Arkansas' Top Mission?: Stop Texas A&M RB Devon Achane
It's really simple for Arkansas if you break it down. Then again, stopping a speed demon like Devon Achane isn't an easy task.
Ask Kent State, Colorado and New Mexico how they fared? Want to go a step further, how about talk to North Carolina last January?
The 5-foot-9 running back basically won the Orange Bowl himself for the No. 7 Aggies (3-0) on the way to a 9-1 season in 2020.
“They’re an SEC-style offense, so they want to run the ball,” linebacker Bumper Pool said of the Aggies.
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Pool isn't wrong. A&M's best asset is its ability to run the football down the throat of opponents.
Isaiah Spiller is coming off his first 1,000 yard season and currently ranks sixth in SEC rushing yards with 250. His 18-yard reception touchdown against Colorado also sealed a victory for A&M in Denver, Colo.
Achane, though, is different. If Spiller is thunder, Achane is lighting. And if lightning doesn't strike twice in the same spot, he's going to find a multitude of running lanes to turn on the jets and let it fly.
For the No. 16 Razorbacks (3-0), Achane is the player to follow. The status of slot receiver Ainias Smith is now questionable after suffering an undisclosed injury in the second quarter against New Mexico.
Much like Smith, A&M coach Jimbo Fisher isn't afraid to get creative with the play design. There could be drives where No. 6, a running back by trade, is lined up in the slot.
Sure, maybe it's a motion jet sweep. Maybe instead, it's a quick slant for a gain of 20-plus yards across the middle of the field. After all, both Haynes King and Zach Calzada's favorite targets have been Smith in the slot.
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Why would Achane be any different should he line up in the same place?
Calzada, who will be making his second career start, found better consistency in Week 3 than he did in Week 2. Finishing with 275 yards and three touchdowns, his lone mistake came on a forced throw leading to an interception in the third quarter.
All could be forgiven thanks to his accuracy and deep ball presence. On the team's second drive, Calzada would hit wide receiver Demond Demas in stride for a 70-yard touchdown. He also found Moose Muhammad for a 7-yard touchdown with pinpoint accuracy.
“He’s stepped in and done a great job,” Pool said. “I think they had a quarterback battle right up to the first game so both those guys are very capable."
All that is fine. Demas will likely see action as the downfield threat. Muhammad, a shifty slot option, could see more reps if Smith is ruled inactive.
Achane isn't on the same level of those names. He's higher and does a little of everything. Currently, he ranks inside the top 10 of the SEC in rushing (203), but also has tallied six catches for an average of 11.5 yards per catch and a touchdown.
A&M has weapons and plenty of them. Jalen Wydermyer is regarded as the nation's top tight end. Chase Lane is a possession-type wide receiver. Spiller has great size and and open-field speed.
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The Hogs must be weary for all those names. The top priority, however, is containing Achane.
One false move and it's off to the races. One burst down the sideline could end the winning streak for the Hogs inside AT&T Stadium.
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