King of Texas: Hogs' Win Shows Arkansas Football Is Back
Everything is bigger in Texas — including the taste of defeat.
Texas A&M's nine-year run of beating the Hogs was certain to come to an end at some point.
The question was would it cease while the Southwest Classic still was held in AT&T Stadium?
Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones wanted to see his alma mater win a game again in his backyard (it hadn't happened since 2011). Challenge completed Saturday afternoon.
“We just come out and play Arkansas football," wide receiver Treylon Burks said following the 20-10 victory over the No. 7 Aggies (3-1, 0-1). "If it happens, it happens.”
Sam Pittman never was the first choice for any school. He is, however, the right fit for what the No. 16 Razorbacks (4-0, 1-0) needed to return to back to winning ways and into the conversation of "what SEC football is all about."
READ MORE: Razorbacks down third team from Lone Star state in first month
Bret Bielema was supposed to change the game with his aggressive ground game. He finished over .500 once. Chad Morris promised he would "change things the right way" when hired from SMU. Arkansas finished 0-8 in SEC play during his final season.
Pittman has the Hogs not just right in the mind, but right on the field. It's a big reason the "upset" shouldn't come as a surprise.
Arkansas played Arkansas football. It was clockwork for 60 minutes in Arlington.
“Somebody will say, ‘Well, Texas A&M ain’t any good because Arkansas beat them.’ And some will say, ‘Texas ain’t any good because Arkansas beat them,’” Pittman smiled. “But I believe both of them are really good. And I think the Razorbacks have a good football team. So that’s how it is.”
The Aggies couldn't contain QB KJ Jefferson on the ground. First downs came left and right and when they didn't Jefferson would pass. In the first 20 minutes, the Hogs gunslinger needed four attempts to go for over 100 yards passing and a two touchdown-lead.
One went to Burks for an 85-yard score. The second went to running back AJ Green who bounced off three Aggie defenders for another 48 yards and the touchdown.
Who was this Arkansas team and what happened to A&M's defense? The Aggies entered Saturday allowing opponents to average a league-low 5.7 points per game. It was 17-0 and the second quarter had just begun.
READ MORE: Finally Beating Aggies: Sam Pittman Gives Credit to Barry Odom's Defense
“We need to grow up real fast if we want to do what we want to do,” said A&M running back Isaiah Spiller said.
Much like they did against Texas, Arkansas trusted its run game, recording 49 rushes against 19 passing attempts. Four Hogs averaged over 4.5 yards per play, while six recorded at least one run of 10-plus yards.
Jefferson, who suffered a knee injury in the third quarter, was limited as a runner for the remainder of the game. It didn't stop Malik Hornsby from leading the charge to put the game out of reach with a 24-yard field goal from Cam Little.
The field goal doesn't happen without string defensive play. The Razorbacks blanketed A&M's receivers in a six-man defensive backfield, yet still managed to add pressure on QB Zach Calzada with a three man rush.
Calazada, who finished 20 of 36 for 151 yards, nearly had the momentum following a 67-yard touchdown run from Spiller, but a low throw bounced off the helmet of center Bryce Foster.
The ball hung long enough for defensive back Montaric Brown to extend his body and grab the interception. Nine plays later, the lead was back up to 10, and the life had been sucked from the A&M crowd.
READ MORE: Hogs End Streak: Even With Best Offensive Players Hurt, They Make Plays to Win
“Wins like this are why you come back. Like, this is why I came back,” said linebacker Grant Morgan “It’s why Hayden [Henry] came back. We saw what this could have been. We saw this was a possibility from last year’s team with Coach Pittman and the crew.
"I’m excited to be able to be a part of this group that’s changing the history or changing how the momentum was going in Arkansas football and how we’re starting a new path.”
Saturday's game against No. 2 Georgia is the real test on if the Hogs can be a College Football Playoff contender or not. Heck, you think Texas A&M's defense is good, the Bulldogs have allowed 23 points all season.
On top of all that, this could be a top 10 matchup based on the rankings. Arkansas has two top 15 wins. They've earned the right to be considered inside the top 10.
Time will tell if this Arkansas team is good or just lucky. For now, fans in Arlington, Fayetteville, and the across the country can reap the benefits of beating two former Southwest Conference rivals in the same season.
Texas football is a titan. The Hogs humbled the top two programs in 120 minutes.
"We own Texas now, I guess,” Morgan said. “It’s a good day to be a Razorback.”
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