No. 4 Texas A&M (6-0, 3-0 SEC) is now widely considered one of the more complete teams in the SEC, possessing the 25th-ranked offense and the 20th-ranked defense, which was perfectly displayed during back-to-back blowout wins over Mississippi State and Florida, scoring 65 points and allowing 26 points.
This week, coach Mike Elko and his staff steer their focus to the Arkansas Razorbacks (2-3, 0-2 SEC), who, after firing longtime head coach Sam Pittman, are relying on interim and former head coach Bobby Petrino to pull off the program’s first SEC win of the year.
On paper, Arkansas’s 120th-ranked defense is allowing 435 yards per game, including an abysmal 184 rushing yards, and an equally bad 251 passing yards per contest, which is an obvious advantage for Texas A&M’s offensive attack, even without star running back Le’Veon Moss, who will be sidelined for several weeks with an ankle injury.
After putting up 34 points against Florida’s respectable 33rd-ranked defense, I fully expect starting quarterback Marcel Reed and transfer wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver to take full advantage of the Razorbacks’ porous secondary. However, with Le’Veon Moss out, the Aggie running game will rely on Reuben Owens, freshman Jamarion Morrow, Amari Daniels, and, possibly, EJ Smith to collectively make up for the gifted runner’s absence.
After rushing for 183 yards against Florida’s front, this shouldn’t be an issue if all four running backs mentioned are patient and find the holes Texas A&M’s elite offensive line creates, so if Marcel Reed is accurate and on point, explosive plays on the ground and through the air should result in another 30-plus scoring outcome.
However, Texas A&M’s secondary, currently ranked 38th nationally, will be tested by Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green, who gave the Aggies issues during last season’s game, and has already thrown for 1,654 yards, 14 touchdowns, and five interceptions, while rushing for 463 yards and three scores.
Arkansas’s 27th-ranked scoring offense and 17th-ranked rushing attack will challenge Texas A&M’s defense, but at this point, I expect the Aggie run defense to hold up and prevent explosive gains. The real question is how the secondary will hold up knowing that Green will take plenty of shots downfield.
One of the key stats that could determine the game is Texas A&M’s No. 1-ranked third-down defense against Arkansas’s No. 3-ranked third-down offense. If the Aggies can consistently stop the Razorbacks on first down and prevent short third-down or fourth-down conversions, Mike Elko and his team will leave Fayetteville with a 7-0 record.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Comparing Texas A&M and Arkansas’s strengths, weaknesses before Week 8
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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