Texas A&M ended its disappointing two-game losing streak Saturday night, defeating Arkansas 34-7 and looking much better on both sides of the ball, especially on defense, where the Aggies allowed just 212 yards and seven points. Led by a stout rushing attack, freshman running back KJ Edwards ran for a career-high 66 yards and two touchdowns, making it known that he is up for a challenge.
Starting quarterback Marcel Reed was much more efficient in the pocket, throwing for 170 yards and rushing for 66 with a touchdown, and averaging 8.9 yards per completion. Accuracy-wise, Reed still has a ways to go, but if Texas A&M continues to run the ball well and keep Reed clean in the pocket, the offense can control the clock and set up play-action opportunities
for Reed.
On defense, Texas A&M's pass rush is still problematic, but against the Razorbacks, sophomore Edge Marco Jones recorded the team's lone sack and six pressures, thanks to coach Mike Elko and DC Lyle Hemphill utilizing more twists & stunts to free up the litany of pass rushers on the roster.
Texas A&M will now face Missouri, which rose 11 spots to No. 14 in the latest AP Top 25 rankings after blowing out Florida 45-17 at home. Heading back to Columbia for the second straight season, the Aggies will need to match their performance against Arkansas to have any chance of earning a season-defining road win.
Per ESPN FPI, Missouri is only a slight home favorite (51.6%) to defeat Texas A&M (48.4%), which may surprise some and could change later in the week, but the SEC has been a rollercoaster ride with little continuity for teams earning big wins the previous week.
Texas A&M will face Missouri on the road at 11:00 a.m., airing on ABC.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: ESPN FPI predicts Texas A&M vs. Missouri in Week 6
