FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For a moment, it looked like Arkansas might finally snap its long drought against Texas A&M.
Taylen Green gave the Razorbacks every chance, accounting for five touchdowns in a 45-42 loss that left the home crowd both exhausted and encouraged.
In the first meeting between the two teams in Fayetteville since 2013, Arkansas went toe-to-toe with the No. 4 Aggies before a final onside-kick recovery sealed their fate.
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another, but the story from the Arkansas sideline was about fight and flashes of improvement under interim coach Bobby Petrino.
Green, Washington power the Razorback offense
Green’s day showed what Arkansas’ offense could become when it hits rhythm.
The junior transfer completed 21 of 32 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 89 yards and two scores.
His dual-threat play kept A&M’s defense guessing and turned broken plays into first downs.
“We just kept battling,” Green said. “Coach Petrino’s been telling us all week that we were close to breaking through, and we felt it tonight.”
Running back Mike Washington backed him up with his best performance of the year — 147 yards on 15 carries — helping Arkansas pile up 527 yards of total offense and 268 on the ground.
Texas A&M had allowed just 107 rushing yards per game coming in. By the end of Saturday, Arkansas averaged 8.4 yards per carry against one of the SEC’s best defensive fronts.
Petrino’s offense finds its footing
For Petrino, returning to the Razorback Stadium sideline as head coach again was emotional — and productive.
His offense mixed tempo, pre-snap motion and option reads to stretch A&M horizontally and vertically. The Razorbacks scored on three straight second-half drives to close the gap to 38-35.
“Coach Petrino’s calling was spot-on,” said tight end Jaden Platt. “We trusted the plan and just tried to execute. It felt like every drive we had something working.”
Even in defeat, the Razorbacks showed balance and creativity that had been missing earlier in the season.
Arkansas (2-5, 0-3 SEC) entered the game averaging just 21.8 points but nearly doubled that total against the conference’s last undefeated team.
Defense shows strain against Reed and Aggies
The defensive side told a different story. A&M repeatedly exploited missed fits and open lanes, turning short gains into big plays.
Reed’s 55-yard touchdown scramble in the third quarter highlighted Arkansas’ struggles to contain him outside the pocket.
“We didn’t do a good job keeping him hemmed in,” linebacker Brad Spence said. “He’s fast, and once he got loose, it’s tough to recover.”
Aggie receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman caught four passes for 83 yards, and KC Concepcion added 53 yards and a score. Texas A&M converted seven of nine full drives into points, keeping constant pressure on Arkansas’ secondary.
Petrino credited the Aggies’ quarterback for making the difference.
“He’s really grown this season,” Petrino said. “You can tell he’s got command of their offense, and he made the big plays when he needed to.”
Late push falls short
Trailing by 10 late in the fourth quarter, Green led a 75-yard drive capped by a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Luke Hasz.
But the ensuing onside kick was recovered by A&M, ending Arkansas’ comeback bid.
It was the 13th loss in the last 14 meetings for the Razorbacks against their former Southwest Conference rival, though Saturday’s version felt different.
Instead of being overwhelmed, Arkansas traded punches with a playoff contender until the final seconds.
“We’ve got to learn to finish,” Green said. “But we showed we can move the ball on anybody.”
Weather delay, but no letdown
Kickoff was delayed nearly two hours because of thunderstorms across northwest Arkansas, pushing the start to 4:30 p.m.
Once the skies cleared, so did the Razorbacks’ offensive frustrations.
The delay didn’t appear to disrupt momentum; if anything, it seemed to energize a team trying to reset its season.
Fans who waited out the storms saw the Razorbacks deliver their most complete offensive performance of the year.
What it means moving forward
Arkansas’ record doesn’t tell the full story. The Razorbacks have lost four games by one score and are still looking for their first SEC win, but Petrino’s system is beginning to click.
If the defense can tighten up and reduce explosive plays, the final month could offer a chance to rebuild momentum heading into November.
For A&M, the win kept its perfect season intact at 7-0 and moved the Aggies another step closer to Atlanta.
But the Razorbacks made them work for every yard.
“We’ve got to clean up a lot,” A&M coach Mike Elko said. “Arkansas gave us everything we could handle.
They ran hard and executed at a high level.”
The Razorbacks left frustrated, but not defeated. Petrino’s offense looked dangerous again, Green flashed leadership, and the running game re-emerged as a strength.
If those trends continue, Arkansas could turn the corner before season’s end.
Key takeaways
- Taylen Green and Mike Washington combined for over 230 rushing yards in Arkansas’ best offensive showing of the season.
- Bobby Petrino’s play-calling produced 527 yards and a near-upset of undefeated Texas A&M.
- Defensive misfits and missed tackles cost Arkansas in crucial moments.
