Texas A&M’s 34-17 victory over Florida marks six straight wins, thanks in large part to the play of the offensive and defensive lines of the Aggies. Now, Texas A&M heads to Fayetteville for the first time since 2013 to take on a Razorback squad under interim head coach Bobby Petrino.
Let’s talk about what the Aggies need in the trenches to keep the momentum going.
Offensive Line
Texas A&M outgained Florida 183 to 77 on the ground and didn’t allow Marcel Reed to be sacked a single time. Those types of numbers lend
themselves to wins more often than not. Perhaps most encouraging was the Aggies not racking up a ton of penalty yards on the offensive line. If Texas A&M can keep that up, it can be a threat to anyone.
In Arkansas, they face a defense that ranks near the bottom in every category. Of particular note, Arkansas ranks dead last in the SEC in rushing yards allowed per game with 184. With that in mind, when Texas A&M’s offense is on the field, I expect them to lean heavily on the offensive line in the run game, even without Le’Veon Moss.
Win on the early downs, and the offense should have it easy, but Arkansas also doesn’t excel at rushing the passer. In short, Texas A&M’s offensive line should be able to handle an Arkansas defensive line that struggles against the run and in rushing the passer.
Defensive Line
While the Aggie offensive line has a clear edge on paper, the Arkansas offense represents a much stiffer challenge for the defensive line. This game comes down to how the Texas A&M defensive line handles Taylen Green.
Green is a dual-threat quarterback in the truest sense of the word. He can do serious damage with both his arm and legs, especially when he scrambles. This means the Texas A&M defensive line will need to be extremely disciplined in their pass rush lanes. You want to pressure Green, but you also have to keep him contained by forming a solid perimeter around him. The Aggies also need to be sure in their tackling. Green excels at evading pressure, and if Texas A&M can’t get him to the ground, it could be a long day.
The Hogs also rank second in rushing yards per game in the SEC, meaning winning on early downs will be a strong challenge as well. Under Petrino, the Razorbacks excel at scheming up yards before contact. Playing assignment football will be of the utmost importance against the best offense the Aggies have faced since Notre Dame.
Ultimately, I think this unit rises to the challenge, but it will be far from easy. Keep an eye on some trickery from Petrino as well. Discipline is the name of the game this weekend against Arkansas.
