POST GAME THOUGHTS-A&M HANDLES ARKANSAS

Sam Pittman is a good coach. Barry Odom and Kendall Briles are good coordinators. But they fell victim to this seemingly improbably win streak that A&M has over Arkansas.

Like before we get down into the nitty gritty of it all, just think about it. We’ve won 9 straight. We’ve won this game against 4 straight Hog coaches. We’ve had 5 different QBs win a game in this series, and Kellen finishes his career 4-0 against the Razorbacks. That’s just bananas.

Let’s break this game down and get back to celebrating

THE GOOD

Kellen was lights out. This was by far his best game in an Aggie uniform. He was 21/26 for 260 yards with 3 TDs, and 30 some odd yards on the ground. He was decisive, made throws all over the field to 5 different receivers. And the best news of all was that it was clean. I’m not talking about interceptions or fumbles, but rather no clock issues. No issues getting plays in. It was just a tremendous performance by the senior play caller.

Spiller struggled a little bit on the ground, but still put up 21 carries for 82 yards. A&M showed that we might have some depth at RB by getting carries from Ainias Smith (who had an electric first half) and true freshman Devon Achane who showed elite speed on a 30 yard TD run.

Jalen Wydermyer was everywhere, and is currently Mond’s favorite target—and for good damn reason, grabbing 6 balls for 92 yards. Chase Lane and Smith were their reliable selves, but how about Hezekiah Jones in his first game back since 2018 grabbing 5 balls for 47 yards. Despite the number of hits this WR corps has taken they just keep bouncing back. Good for them.

Last but not least, how about that damn offensive line. Kellen hasnt been sacked in four games. Everything looks better when the guys up front are winning their battles. We had a couple of holding penalties which brought back big plays, but oh well. Just a huge day by Josh Henson’s group.

THINGS TO FIX

The defense gave up 461 yards (239 through the air, and 222 on the ground) to a well coached/well schemed offense. Wasnt really the defense’s best day at all, and exposed some issues we have against tempo and plays at the edges that are going to be exposed against teams like Auburn and Ole Miss.

Arkansas kept catching us off guard by going quick, not substituting and just hitting plays. We didnt force a turnover this game, which is fine because we didnt turn the ball over...but still.

Penalties were a big issue. 9 penalties for 100 yards including multiple pass interferences—basically giving Arkansas new life. That has to get cleaned up.

It’s a little bit surprising to see the defense struggling as much as they have been in a few games this year.

Last thing that bugged me was our inability to just put the game away. We needed one first down to put the game away and we couldnt get it. That’s not just execution—it’s coaching too. Running the ball three times into the line of scrimmage isnt exactly the best way to close out a game. We still dont have that killer instinct which is frustrating because this team is pretty darn good. If we ever get that killer instinct then watch out

OVERALL

Double digit win over one of the hottest teams in the country. The best time to clean stuff up is after a nice win...and we’ve got stuff to clean up. This team is really good. We’re not great yet...but we’re really good. Rest of the season should be fun.

BTHO south carolina