Arkansas
5 takeaways from Texas A&M-Arkansas: Aggies escape thriller in Arlington
Few college football rivalries can match the excitement of Texas A&M and Arkansas in the Southwest Classic, and the game’s final installment at AT&T Stadium Saturday was a testament to that. The Aggies beat the Razorbacks, 21-17, for their 12th win in the programs’ last 13 meetings.
Here are five takeaways from A&M’s victory:
A fitting end to the Southwest Classic in Arlington
In the Southwest Classic’s final season before returning to campus sites, there couldn’t have been a more appropriate ending to a 13-year run at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. The game was neck-and-neck throughout, and it came down to a flurry in the fourth quarter.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed’s five-yard touchdown keeper with nine minutes left in the second quarter knotted the score at 14 until a 45-yard field goal by Arkansas redshirt senior kicker Kyle Ramsey with 13:24 remaining in the game.
Fresno State transfer tight end Tre Watson’s first score as an Aggie couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment as he reeled in a five-yard touchdown with nine minutes left. A&M’s defense tightened from there on out, peaking with Purdue transfer defensive end Nic Scourton’s strip-sack of Boise State transfer QB Taylen Green to put the victory to bed.
Here’s hoping the rivalry’s excitement makes the trip to College Station and Fayetteville, Ark.
Photos: Aggies hang on to down Arkansas in Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium
Le’Veon Moss breathed life into the Aggies’ offense
A&M’s offensive attack looked stale through most of the second quarter and throughout the third quarter, with the Aggies’ five complete drives ending in punts each time. Donning voltage green cleats, junior running back Le’Veon Moss was the Energizer Bunny for A&M as he put a spark into the scoring drive.
With just under 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Moss broke off three consecutive runs of 23, 8 and 15 yards before Reed found Watson for the go-ahead touchdown. Moss continued his fourth-quarter surge on the Aggies’ next possession, charging 30 yards down the sideline before a facemask penalty added 15 more yards.
Two additional 7-yard gains raised Moss’ total to a season-high 117 yards and an average of nine yards per carry. His performance came against the SEC’s fourth-best rush defense, with the Razorbacks allowing just 82.3 yards on the ground entering Saturday.
Moss has just three touchdowns this season, but his offensive impact with over 100 yards in each conference matchup is undeniable.
A&M’s turnover prowess was on display
Elko has discussed the conduciveness of winning the turnover battle in games to success in the SEC. That gameplan worked for A&M in Sept. 14′s win over Florida, when the Aggies reeled in three interceptions while committing no turnovers themselves.
A&M again came out on top in the turnover battle by a 3-0 margin. Florida transfer linebacker Scooby Williams recovered a fumble and Alabama transfer cornerback Dezz Ricks intercepted a pass in the first half, while the Aggies held on to the ball themselves with no turnovers.
Yet, no turnover was bigger than Scourton’s strip-sack of Green with a minute and a half remaining. Florida transfer nickel back Jaydon Hill flew in for the recovery, effectively sealing an A&M victory as the Aggies took over in Razorback territory.
Junior defensive end Shemar Stewart forced the second-quarter fumble by breaking up a handoff from Green to Jackson, paving the way for a 5-yard score two plays later. A&M didn’t get points off of Ricks’ pick, but it prevented Arkansas from scoring before halftime in a tightly-contested game.
Tyler White was the Aggies’ most valuable player
It was one of those games where A&M’s most impactful performer was the punter, and why not? White booted the ball nine times for 388 yards, an average of 43.1 yards per kick. That’s not an eye-popping statistic, but the redshirt freshman from Southlake seven punts inside the Arkansas 20-yard line ensured the Razorbacks were never gifted easy field position.
White’s stats won’t be as sexy as those of Moss, Scourton and junior wide receiver Noah Thomas, but his performance played just as big a role, if not bigger, in the Aggies escaping Arlington with a victory. Elko’s emphasis on special teams success is already paying dividends.
A&M’s run defense continues to show improvement
The Aggies held their third opponent in a row to 100 rushing yards or less, and the Razorbacks’ 100 yards looks even more impressive with Arkansas previously averaging 240 rushing yards per game. The dual-threat Green was limited to 12 yards on 12 carries, while Utah transfer RB Ja’Quinden Jackson managed just 37 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
A&M’s run defense looks better with each week after surrendering 198 and 180 rushing yards to Notre Dame and McNeese State, respectively, through the first two weeks of the season. Scourton and Hill each came up with sacks, with Scourton accounting for three of the Aggies’ nine tackles for loss.
Elko and defensive coordinator Jay Batman won’t be fans of the 279 yards and a touchdown allowed through the air, but it’s a testament to A&M’s elimination of the run game for Arkansas.
Find more Texas A&M coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Kentucky had a need at wide receiver entering the only transfer portal window of the offseason. The Wildcats addressed the position again on Day 10. UK has added a second transfer to the room. This is a familiar name to those who follow recruiting.
Arkansas transfer Ja’Kayden Ferguson committed to the Wildcats after his visit to Lexington over the weekend. The wide receiver was a former UK commit who flipped to the Hogs during the 2025 recruiting cycle. Now Ferguson has flipped back to the Big Blue.
Ja’Kayden Ferguson was a three-star recruit out of Metro Houston who picked Kentucky following a June official visit ahead of the 2024 season. However, Ferguson decided to open up his recruitment five months later and flipped to Arkansas. The 6-foot-2 receiver appeared in six games for the Razorbacks as a true freshman and burned his redshirt. Ferguson played just 20 offensive snaps.
The SEC transfer becomes the eighth current full-time scholarship player in Kentucky’s current wide receivers room. Some more additions are expected.
Kentucky transfer commits
| Player | Position | High School | Former School | Year |
| Olaus Alinen | G/T (6-6, 322) | Windson (Conn.) The Loomis Chaffee School | Alabama | Redshirt Junior |
| Jesse Anderson | S (6-0, 180) | Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons | Pittsburgh | Redshirt Junior |
| Max Anderson | iOL (6-5, 311) | Frisco (Texas) High | Tennessee | Redshirt Sophomore |
| Elijah “Bo” Barnes | LB (6-1, 244) | Dallas (Texas) Skyline | Texas | Redshirt Freshman |
| Jovantae Barnes | RB (6-0, 211) | Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert Pines | Oklahoma | Redshirt Senior |
| Ahmad Breaux | iDL (6-3, 278) | Ruston (La.) High | LSU | Junior |
| Jordan Castell | S (6-2, 213) | Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange | Florida | Senior |
| Xavier Daisy | WR (6-3, 210) | Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian School | UAB | Junior |
| Ja’Kayden Ferguson | WR (6-2, 187) | Missouri City (Texas) Thurgood Marshall | Arkansas | Sophomore |
| Aaron Gates | Nickel (6-0, 198) | Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian | Florida | Redshirt Junior |
| Jamarrion Harkless | iDL (6-3, 315) | Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass | Purdue | Redshirt Junior |
| Lance Heard | T (6-6, 330) | Monroe (La.) Neville | LSU | Tennessee | Senior |
| Mark Manfred III | CB (6-1, 175) | Marietta (Ga.) Sprayberry | Missouri | Redshirt Freshman |
| Kenny Minchey | QB (6-2, 208) | Hendersonville (Tenn.) Pope John Paul II | Notre Dame | Redshirt Junior |
| Antonio O’Berry | EDGE (6-6, 240) | Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne | Tiffin (D-II) | Gardner-Webb | 6th-Year Senior |
| Coleton Price | iOL (6-3, 318) | Bowie (Texas) High | Baylor | Redshirt Senior |
| Spencer Radnoti | LS (6-3, 230) | Canton (Ga.) Cherokee | Georgia State | Redshirt Sophomore |
| Cyrus Reyes | S (6-1, 200) | Taylor (Texas) High | Mississippi State | Junior |
| Hasaan Sykes | CB (6-0, 185) | Tuckert (Ga.) High | Western Carolina | Junior |
| Tavion Wallace | LB (6-1, 239) | Baxley (Ga.) Appling County | Arkansas | Sophomore |
| Dominic Wiseman | iDL (6-2, 300) | Davenport (Iowa) High | South Alabama | Redshirt Senior |
| Adam Zouagui | K (5-11, 188) | Herndon (Va.) High | Davidson | South Florida | Senior |
Arkansas
No. 20 Lady Vols Basketball vs. Arkansas: How to Watch, Prediction, More | Rocky Top Insider
Lady Vols basketball is back in Knoxville for a matchup with Arkansas after a two-game road stand. Tennessee is not only looking to stay perfect in SEC play, but is hosting its annual ‘We Back Pat’ game.
Here’s everything to know about the matchup, from broadcast details to a prediction.
More From RTI: Everything Lady Vols HC Kim Caldwell, PG Mia Pauldo Said After Road Win At Mississippi State
How to Watch — No. 20 Lady Vols (11-3, 3-0 SEC) vs. Arkansas (11-7, 0-3 SEC)
- Start Time: 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
- Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, Tenn.)
- Watch: SECN+ | PxP: Andy Brock, Analyst: Kamera Harris
- Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
- Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
- Vol Network radio crew: PxP: Brian Rice, Studio Host: Jay Lifford
Betting Odds
None listed yet
ESPN Matchup Predictor
Lady Vols – 98.3%
Arkansas – 1.7%
What Kim Caldwell Said After Mississippi State
“Good to get a win on the road. We know it’s a tough environment and we know that we got to win on the road in the SEC. It was good to do that. I wasn’t really proud of the rebounding, but I thought we looked a lot better in a couple different categories so that was good.”
Last Five Games
Lady Vols:
- at Mississippi State, 90-90 W
- at Auburn, 73-56 W
- vs. Florida, 76-65 W
- vs. Southern Indiana, 89-44 W
- vs. Louisville (Brooklyn), 89-65 L
Arkansas:
- vs. South Carolina, 93-58 L
- at Alabama, 77-48 L
- vs. Vanderbilt, 88-71 L
- vs. Arkansas State, 81-72 L
- vs. Stephen F. Austin, 82-73 W
Where They Land In Rankings
Lady Vols:
AP Poll – No. 20
Coaches Poll – No. 22
Bart Torvik – No. 13
Arkansas:
AP Poll – Unranked
Coaches Poll – Unranked
Bart Torvik – No. 107
Stat Leaders
Lady Vols:
- Points: Talaysia Cooper – 14.9
- Rebounds: Zee Spearman – 7.3
- Assists: Talaysia Cooper – 4.3
Arkansas:
- Points: Taleyah Jones – 16.9
- Rebounds: Bonnie Deas – 9.7
- Assists: Bonnie Deas – 2.6
Prediction
It’s been a rough start for Arkansas’ new coach, Kelsi Musick. The team is 0-3 in SEC games, and though it’s been against three good teams, the Razorbacks haven’t been competitive in any.
While neither side has been strong, Arkansas’ defense has been the weakest point. Not only is it coming off a game in which it gave up 93 points to South Carolina, but Arkansas State hung 81 in its win over the Razorbacks on the road.
If the Lady Vols don’t get in their own way, then they should be fine. It hasn’t been perfect, and against three teams not necessarily in the mix to win the league, but Tennessee has looked much improved in the SEC slate compared to the lumps it took in the out-of-conference schedule.
I’d think UT jumps on Arkansas in the first quarter and takes a comfortable lead into the second quarter. From there, the lead should continue to grow behind forced turnovers in the press and easy baskets on the other end.
Lady Vols 85, Arkansas 61
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