Texas A&M is back home Saturday with plenty to clean up and not much room for another slip. The Aggies sit at 2-2 overall and 0-2 in SEC play after back-to-back losses to Kentucky and LSU, and now they get Arkansas in College Station in a game that already feels important for both teams.
The recent numbers tell the story for Texas A&M. After a 31-21 loss to Kentucky, the Aggies were blown out 35-6 in Baton Rouge.
Against LSU, the offense produced just 197 total yards and never found the end zone, while the defense gave up 506 yards. A week earlier, Kentucky had put up 411 on them.
Arkansas arrives at Kyle Field at 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the SEC after a 34-6 win over Tulsa. KJ Jackson threw for 309 yards in that game, and Chris Marshall was the biggest playmaker on the field with nine catches for 195 yards and a touchdown. The Razorbacks have also had an uneven opening stretch, with losses to Utah and Georgia before beating Tulsa.
Even with A&M’s rough start in conference play, the early number has the Aggies as a two-touchdown favorite at home. That says a lot about how oddsmakers view the matchup, but it also leaves Texas A&M with something to prove on both sides of the ball.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on Saturday, October. 3, at Kyle Field.
Texas A&M’s injury report lists Jamarion Morrow, KJ Edwards, and Ashton Bethel-Roman as questionable. Terry Bussey, Madden Williams, Tiger Riden, and Chace Sims are out for the season.
Arkansas’ injury report is listed as TBD.
For Texas A&M, the key names are Marcel Reed, Isaiah Horton, Mario Craver, Marcus Ratcliffe, Marco Jones, and Dalton Brooks. For Arkansas, the key players are KJ Jackson and Chris Marshall.
And the pick? Arkansas has enough to make this one uncomfortable for the Aggies.
Jackson is coming off a sharp passing day, Marshall is a dangerous target, and Texas A&M’s secondary has already shown cracks in SEC play. If the Aggies don’t tighten things up, this could get dicey.
Still, Texas A&M is expected to answer at home. Reed doesn’t have to do everything, but he does need to take care of the ball and hit the throws that are there. A stronger run game would help, and the defense should be able to get enough stops when it matters.
The call here is Texas A&M getting its first SEC win, but not without a fight.
Prediction: Texas A&M 27, Arkansas 24
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For Mike Elko, the fix is as basic as it is urgent: get the Aggies back to playing a more physical brand of football. That identity has to show up quickly if Texas A&M wants to steady itself against the rest of the schedule, whether the next opponent carries a ranking or not. Without that edge in the trenches, the slide can get a lot worse in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]