Texas A&M hits the road for the first time in SEC play this Saturday, traveling to Fayetteville for the first time in over a decade to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. As the Ags look to stay undefeated
on the season, we reached out to Jacob Davis of Hogs on SI to get some insight on where the Hogs stand with an interim head coach headed into this one. Thanks to Jacob for taking the time to give us a bit more insight heading into this Saturday’s matchup.
Good Bull Hunting: Obviously things have not gone according to plan in Fayetteville, as evidenced by the firing of Sam Pittman. But every loss but one has been agonizingly close, including last week against Tennessee. Given that, what’s the current vibe of the program?
Jacob Davis: There’s different vibes for the program, whether that be among the fanbase, coaching staff and team. On one hand, players are holding onto the rope under Petrino as they played hard for him and found themselves in contention for an upset… which gives fans a glimmer of hope the Bobby Petrino might be able to turn the corner with this team. However, if the one score losses continue along with the bonehead turnovers things could turn sideways quickly over the next seven weeks.
GBH: Petrino once again being the Arkansas head coach is a story you couldn’t write even if you tried. How are Hog fans about having him running the show, and how many new wrinkles do you think he’ll have dialed up for his former employer in College Station?
JD: There’s a group of Razorback fans who are full on supporting him being back in command after 14 seasons. While it was odd how things fell following his termination it was cool seeing him stroll the sidelines last week, kind of an old school feel. Others are ready to move on from this whole era of Arkansas football and find new blood. This group of people believe he’s back to undo the curse he poured upon the Hogs back in April 2012. As for any new wrinkles, I doubt we’ll see anything different schematics wise. But, I do expect there to be some different stuff up front to prevent the Aggies DL from wreaking havoc.
GBH: While we do play again in 2026, it’s a bit sad that this is the final year of A&M/Arkansas as an official every-year opponent. Even with the series being pretty lopsided in A&M’s favor as SEC foes, what are Hog fans overall feelings toward the Aggies?
JD: I haven’t really heard one way or another about the rivalry ending, honestly. Personally, it’s probably a sigh of relief considering how the Razorbacks have lost to Texas A&M in any way possible since 2012.
GBH: Our long national nightmare at AT&T Stadium is over, and A&M will travel to Fayetteville for the first time in 12 years this Saturday. Just how hostile an environment are the Aggies walking into?
JD: I think there’ll be a reasonably big crowd considering it’ll be Petrino’s first game inside the Stadium as Arkansas’ coach since that fateful incident. Darren McFadden will be in town as the school honors his contributions as one of the all-time greats. I expect the place to be rocking, loud as always for a SEC opponent. Now, if things get out of hand quickly…. that’s another story.
GBH: Taylen Green has been a bright spot statistically, but how does this offense function overall, and who are the the other names A&M fans should be aware of on that side of the ball?
JD: O’Mega Blake is a big time YAC guy while Raylen Sharpe joins him as a solid 1-2 punch at receiver. Watch out for TE Rohan Jones. He can fly, brings sticky hands and a big time gamer when the lights are bright
Arkansas brings a pound the rock, physical up front rushing attack and Mike Washington is a guy to keep tabs on after rushing for 138 yards and a TD against Tennessee. He’s been very consistent.
GBH: Conversely, it appears the Arkansas defense has had its share of struggles this season. What have been the highs and lows of that unit, and who are the standout players?
JD: Defensively, there haven’t been too many highs that I can think of due to lack of effort. Last week against Tennessee, guys seemed to flying to the ball and cut down on missed tackles. There wasn’t as much loafing down the field which indicates the defense is bought into improving down the stretch. Cam Ball and Quincy Rhodes are your guys up front to keep an eye on. They’ll play the majority of the snaps. At linebacker Stephen Dix and Xavian Sorey will play roles in run support. They’ll duo play extremely well feeding off each other’s energy. On the back end, Julian Neal has been the Hogs most consistent defensive back. He’ll probably line up on Mario mostly and try to trim A&M’s explosive plays down.
GBH: Alright, give me your official game prediction, and how you see this one playing out.
JD: I think the game will be close for most of the day, but I’ll say 42-31 final score. The Razorbacks’ defense bends often as the Aggies find ways to stretch its lead enough to feel safe in the fourth quarter. QB Taylen Green has struggled with the turnovers recently. If he can avoid the same type of bug as last week at Tennessee, then this game on Saturday could be another thriller.
