Get to Know Arkansas:
- Location: Fayetteville, AR
- Established: 1871
- Enrollment: 32,140
- Mascot: Razorbacks
- Colors: Cardinal and white
- Conference: SEC (duh)
What You Need to Know:
- Texas A&M is 6-0 (3-0) and ranked No. 4 in the country. This is the first time A&M has started a season 6-0 since 2016.
- Arkansas is 2-4 (0-2) and coming of another frustratingly close loss to Tennessee in Knoxville.
- Arkansas ranks No. 115 nationally in both rushing defense and passing defense, and will go up against an A&M offense that is No. 34 in rushing and No. 36 in passing. On the other side of the ball, A&M is No. 22 against the run and No. 38 against the pass, while a stout Arkansas offense is No. 17 in rushing and No. 18 passing.
Betting Lines:
- The Aggies are a 7.5-point favorite
- The over/under is 61.5.
Historical Notes:
- Arkansas leads the all-time series 42-36-3, however the Aggies are 12-1 against the Hogs since joining the SEC.
- Former Arkansas head coach and former A&M OC Bobby Petrino is roaming the sidelines once again as the Hogs’ interim head coach following the firing of Sam Pittman.
- This is the first year this game has been played in Fayetteville since 2013, with the contract for the game to be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington expiring after last season.
- Famous Arkansas alumni include John Daly, Jerry Jones, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Pat Summerall, John Tyson (of Tyson Foods) and some Waltons.
What To Watch For:
- Look-ahead spot?: Arkansas has played a lot of close games this season, but their 2-4 record and A&M’s recent history of dominance doesn’t make them look particularly threatening. With a game in Death Valley the following week, human nature could easily see the Ags looking ahead slightly, so it will be up to Mike Elko and his staff to maintain he team’s focus on the task at hand.
- POINTS!: Arkansas has had one of the top offenses in the country, but one of the worst defenses. It’s reasonable to assume both teams will move the ball and score some points in this one, so it will be up to the A&M defense to be the one who makes more plays to contain the other team and get stops.
- Petrino revenge spot: Bobby Petrino’s stint in Aggieland was short, but now that he’s running the show, I’m sure he’ll have no shortage of desire to stick it to his former employer with a few new wrinkles.
Media Blitz:
- Venue: Reynolds Razorback Stadium (Fayetteville, AR)
- Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18
- TV: ESPN
Weather:
- Scattered showers and thunderstorms. High 78F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
