The Arkansas defense couldn’t get off the field on third down in the 42-31 loss and the Democrat-Gazette’s Tom Murphy talked about that with Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft (The Morning Rush) on ESPN Arkansas about that problem going forward.
O’Gara on Texas A&M’s offense looking best it has in win over Razorbacks
Saturday Down South’s Connor O’Gara said on Halftime that Kellen Mond played his best game and Jimbo Fisher has found an offense with the Aggies.
Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast – Feleipe Franks stepping up on the road
Tye & Tommy on Franks’ play against the Aggies, Tom Murphy joins, plus the Jalen Catalon ejection
Hogs couldn’t take advantage of Aggies’ mistakes because there weren’t any
Arkansas’ opportunistic defense didn’t get a lot of chances Saturday night, Kellen Mond played maybe his best game in four seasons and A&M got a 42-31 win.
It really wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. The Razorbacks, who have lived off cashing in other teams’ mistakes through a 2-2 start, didn’t get a single turnover.
“We needed a few of those,” Sam Pittman said later.
Every time Barry Odom dialed up something with a blitz to try and disrupt Mond, the Aggies’ experienced offensive line at least slowed it down to where it was not effective.
And Mond didn’t panic.
“We’ve really been living on those,” Pittman said of the opponents’ turnovers. “We’ve been living on some goal-line stands, we’ve been living on some fourth-and-1’s, We just didn’t get them tonight … that’s all.”
That’s the fine edge this Hogs’ team is living on this year.
While they don’t quit for four full quarters and the want-to is there, they still need some help from teams with talent like A&M has piled up over the last few years. It was a stacked roster.
But the biggest difference was Mond. As he got his fourth win over the Hogs as a starter, he didn’t make the bad throws or reads he did in previous years that led to some really close games.
It wasn’t that hard to figure out what the problem for the Hogs defense was … they couldn’t get off the field on third down.
“We knew they had a very powerful offensive line and a good quarterback,” Pittman said later. “We couldn’t get to him. Obviously, we didn’t sack him.”
And Mond was making the correct decisions on third down this year. Before this game, the Hogs could usually count on him to try and force a pass, screw up a handoff … or something.
Not this year.
“They converted almost every third down until the last two or three drives of the game, so, it was just hard to get them off the field,” Pittman said. “I don’t know if they punted maybe a couple of times the entire game on offense.”
The Aggies punted on the opening possession of the game, then had six straight touchdown drives into the third quarter.
By then it was 42-17. Jimbo Fisher went into closing out the game mode while the Hogs didn’t give up and tacked on a couple of late touchdowns to make the score closer than the game really was.
Arkansas’ offense moved the ball. Feleipe Franks ran for 91 yards and Rakeem Boyd put up 100 on the Aggies, where he started his college career.
But when they got close it was self-inflicted penalties and mistakes that got the Hogs behind the Aggies’ offense. A couple of missed field goals by A.J. Reed killed any answers to A&M touchdowns and it got out of hand.
“We just left points out there,” Pittman said. “We drove the ball in between the red zones pretty good, then we’d get down there and we’d either stop ourselves or they’d make a good play or whatever it might be, a penalty or whatever it may be.”
That’s what teams that still have hopes for the College Football Playoff do (and right now the Aggies are completely a possibility for that if they keep winning).
The Hogs are still trying to figure out how to win games. They are getting better, but getting touchdowns in the red zone instead of field goal attempts could have made it 28-all at halftime, then you have a completely different discussion in both locker rooms.
Even 28-20 would have been different. Special teams have improved this year and Jack Lindsey going back to holding on placements has helped, but something was off on Reed’s first two attempts.
Warren’s Treylon Burks has become Franks’ go-to target while De’Vion Warren is good for a big play each game while Trey Knox pops his head out of witness protection occasionally to let folks know he’s still around.
“Seven catches for 117 yards and a couple of touchdowns,” Pittman said about Burks. “He’s finally healthy, I think he’s as healthy as he’s been all year, so we’re certainly glad for that. He had a nice ballgame.”
They also tried him running the ball, but that didn’t work out. Burks even attempted a pass that hit an Aggie defender in the back. He did make plays catching the ball, though, and fair-caught punts saving a ton of yardage.
Plus Franks showed some running skills. At times he looks like a flamingo running from a crowd and stumbling over a sidewalk, but Saturday night he was effective for 91 yards, including some scrambles that got the Hogs out of bad plays.
Franks ended up with a line of 23-of-31 passing for 239 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Hogs will win some games with that kind of production.
But not against the Aggies.
Especially when they play a near-perfect game.
Pittman on problems in Saturday night’s loss on road against Texas A&M
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman talked with the media following the 42-31 loss to the Aggies on Saturday night on variety of problems in game.
Franks recapping offensive problems in Razorbacks’ 42-31 loss to Aggies
Hogs quarterback Feleipe Franks (91 yards rushing, 23-of-31 passing and 3 touchdowns) talked with the media about what offense will be working to improve in practices.
Pool glad to be back playing after injury, lack of execution biggest issue in loss
Razorbacks linebacker Bumper Pool hated missing the Ole Miss game with rib injuries and said the defense didn’t execute against A&M.
Razorbacks fall to eighth-ranked Texas A&M on Saturday night, 42-31
Arkansas’ defense ran out of gas before Texas A&M tried a lot of running, but by early in the fourth quarter they were gashed by Kellen Mond in a 42-31 loss in College Station, Texas.
The game was played in front of the largest crowd of Covid-19 restrictions of over 27,000 but it appeared a few might have sneaked inside without being counted.
Razorbacks’ defensive coordinator Barry Odom was afraid the Aggies would just pound the ball running the ball on a defense that is vastly improved, but still short on numbers.
Instead, Mond simply carved up the defense throwing the ball as the Hogs’ front couldn’t get consistent pressure on the four-year starter as his experience showed through all night.
The loss dropped the Hogs to 2-3 on the season as they will host Tennessee next Saturday night at Razorback Stadium.
4Q :36: Rakeem Boyd reached the 100-yard mark with a 14-yard scamper by the time things were decided and out of reach to cap a six-play, 69-yard drive that showed as much about the Hogs not quitting in a game that was settled early in the fourth quarter.
Aggies 42, Hogs 31
4Q 13:09: No quit in Arkansas as they drive 75 yards in just eight plays as Feleipe Franks is keeping plays going with his running. Franks hits Treylon Burks on a crossing route from 16 yards out for Burks’ second score of the game. Without defensive stops, though, the gap is too big to catch up.
Aggies 42, Hogs 24
3Q :56: Texas A&M’s offense is completely wearing down the Hogs’ defense and now they are pulling away as Devon Achane breaks tackles for a 30-yard jaunt down the right sideline.
Aggies 42, Hogs 17
3Q 5:22: Kellen Mond’s have a career game against the Hogs, finding Jalen Wydermyer on a 15-yard scoring pass just ahead of the blitz package. Mond is 19-of-22 for 244 yards picking the Arkansas defense completely apart and not making any mistakes, just taking whatever he’s getting.
Aggies 35, Hogs 17
3Q 10:22: After missing a pair of field goals in the first half, kicker A.J. Reed nailed a 34-yarder after the Hogs took the second-half kickoff and drove inside the Red Zone before penalties and offensive mis-fires stalled the drive.
Aggies 28, Hogs 17
2Q 1:14: Texas A&M answers the Hogs’ score with a three-minute 74-yard march in seven plays as the Hogs’ defense is starting to wear thin. Isaiah Spiller ran it in from 6 yards out.
Aggies 28, Hogs 14
2Q 4:13: Feleipe Franks’ experience and Kendal Briles’ fast-paced offense combined to move 75 yards in eight plays, including converting a fourth-and-2 with a 36-yard completion from Franks to Treylon Burks and the Hogs answer the Aggies’ lead.
Aggies 21, Hogs 14
2Q 6:43: Kellen Mond completes a 6-yard pass to big tight end Jalen Wydermeyer and the Aggies open up the lead as the Texas A&M personnel advantage starting to show.
Aggies 21, Hogs 7
2Q 12:39: Interesting offensive approach as the Hogs are running the ball down the Aggies’ throats. A total of 96 yards on the ground so far against a defense that has been giving up just 75 a game.
1Q :34: Arkansas has a three-and-out, then the Aggies take advantage of Hogs’ Jalen Catalon getting disqualified for targeting (which will knock him out of the first half of the Tennessee game next week) and Ainias Smith scores on a 15-yard run after replay initially called him down a few inches away. Hogs’ offense is going to have to score and keep pace.
Aggies 14, Hogs 7
1Q 3:57: Aggies respond after Arkansas’ score to tie the game on Ainias Smith’s 35-yard catch and run, keeping his balance at the pylon, on a pass from Kellen Mond. This could turn into a track meet.
Hogs 7, Aggies 7
1Q 8:09: Arkansas’ defense stops Texas A&M’s opening drive, then maybe the best offensive drive of the year so far going 87 yards in 12 plays and Feleipe Franks hits Treylon Burks with a 6-yard pass on an out route for the score and the Hogs grab the lead.
Hogs 7, Aggies 0
Hogs defensive end Dorian Gerald is dressed and went through warmups, according to Arkansas Democrat-Gazette writer Tom Murphy, a frequent guest on The Morning Rush on ESPN Arkansas.
Arkansas DE Dorian Gerald is dressed out and going through warmups now. He hasn’t played since the opener (ankle).
— Thomas Murphy (@TomMurphyADG) October 31, 2020
ANDY’S PICKS: Hogs pulling out win not as surprising as you think
For some reason, when Texas A&M got into the Southeastern Conference, Arkansas forgot how to win games against them.
Part of it was Bret Bielema wasn’t very good in close (or overtime games). The other part was the Aggies got a new coach in Kevin Sumlin, didn’t have to play Texas anymore and the Razorbacks could stay close, but never quite manage to pull out a win.
The Aggies are, well, the Aggies and their fans will never allow them simply slip up on anybody. Their formidable (in size, money and arrogance) fan base will never allow that to happen.
The Hogs have been able to compete very well with A&M for years, even dominating the series until the last eight years when just about everything in Fayetteville around football collapsed.
Now A&M has Jimbo Fisher, one of the most over-rated coaches in college football, with a giant contract and a group of boosters not happy because he didn’t get $75 million to lose to Alabama and LSU.
The Hogs-Aggies is usually close and has come down to overtime three times in the past eight seasons … and Arkansas lost every single one of them, often in creative ways.
Even Chad Morris managed to keep things close in this game. For whatever reason, the two teams always stay close.
Now the Aggies have Kellen Mond, who has been a pain to deal with since 2017. He’s not THAT good, but has always managed to make THE play against Arkansas to pull out a win.
It will be up to Barry Odom’s defense again. Fisher’s offense is actually not that complicated as they are going to try and establish Isaiah Spiller running the ball behind one of the more experienced lines in college football.
Can Odom create some run blitzes to throw off the blocking schemes enough to let the scrambling Hogs’ defenders to force Mond into throwing on third down?
That’s the secret to slowing down the Aggies’ offense. Mond isn’t very good under pressure. There are two ways to cause that, too, with either pressure from the defensive front or coverage pressure.
The guess here is Odom has something concocted and it won’t be surprising to see Kendal Briles’ offense use the passing game to set up a running attack.
Arkansas (+14) at Texas A&M
The Aggies had a week off, too, which may have gotten the Florida win out of their system and two weeks for the Aggies’ fans to pat ’em on the back and tell ’em how great they are. There has even been College Football Playoff talk. Nothing could be more Aggie than screwing up this game. Arkansas 31, Texas A&M 27
Georgia (-17) at Kentucky
It’s about time for the Bulldogs to stumble again, but that probably won’t happen against the Wildcats who have shown flashes of being able to do something, then not being able to make that work on the field. And Georgia won’t let it happen this week, either. Georgia 35, Kentucky 14
LSU at Auburn (-1)
It’s too easy to say the Tigers will win this one, but probably not the ones that are a slight favorite. I’m not a fan of the Gus Malzahn-Chad Morris team on offense for Auburn, although my prediction Bo Nix would be in the transfer portal by Halloween didn’t happen. Auburn fans are disgruntled and horrendous replay decisions have made their record (3-2) a little deceptive because they should be 1-4 and it could be argued they have been the recipient of some favorable calls in EVERY win. LSU can score. LSU 52, Auburn 28
Ole Miss (-17.5) at Vanderbilt
Historically, the game against the Commodores usually leaves the coaches, players and fans of the Rebels upset. They have had a habit of even losing to Vandy when they should have won the game by several touchdowns. That shouldn’t be the case this year as Lane Kiffin may finally get a chance to run up some big numbers. Ole Miss 48, Vanderbilt 17
Mississippi State at Alabama (-30.5)
Minus a coronavirus test wiping out the Crimson Tide this one should be over about midway through the second quarter. The Bulldogs have internal issues while Alabama is hoping to jump to No. 1 heading into November. Alabama 52, Mississippi State 10
Missouri at Florida (-14)
Let’s see now, Dan Mullen has survived Covid after a loss to Texas A&M where he encouraged the state to allow more fans for this game. The Tigers have been a surprise this season under first-year coach Eli Drinkwitz and if this game was in Columbia I might have a different viewpoint, but this may end up as a track meet. Florida 31, Missouri 30
The 10 things you need to know before the Hogs and Aggies play
After using its bye week to get healthy, Arkansas (2-2, 2-2 SEC) returns to the field by traveling to Texas A&M (3-1, 3-1 SEC) on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 6:30 p.m. on the ESPN SEC Network.
You can hear the game here on HitThatLine.com, starting with Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft on Arkansas GameDay starting at 1:30 p.m.
The Razorback broadcast starts with the pregame show at 3:30 p.m., then the kickoff at 6:30 p.m. with Chuck Barrett and Quin Grovey.
Listen to the game at ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
10 things to know before kickoff
1. The Razorbacks captured their first home SEC win since 2016, when they defeated Ole Miss 33-21 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Oct. 17.
Arkansas scored 24 points off seven turnovers, recording six interceptions in a game for the first time since 2003 against Mississippi State, and held the Rebels 21 points under their season average.
2. Versatile sophomore WR Treylon Burks set career-highs in receptions (11), receiving yards (137) and rushing yards (46) while also making a TD grab that was the No. 1 play on SportsCenter against the Rebels.
He became one of six Razorbacks since 1997 to make at least 10 catches for over 100 yards and a touchdown in the same game.
Interestingly, four of those six performances have come from Hogs that hail from Warren, Ark., including Burks, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright (who did it twice).
Burks became the first SEC player since Tennessee’s Alvin Kamara in 2016 to record at least 130 receiving yards and 40 rushing yards in the same game.
Ahem….@ESPNAssignDesk #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/wEluRV51TQ
— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) October 17, 2020
3. Veteran WR De’Vion Warren has jumped out to a fast start in his senior campaign, leading Arkansas with three receiving touchdowns while recording the second-most receiving yards (231).
A week after earning his first career 100-yard receiving game in the upset win at No. 16 Mississippi State, Warren made a career-high five catches for 95 yards and scored two touchdowns for the first time in his career at No. 13 Auburn.
The senior’s average of 21.0 yards per reception ranks fourth in the SEC and 15th nationally.
4. Despite playing one or two fewer games than most of the nation’s leaders, Arkansas’ defense ranks first in the country with 10 interceptions, which is the most through the school’s first four games since 2000, and is tied for first nationally registering three defensive touchdowns.
The Razorbacks lead the SEC in third down conversion defense (32.4%), red zone defense (61.1%), passing efficiency defense (109.16), turnovers gained (13) and turnover margin (1.50).
Defensive coordinator Barry Odom’s unit has made an exceptional improvement from last season on third downs, lowering the opponent’s conversion rate from 45.5% to 32.4%, the 17th best mark in America.
Opposing offenses are facing an average of 7.2 yards needed to reach the line to gain on third down.
Not 1 …
Not 2 …
Not 3 …
Not 4 …
Not 5 …@RazorbackFB racked up SIX interceptions against Ole Miss ?? pic.twitter.com/0kbknjulgP— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 18, 2020
5. Senior LB Grant Morgan played the game of his career against the Rebels, recording career-highs of 19 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss with an interception return for a TD and 1.0 sack.
He became the second FBS player since 2000 to have at least 15 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss and an interception return for a touchdown.
Morgan took home SEC co-Defensive Player of the Week, Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of and Chuck Bednarik Award Player of the Week honors for his performance.
The former walk-on is fifth nationally averaging 13.0 tackles per game and his 53 total tackles are the most by a Hog in the season’s first four games (since 2000).
Bednarik Player of the Week ✔️
SEC Defensive Player of the Week ✔️
Terminator comparison ?What a week for @grantmorgan15 #WPS pic.twitter.com/FJNnSES2gk
— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) October 20, 2020
6. Walk-on redshirt freshman DB Hudson Clark has taken Razorback nation by storm this season and accomplished something no other rookie has done before in school history.
He intercepted Ole Miss QB Matt Corral three times, becoming the first SEC freshman to pick off three passes in the same game since Mississippi State’s Darren Williams in 2003 against Troy and the first Hog to ever do it.
For his performance, he was named SEC Freshman of the Week and Jim Thorpe Award Player of the Week. The Dallas native is one of two FBS players to pick off three passes in a game this season.
Coincidentally, another freshman walk-on DB, Wake Forest’s Nick Andersen, had three against No. 19 Virginia Tech.
Clark possesses the eighth-highest PFF defensive grade (80.0) in the FBS among cornerbacks who have played at least 200 snaps. The Football Writers Association of America placed Clark on its Freshman All-American Watch List.
Good morning to Hudson Clark fans and Hudson Clark fans only. pic.twitter.com/8lolvyKj8G
— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) October 18, 2020
7. Redshirt freshman DB Jalen Catalon has been a tackling machine, and his average of 11.3 tackles per game leads all FBS freshmen.
Against Ole Miss, he became the first SEC player since 2000 to post at least nine tackles with an interception return for a touchdown and a fumble recovery.
Since 2000, he is the only SEC freshman to record 45 or more tackles through the first four weeks of the season.
Along with Clark and OL Brady Latham, he was also named to the FWAA Freshman All-American Watch List.
? ???-???????? ????? ???? ?
More honors for these guys ‼️@jcatalon27, @hudclark3 & @BradyLatham62 have been named to @TheFWAA Freshman All-American Watch List ?
?: https://t.co/GcC8PuJBzQ pic.twitter.com/17re7KTSPw
— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) October 20, 2020
8. The Arkansas and Texas A&M matchup is one of the most contested games in school history, as the two were Southwest Conference rivals from 1915-91 and played every year from 1927-91.
The Razorbacks have an all-time series lead of 41-32-3 and are playing in College Station for the first time since 2012, where they hold a 17-14-1 advantage.
The last six matchups have been played at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, with three of those games needing overtime to decide a winner.
Arkansas is in search of its first win at Kyle Field since a memorable Nov. 24, 1989 victory when the No. 9 Razorbacks took down the No. 14 Aggies, 23-22, locking up the Southwest Conference title and a Cotton Bowl berth.
Current Arkansas radio analyst, then-QB Quinn Grovey, rushed for a 25-yard score on the opening drive and engineered the game-winning drive, which was capped off by a Barry Foster two-yard plunge into the end zone, securing a 23-20 lead with 2:52 remaining.
9. The ghosts of Halloween have played nice to Arkansas through the years, as the Hogs are 11-6-1 and have not lost on the final day of spooky season since 1942.
Arkansas posted exactly 63 points in each of its last two games on Halloween, overmatching UT Martin 63-28 in 2015 and Eastern Michigan 63-27 in 2009.
The Aggies are the Hogs most common Halloween opponent with Arkansas holding a 5-2 advantage in Oct. 31 battles. Texas A&M handed Arkansas its last Halloween loss in 1942, 41-0, but Arkansas followed by winning the next four spooky meetings against the Aggies.
Arkansas’ first-ever matchup against the Aggies was also it’s first on Halloween, a 6-0 setback in 1903, when the forward pass was illegal and both touchdowns and field goals were worth five points.
10. Just like the Razorbacks, Texas A&M is coming into this weekend’s game after a bye week, and before the break, defeated Mississippi State, 28-14.
The Aggies are led by senior QB Kellen Mond, who has the most passing yards in school history (8,363) and needs 267 yards of offense to supplant Johnny Manziel (9,986) as the school’s record holder.
Texas A&M’s offensive line has only surrendered two sacks, which is one of the top marks in the country among teams that have played four games.
The Aggies defense surrenders an average of 75.5 rushing yards per game, ranking seventh in the FBS and second in the SEC.
Clarksburg, W. Va., native Jimbo Fisher is in his third season as head coach and is 20-10 in College Station.
