So far, Arkansas a perfect opponent
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M defensive back Priest Willis feigned surprise Tuesday when asked if he preferred playing Arkansas in a homeand-home series or annually in Arlington’s AT&T Stadium.
“AT&T isn’t home for us?” he asked with a smile.
It might as well be, considering the Aggies’ dominance over the Razorbacks since A&M joined the SEC five years ago, in front of what’s become a primarily maroon-clad crowd. Arkansas is the only division team to lose all five games to the Aggies since A&M became a part of the SEC West, with the last three games at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
A&M (2-1) and Arkansas (1-1) meet at 11 a.m. Saturday at AT&T Stadium, in what would have been a home game for the Razorbacks this year. The Aggies opened the season by surrendering a 34-point lead at UCLA and losing 45-44, and followed with pedestrian victories over Nich-
olls State (24-14) and Louisiana-Lafayette (45-21).
A&M was tied with Nicholls in the fourth quarter and trailed Louisiana-Lafayette at halftime before reeling off 31 consecutive points — a secondhalf stretch finally providing A&M’s players some encouragement with the start of SEC play at hand.
“The team we’re facing is the same one we’ve faced since I’ve been here,” fifth-year Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said. “And it’s one of two teams in the West we haven’t been able to capture (along with Alabama). We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
So do the Aggies, considering their struggles in all three of their games to date. While Arkansas has provided the perfect tonic for the Aggies in past seasons, no matter their start, A&M coach Kevin Sumlin cautioned that the outcomes have been far from decisive.
“Sometimes the ball bounces the right way, and the games have been re- ally close,” Sumlin said in particular of consecutive overtime games in 2014 and 2015. “Even last year, midway through the third quarter, it was anybody’s game. Let’s not just say this has been a walk-away deal. They’ve been really close games, and we’ve found a way to win them.”
Getting back on track
Hot Pockets would have been an ideal sponsor for Saturday’s game, considering the temperature of both coaches’ backsides entering the contest. Neither team has competed for an SEC West title in recent seasons, and the Aggies have lost six consecutive games to Power Five foes, dating to last year.
While A&M dropped the heartbreaker at UCLA in the opener by a point, what has happened to Arkansas so far this season perhaps has been more humiliating. Following a 49-7 Razorbacks whipping of Florida A&M in their opener, TCU of the Big 12 hammered Arkansas 28-7 on Sept. 9 in Fayetteville, prompting plenty of fans to call for the end of the Bielema era.
“We’ve been watching a lot of TCU film,” A&M center Erik McCoy said. “They were able to run the ball more on the edge than the inside.”
Last season, A&M distanced itself from Arkansas in the second half to prevail 45-24 behind senior quarterback Trevor Knight, senior receiver Josh Reynolds and junior defensive lineman Myles Garrett, all now in the NFL. The game was tied 17-17 late in third quarter prior to A&M outscoring Arkansas 28-7 down the stretch.
While receiver Christian Kirk and running back Trayveon Williams are still in the mix for the Aggies this season, they’ll rely on quickly improving freshman quarterback Kellen Mond and a primarily new cast of receivers to try and make it six in a row against the Razorbacks.
Williams to return
A&M also had some good news on the injury front this week. Williams (ankle) didn’t play against Louisiana-Lafayette but Sumlin said he should play against Arkansas. Linebacker Otaro Alaka (hamstring) left the Louisiana-Lafayette game in the second half, but Sumlin said he’s ready to go against the Razorbacks.
Finally, offensive guard Connor Lanfear missed most of the game against the Ragin’ Cajuns with an undisclosed injury, but he should be back in the starting lineup Saturday, in the Aggies’ second consecutive 11 a.m. game.
“11 a.m., 6 a.m., 5 a.m. … whenever it is, we’re ready,” Willis said.