Texas A&M vs Arkansas: Everything You Need To Know About the Aggies Next Opponent

For a third straight week, Texas A&M takes on an SEC opponent, and this time, Arkansas comes to town.

In recent history, this showdown has taken place at AT&T Stadium, but both schools agreed to play it on campus again, so this will be the first time in a while the Razorbacks visit Kyle Field.

Both teams have already had disappointing SEC losses and hope to avoid falling to the bottom of the conference standings, with a lot to fix before the matchup.

Arkansas is coming off a 34-6 win over Tulsa, and A&M lost to LSU 35-6. Both head coaches, Mike Elko and Ryan Silverfield, know this is an important game to get back on track, but it starts with playing cleaner football. So what does this offense and defense look like for Arkansas?

Preview for Week 5

Rueben Owens Texas A&M Aggies. — Oct 18, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Rueben Owens II (4) celebrates after a first down in the first first quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When these two schools square off, it is always a close one no matter what the records indicate. Arkansas is 2-2 with wins over Tulsa and North Alabama. Their two losses fell against No. 20 Utah and No. 2 Georgia. A&M is also 2-2, with wins over Missouri State and Arizona State, while the losses came against LSU and Kentucky.

The Razorbacks' quarterback is KJ Jackson, who has experience with this program. So far, he completes 62.1 percent of his passes and averages 7.0 yards per attempt. He has thrown for 927 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions.

At his side are plenty of weapons he loves to distribute the football to. His favorite targets have been wide receivers Chris Marshall, Ismael Cisse, and Jamari Hawkins. He also targets a duo of tight ends, Ty Lockwood and Jaden Platt, who are used in multiple ways.

Marshall is the only receiver with over 100 yards; in fact, he has posted 473 yards with one touchdown.

This offense also likes to use several running backs, as Braylen Russell and Sutton Smith each have 33 carries and average under 3.0 yards per carry, with both averaging 12 yards per carry. Jackson leads the team in rushes, though A&M’s defense up front must apply pressure generated by DJ Hicks and Anto Saka.

On the defensive side of the ball, two teammates are tied for the most sacks: Khmori House and Quincy Rhodes Jr., each with a pair. Through four games, the defense has also only created one interception, so that will be something to monitor. The defense has forced three fumbles and recovered three, so the Aggies have to be smart about protecting the football.

The Razorbacks' secondary features a heavy load of defensive backs, including plenty of action from House, Joker Johnson, Christian Harrison, and Shelton Lewis. House leads the defense in solo tackles, so he is a tackling machine to shut down. Ja’Quavion Smith has the most assists, so he’s a linebacker that draws a lot of attention.

Looking at the numbers, Arkansas isn't one of the most elite teams in the country or the league, but they'll hope to prove that wrong on the road this weekend. It is No. 15 in scoring offense and scoring defense, so that is not great news for them.

Their run game is dead last in the SEC, while their run defense ranks No. 13. One area where the Razorbacks stick out on paper is their No. 5 passing offense, which could be an issue for the Aggies’ secondary. Their offensive line hasn’t been amazing, as the sacks show that pass protection is not great at No. 14.

With 365.2 yards per game and 4.85 yards per play on offense, Arkansas knows it has to formulate a game plan that A&M’s defense cannot handle. Find those open holes and open windows, and it could be a long night.

It will have to avoid penalty errors, where it sits tied at No. 49 in fewest penalties, and be efficient on third down, where the team is tied for No. 37 in third-down conversion percentage. One area where both programs are neck and neck is rushing defense, tied at No. 66 and No. 67, so it's another area to monitor.

Silverfield’s team is aggressive, physical, and hungry for a massive road win, but can that happen in front of the 12th Man?

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