Arkansas visits Texas A&M on Saturday in College Station. Here are your three keys to a Razorback victory.
By Don Yates
1. Stop Kellen Mond
The Aggies have a gem in quarterback Kellen Mond. Mond is the all-time A&M leader in passing yards, completions and attempts. He’s one of only two players in Aggie history to pass for 7,000 yards and run for 1,000 yards, Johnny Manziel being the other. Mond is the glue that holds the Texas A&M offense together. Arkansas has to get some pressure on him to prevent completed passes and also keep him from taking off for big gains by running.
2. Better rushing
Arkansas is the second-worst team in the SEC at running. The Hogs are averaging just over 100 yards per game. They’ve managed to score just one rushing touchdown this season. To beat a team like Texas A&M, the Razorbacks are going to have to get more production out of their running game. This key isn’t all on the running backs, of course. The blockers also have a big responsibility in helping the Hogs increase their rushing output.
3. Protect the quarterback
One biggest drive killers a team can get is a sack. Often this is blamed on the offensive line but the O-line isn’t the only players that have to block. Receivers and running backs also have blocking responsibilities. The Texas A&M defense is fifth in the league at sacks per game, getting healthy 2.5 a game. Arkansas is third from the bottom of the league in sacks per game allowed (2.75). This could be a recipe for trouble on Saturday. The hog blockers need to be on their toes. In a close game giving up 2 or 3 sacks could swing the game to A&M.
Saturday‘s game kicks off at 6:30 PM CT (7:30 PM ET). You can watch this game on the SEC Network.
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