How the Texas A&M Defense Graded Out in Close Win vs. Arkansas

After an 11-year hiatus from competing at their respective campuses (except for 2020), the Texas A&M Aggies and Arkansas Razorbacks put on yet another offensive barnburner Saturday night at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, one that saw Texas A&M barely squeak by with a 45-42 win.

The A&M offense was the silver lining of the match, with Marcel Reed delivering the exact performance that Mike Elko needed out of his QB1 with four total touchdowns and no turnovers, a near-perfect night.

And then there was the A&M defense, and let's just say the "Wrecking Crew" was turned into the "Wrecked Crew" after 60 minutes at Razorback Stadium.

Texas A&M's Defensive Report Card

As the Razorbacks running game that mainly consisted of quarterback Taylen Green and running back Mike Washington contributed over half of the Pigs total yardage throughout the night, here is the grades for the A&M defense after their performance, that was subpar, to say the absolute least.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson (7) attempts a pass as Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Cashius Howell (9) defends. — Oct 18, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson (7) attempts a pass in the first quarter as Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Cashius Howell (9) defends at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Defensive Line: C

Taylen Green was tough to contain during the contest, but the line was accountable for three of the four sacks on the night, one of very few positives for the group all night, the only non-lineman recording a sack being safety Dalton Brooks.

The line was still able to sneak home to disrupt Green's rhythm, and all of their sacks went for an enormous loss of yardage, still giving them something to hold their head high on while the Aggies and Razorbacks combined for over 1,000 yards of total offense.

Linebackers: D-

The unit cleaned up their act in the second half in terms of rushing yards allowed, which prevents them from receiving a flat out "F."

Missed tackles galore and the terror that was the two touchdowns allowed in last two minutes of the first half were almost a turning factor in the game that could have given the home team their first win against the Maroon and White since 2021, but luckily the offense shined where the defense was dull.

You could chalk it up to the wet weather on the grass at the stadium, but then again, the weather was in the forecast for the week leading up to the game as well.

Defensive Backs: C-

The cornerbacks and safeties are the last line of defense for a team, if a player breaks through the secondary, then there's a good chance that six points are about to be rewarded, and there were simply too many big plays surrendered by the Aggies against their rivals.

Perhaps the Aggie running backs could have lent some of the aggression they showed to their defensive counterparts, who were unable to secure any takeaways in the contest either.

The Farmers have a week to right their wrongs from their return to Fayetteville before yet again hitting the road to take on another SEC team they know all too well, the LSU Tigers, who are likely looking for redemption after a loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores this past weekend.