The annual Southwest Classic between the Arkansas Razorbacks (1-3, SEC 0-1) and the Texas A&M Aggies (2-2, 0-1) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, pits current SEC West foes seeking a much-needed win while trying to establish an identity under first-year head coaches. When Bret Bielema ruled the sidelines for the Hogs in a pro-style set and Kevin Sumlin was guiding the Aggies in a spread attack, the opposing styles offered a dynamic showdown for college football fans. While the schemes have flipped under Chad Morris for the Hogs and Jimbo Fisher for A&M, the opposing styles may still give a thrill to the college football faithful. The Razorbacks struggled on offense last season, averaging 373 total yards per game through the SEC West schedule. Under new offensive guru Morris, with just one SEC game played, the Hogs are averaging 374 yards per game with the likes of Alabama, LSU and Mississippi State still left to play. Between Morris and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock, the Hogs seem confused on which plays to call with the personnel on offense. That confusion held QB Ty Storey to 141 passing yards and one interception against Auburn in a 34-3 loss last time out. After a strong showing in a 28-26 loss in Week 2 against No. 2 Clemson, the Aggies ran into a buzzsaw on the road against No. 1 Alabama, losing 45-23. On a positive note, the Aggies offense generated 263 passing yards between starter Kellen Mond and backup Nick Starkel. On the downside, the Aggies running backs could muster only 32 yards on 10 carries between Trayveon Williams and Jashaun Corbin. The stat column was bailed out by Mond’s 18 carries for 98 yards and a score. Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (Arlington, Texas) Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 29 at 12 p.m. ET Where: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) TV: ESPN Spread: Texas A&M -21 Three Things to Watch 1. Texas A&M’s rushing attack The Aggies are going to be hard-pressed to win games in the SEC without a rushing attack beyond their dual-threat quarterback. Statistically, Williams is off to a good start with 430 yards gained and four touchdowns, but the stats are padded from contests against Northwestern State and ULM. Against Clemson and Alabama, he posted exactly 31 yards in both games. The Hogs have the seventh-best run defense in the nation, holding teams to 88 yards per game on average and limited Auburn to 91 yards. The Southwest Classic is a good measuring stick for the Aggies’ offense against their old defensive coordinator John Chavis. 2. Arkansas’ passing offense Between Ty Storey and Cole Kelley, the Arkansas passing attack is averaging 211 yards per game; that’s the good news. When it counts, though, the Hogs are converting third-down opportunities only 30 percent of the time and have just one red zone passing touchdown this season. Storey has thrown three picks this year, while Kelley has thrown four; there is the rub. Morris and Craddock are having difficulties adjusting their schemes and play calling to the abilities on the roster. They have an opportunity to turn that around this week. Despite having great talent up front with Landis Durham and Kingsley Keke, the A&M defense is allowing 292 passing yards per game, an opportunity the Hogs need to exploit. 3. The Kellen Mond effect Kellen Mond is a one-man offensive force of nature capable of taking over games by himself. The knock on Mond last season was his inability to throw accurately. Mond is fourth in the SEC in total passing yards with 1,020 yards, just 13 yards behind Alabama media darling Tua Tagovailoa, with seven touchdowns against two picks. Mond has also upped his completion percentage from 52 a year ago to 59 this season. If there is a knock on the Razorbacks defense this year, it's pass defense. They are allowing 259 passing yards per game. In years past, they have had trouble stopping running quarterbacks. A year ago, Mond rushed for a team-high 109 yards and threw for 216 yards with two touchdowns in a 50-43 overtime win against Arkansas. Final Analysis Looking ahead at the schedule, this is a must-win game for A&M, especially against a team seemingly destined for the SEC West cellar. The Aggies get the upstart Kentucky Wildcats next, followed by three road games against South Carolina, Mississippi State and Auburn with home games against Ole Miss, UAB and LSU to wrap up the schedule. Life is not going to get any easier for the Aggies going forward. A win over Arkansas and UAB gets A&M to four wins with two more needed for a bowl game. The Aggies have won six in a row over the Razorbacks. Look for Jimbo Fisher to add to the streak for A&M with a seventh. Prediction: Texas A&M 35, Arkansas 10 — Written by Ryan Wright, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network and an established media professional with more than two decades' worth of experience and is a member of the FWAA. Over the years, Wright has written for numerous sites and publications and has his own recruiting site, www.recruitingnewsguru.com. Follow him on Twitter @RyanWrightRNG.<doc-sep>Texas A&M football heads to Arlington for a matchup with the Arkansas Razorbacks; here are five bold predictions for the game. Jimbo Fisher is still looking for his first conference win after Texas A&M football was handed a dose of reality by the Alabama machine last weekend. He might get it as soon as this weekend as the Aggies take on Arkansas, who has just one win on the season despite a favorable schedule. Fisher’s squad is 2-2 with two blowout wins over inferior opponents and two losses to the top two teams in the country. They generated some buzz with their tough-fought loss to Clemson at home in Week 2 — enough to get them into the Top 25 prior to Week 4. That got erased with the performance at Alabama, even though the Aggies covered the ridiculously high spread. A&M go from near four-touchdown underdogs to near three-touchdown favorites over Arkansas in the span of a week in conference play (has that ever happened? ). Arkansas comes into the game after a three-week stretch they would just as soon forget. First, they blew a 27-9 third quarter lead at Colorado State. Then, they got smacked around by North Texas in their own stadium. The final nail in the coffin was a 34-3 drubbing by Auburn in which the Razorbacks actually out-gained the Tigers in total yards. Texas A&M is currently a big favorite at -20.5, which speaks to how poorly Arkansas has played this season. Seriously, just look at their stats from this season and it tells the whole story. However, this is the SEC and no opponent should be taken lightly. Fisher had better keep the team ready for anything. There is a chance this one gets ugly early, so here are five bold predictions for the game.<doc-sep>Texas A&M beat Arkansas on Saturday in Arkansas, 24-17. The game played out differently than every other game between these two in the last half-decade, with the notable exceptions of the location and the result: AT&T Stadium and a Texas A&M win. In previous years, these games had all been the same. But this year’s A&M win broke the script of the last five years of A&M-Arkansas games, as outlined here: These games are all played at JERRY WORLD. This part stayed the same: five years in a row. These games are supposed to be high-scoring. The teams averaged 35.2 points against each other in the previous four years. Not this time. There are supposed to be many lead changes. Last year’s game had seven, and 2015’s had four. But this one didn’t have any after the opening kickoff There was no overtime. There had been three times in the prior four years. Arkansas didn’t lose the turnover battle this time, as had been custom. Arkansas didn’t put up many rushing yards, after going over 200 the last four years. Arkansas didn’t give up that many yards, period. A&M had gone over 500 yards in four of five seasons against the Hogs, but didn’t here. A&M’s always won. It did again here. A&M wasn’t breaking in a new QB for this year’s meeting, as it had previously: ( Johnny Manziel , Kenny Hill , Kyle Allen , Trevor Knight , Kellen Mond ). This time, Mond started again, though this is his first season as A&M’s undisputed starter. Arkansas didn’t blow a lead en route to losing, as it had so often previously: 28-14 in the fourth quarter in 2014, 21-13 in the fourth quarter in 2015, 7-0 in the second quarter in 2016, and both 21-7 in the first and 43-40 in the final seconds of regulation in 2017. This wasn’t Arkansas’ first SEC game, like it usually has been. So this time, the Aggies dropped the Hogs to 0-2 in conference instead of a mere 0-1. It appeared, for a while, like A&M would run away with this game. Jashaun Corbin returned the Hogs’ game-opening kickoff 100 yards. The Aggies piled on another touchdown on a 79-play drive six minutes later to go up 14-0. They added a field goal early in the second quarter, while Arkansas’ offense did nothing but sputter. But A&M cooled off badly after getting out to its big lead. The next four Aggie drives after going up 17-0 went like this: 10 plays, 45 yards, interception Six plays, 55 yards, missed field goal Six plays, 11 yards, punt Three plays, 4 yards, punt Seth Small’s two missed field goals in that spell were from 36 and 33 yards, including one at the expiration of the first half. His problems were key in giving Arkansas a shot. A seven-play, 61-yard touchdown drive to make it 24-10 with five minutes left gave the Aggies insurance they needed. Arkansas answered with a quick TD drive after that to cut the lead back to a touchdown, then got a stop and took the ball again with 1:51 left. Donovan Wilson intercepted Ty Storey’s throw deep down the right sideline to officially end any hopes the Hogs might’ve had of a late comeback. Arkansas in 1-4 and looks strikingly like the worst team in the SEC, despite putting up a good fight against a more talented opponent here.<doc-sep>
Texas A&M faces off against former Southwest Conference foe Arkansas from AT&T Stadium. It will be a 11:00 a.m. CST kick off on ESPN. Here's the link to the game on Junction. WATCH/LISTEN/STATS Arkansas RB Devwah Whaley has a concussion and will not be playing. Former A&M signee Rakeem Boyd will be starting for the Razorbacks in his place. A&M safety Keldrick Carper was in warm ups and will be playing today. A&M has outgained Arkansas 242 to 71 and outrushed them 124 to 9. 15 first downs to 3 in A&M's favor. However, two interceptions from Mond have helped keep Arkansas in the game. FOURTH QUARTER - A&M wins 24-17 We head into the fourth with the Hogs facing 3rd and 6. Seth Small missed from 33 yards out with 9:33 to go and so Arkansas gets the ball back with a chance to tie. An Arkansas hands to the face penalty ket the drive alive for A&M. Arkansas is flagged for a hands to the face penalty which helps A&M complete a 7 play, 61 yard drive that was capped off by a four yard run by Williams with 5:03 to go. A&M now up 24-10. Arkansas goes 75 yards in just six plays and 1:47. Storey hits Mike Woods for a 29 yards touchdown and with 3:16 to go Arkansas has all three time out left. Texas A&M is facing a third and eight from its own 43 yard line. If Arkansas gets the stop they get the ball back but they have no time outs remaining. They get the stop and Arkansas has the ball back at its own 26 yard line with 1:51 left. Arkansas gets two first downs but Donovan Wilson picks off a deep throw down the sideline with a minute to go and this one will go in the books. THIRD QUARTER - A&M 17, Arkansas 10 A nine play, 44 yard drive to start the half results in a 44 yard field goal by Connor Limpert. The big play was a 25 yard run by Boyd. A&M gets the ball back and converts a third and one but penalties and a sack push them back and the Hogs will get the ball back with a chance to tie. However, A&M's defensive line play forces a punt. SECOND QUARTER - A&M 17, Arkansas 7 at the half A&M goes 48 yards in 7 plays, 2:36 taken off of the clock. Seth Small kicks a 30 yard field goal to put the Aggies up 17-0 with 12:36 to go in the second. Arkansas has -3 yards of total offense and no first downs. Arkansas finally gets it going with two passes to TE Cheyenne O'Grady totaling 53 yards. QB Cole Kelley comes in and handles a bad snap on third and goal from the one to get the Hogs' first touchdown. A&M 17-7. Aggies on the move again and they just converted a fourth and one from their own 45 yard line. Under 6:00 to go in the half. A&M hits Jace Sternberger for 26 yards and gets into Arkansas territory. However, Mond throws his second pick of the day to Greenlaw and Arkansas takes over at its own 23 yard line with about 3:00 left. A&M has a first and ten at the Arkansas 20 yard line with 0:05 left in the half. Small has the first miss of his career and so A&M will take a 17-7 lead into the half. Arkansas gets the ball to start the third quarter. FIRST QUARTER - A&M 14, Arkansas 0 A&M's Jashaun Corbin takes the opening kickoff 100 yards to the house for a touchdown. It's 7-0 and Arkansas then proceeds to go three and out on its first possession. A&M then goes 79 yards in nine plays. There were multiple big plays among them runs by Kellen Mond and Trayveon Williams as well as a 15 yard penalty for pass interference. Williams takes it from the one. It's 14-0 A&M with 8:36 left in the period. Mond throws an interception to Dre Greenlaw at Arkansas' 49 on their next possession after a three and out. Hogs really need to find a way to get back in this one. However, the Hogs go three and out A&M gets the ball back at its own 19.