the rest of the half missing high and nearly gifting Texas A&M another interception on the Razorbacks’ final possession before the break. He was 6 of 15 for 68 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and Marshall and Smith were the only Arkansas players to catch a pass.
Texas A&M didn’t need much from Marcel Reed as a passer to build the lead. Reed had struggled against Kentucky and LSU to start SEC play, and his arm numbers at halftime were modest again, but his legs did plenty of damage. He rushed for 55 yards on seven carries to pace the Aggies, while KJ Edwards added eight carries for 45 yards and Reuben Owens chipped in eight rushes for 27 yards.
As a team, Texas A&M piled up 133 rushing yards on 27 carries, good for 4.9 yards per attempt. All three of the Aggies’ touchdowns before halftime came on the ground, and Reed completed 9 of 13 passes for 57 yards.
In Other News...
Calipari Missing On One Target Could Reveal Arkansas Bigger 2027 Plan
King Gibsons commitment to LSU trimmed one more name from Arkansas early wish list in the class of 2027, but it also underscored how active John Calipari and his staff already are on the recruiting trail. Gibson, a highly regarded combo guard, had been a target for the Razorbacks along with several other programs, and his decision leaves Arkansas to keep pressing forward as the long-range board continues to take shape.
The bigger picture for the Razorbacks is less about one miss than about where Calipari is directing his energy next, with Beckham Black and Demarcus Henry among the names still in play. Henry is expected to choose in early November, and Arkansas pursuit of multiple top targets suggests the staff is trying to build momentum well beyond one recruit, even as the race for 2027 keeps shifting. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Has A New Problem Behind This Painful SEC Skid
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One of the quieter blows came with the departure of wide receiver Jelani Watkins, who is now focusing on track, leaving the offense with even less margin for error. KJ Jackson tried to keep things moving, finishing 13 of 25 for 111 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Chris Marshall provided the main spark with seven catches for 76 yards and Arkansas only score, but the bigger question is how this group patches enough holes to stop the slide. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Now Knows When Its Next Chance To Change The Season Comes
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It will be the first meeting between the programs in eight seasons and only the 11th time they have lined up overall, which gives the matchup a little extra weight as the calendar moves deeper into October. For Arkansas, it is the kind of road game that can shape what the rest of the season looks like, and now the team knows exactly when that chance arrives. [Read more 🡒]