Hogs' Offense Can't Sleep On Texas A&M's Defense
Every year in Jerry World feels like decade for both Texas A&M and Arkansas. Why should this year be any different, huh?
The No. 16 Razorbacks (3-0) will travel to Arlington, Texas to face off against the No. 7 Aggies in the Southwest Classic. Naturally, Sam Pittman's squad should feel content on where they sit against teams from the Lone Star State.
Even in a battle of the first half, the Hogs' offense was able to tally 373 yards in a win over Rice. Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium was rocking behind a national attention-grabbing 333 yards rushing in a dominant win over then-No. 15 Texas.
That's great. Texas A&M's defense is a different type of challenge for Arkansas. Their nucleus of key players alone would drive any team in the SEC crazy.
Oh yeah, that's just four names. What about the other 14 to 16 players that contribute to Mike Elko's unit?
“I think we care about the process more than the results,” A&M senior safety Leon O’Neal said. “I think if you go in and think about the results, you try to do more than what you are supposed to do, which is do your job to do a job and do it fast.
READ MORE: Young QB surrounded by NFL-Level Talent: Texas A&M offensive Players
O'Neal, who currently ranks third among SEC players in interceptions with two, is one of the core names for the 12th Man defense. In Week 1 of the new season, his 85-yard touchdown interception returned a touchdown propelled a 31-7 second half win over Kent State.
Again, he's just one of the key stars. Others like defensive end Michael Clemons, cornerback Myles Jones and nickel defender Antonio Johnson all have been breakout stars. Of course, they all play second fiddle to do-it-all defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal, the 6-foot-7 defender who lines up all across the trenches.
So far this season, he has 13 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. As a team, A&M hasn't allowed a point since the first quarter of Week 2 against Colorado. In 12 quarters, they've allowed 17 total points total.
Not bad, huh?
"I love their defense," Pittman said. "Going into this season, I think part of the reason A&M was ranked so high obviously coming off of such a great year they had last year, a lot of it has to do with that defense.
Pittman said that sometimes size can prevent a defensive line from being able to win at the line of scrimmage in pass-rushing sets. Sometimes speed can have defenders moving too quick, allowing running backs and quarterbacks to evade the pressure a pick up the extra yards.
READ MORE: No Scoring Allowed: Texas A&M Defensive Players to Watch v. Arkansas
When watching the tape, Pittman hoped to see if the Aggies were weak in one of those areas. Nope, just a strong as last season when A&M finished 9-1 with a top 10 defense.
"They were difficult for me when I was at Georgia as the offensive line coach," said Pittman. "This is an SEC football team that is physical, put together and it starts on both sides of the ball."
With A&M still working out the kinks on the offensive line and at quarterback with redshirt sophomore Zach Calzada, the defense has stepped up ten fold. The "Wrecking Crew 2.0" did enough to allow Calzada ample time to find the end zone once in a 10-7 victory over Colorado.
The following week, they held former Kentucky QB Terry Wilson to 33 passing yards and New Mexico's rushing attack to 89 yards on the ground. If that's not enough, A&M's special teams is quite special too.
Punter Nik Constantinou took home SEC special teams player of the week honors after averaging 45.5 yards per punt and downing all four inside the 20-yard line.
“This is the beginning,” Leal said Saturday. “It’s the start of us rising as a whole.
“It was a complete game, and we’re all on the same page. We started the game fast and finished it strong. It doesn’t matter who was in the game. So I say that’s just the first improvement.”
Currently, the Aggies Texas lead the nation in pass defense (77.3 yards per game), points allowed per game (5.7ppg) and is ninth in total defense (239.3 ypg).
READ MORE: Sam Pittman on 'Respect' for Highly-Ranked Aggies, Previews Game
It's not just veteran talent either that's thriving. The youth movement is in full swing as well. Top cornerback Jaylon Jones is a sophomore, as is nose tackle McKinnley Jackson and Johnson. Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who recorded the game-sealing interception against New Mexico, also is in his second season.
Arkansas' offense has put up 123 points in three games against two Group of 5 schools and a Big 12 roster. This is SEC football, and perhaps the top defense in the conference by the season's end.
Anyone expecting a similar type of outing in Arlington might want to think again. Scoring more than one touchdown should be considered an accomplishment Saturday afternoon.
"They're really, really, good on the defensive front," Pittman said.
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