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.

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.

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