Texas A&M defense helps propel Aggies to SW Classic win over Arkansas
The Texas A&M defense had seven sacks, 15 tackles for loss and gave up only 174 total yards to Arkansas on the Aggies’ way to a 34-22 victory over the Razorbacks in the 2023 Southwest Classic on Saturday at Cowboys AT&T Stadium Saturday.
DALLAS — The Texas A&M defense had seven sacks, 15 tackles for loss and gave up only 174 total yards to Arkansas on the Aggies’ way to a 34-22 victory over the Razorbacks in the 2023 Southwest Classic on Saturday at Cowboys AT&T Stadium Saturday.
A&M quarterback Max Johnson threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns and gained 57 yards on the ground, despite turning the ball over three times in the second half. A&M Linebacker Chris Russell Jr. also returned an interception 16 yards for a touchdown, and Ainias Smith returned a punt 82 yards for a late touchdown to push the Texas A&M lead to 34-16.
Arkansas (2-3 overall, 0-2 in Southeastern Conference play) took its only lead at 3-0 on the first drive of the game. Kicker Cam Little finished off the 8:15 drive with a 52-yard field goal. It would be the Razorbacks only lead of the game. The Aggies (4-1, 2-0) took just more than four minutes to drive 75 yards for the go-ahead score. Johnson hit Evan Stewart from 32 yards out and A&M took a 7-3 lead.
K.J. Jefferson hit Raheim Sanders for a 38-yard gain on third and 10 to set Arkansas up with a first down at the A&M 23yard line. The drive stalled inside the 10-yard line, and the Razorbacks settled for Little’s 25-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 7-6.
After an A&M field goal pushed the lead to 10-6, Arkansas had a fourth down and less than a yard to go on their own 40, but were stopped short and A&M went in for the score, a 2-yard pass from Johnson to Earnest Crownover to push the lead to 17-6 at halftime.
Arkansas kicked off to start the second half. On Johnson’s first pass, defensive back Lorando Johnson picked it off and returned it for a touchdown to get the Razorbacks within 17-13. After another Razorback field goal by Little, A&M went three-and-out and Arkansas was in business trailing only 20-16 late in the third quarter. On second-and five, a tipped pass went to Russell Jr., and he returned it for the score and a 27-16 lead for the Aggies.
After several punts and a A&M missed field goal, Arkansas went three-and-out, and Smith returned the punt for the score to push the advantage to 34-16 with 5:48 left to play.
Jefferson hit Andrew Armstrong from 48 yards out for the final score.
“Physically, they dominated us on the edge,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “They did exactly what we thought they would do. They (the Aggies) were very aggressive. (Their) quarterback is a good player. He’s (the) one we lost to last year, but I think he took whatever we were giving him and did a nice job.”
Jefferson finished 9-of-17 for 132 yards, a TD and an interception. Sanders led the team with 34 yards rushing, and Armstrong had 78 yards receiving.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Hogs as they travel to Mississippi and Alabama the next two weeks.
