The Aggies football squad finally gave us something to cheer about this weekend, straight up handling hapless Arkansas with a dominant 34-7 victory on Saturday night at Kyle Field. It was a proper beatdown, the kind that makes you wonder what this team could actually become, and the stats from the game tell a story of a team finding its groove.
Defense and Dominance: The Aggies Controlled Everything
Talk about controlling the tempo! Texas A&M absolutely throttled the clock, boasting a colossal +16:16 time of possession advantage. When you want to take the air out of a game, that’s how you do it. Honestly, this was the most stress-free A&M/Arkansas game in over a decade, and I soaked up every second of that snooze-fest. The defense? They were relentless, racking up six tackles for loss, matching their season high from the Missouri State game. And you gotta shout out S Tawfiq Byard, who tied for the team lead with six tackles. This guy was a highly touted Colorado transfer who’s been sidelined by injury, but the second he hit the field in the second half, his presence was IMMEDIATE. Don’t be surprised when he starts locking down more playing time. Arkansas only managed 214 total yards, their worst offensive output of the season in both yards and points. Yeah, Arkansas might be bad, but you can’t deny A&M’s defense brought the heat.
Offensive Adaptations and Rising Stars
Offensively, the Aggies weren’t messing around, leaning hard on the run game with a 2.6:1 run to pass ratio. With Marcel Reed struggling and the weather being sloppy, that was the smart play, and OL Holmon Wiggins took full advantage. Reed even scrambled nine times himself, showing he’s adapting to the game. It paid off big time, with Texas A&M rushing for 231 yards. That’s more rushing yards than Arkansas had *total* yards, which is just a darn good day at the office. And speaking of Reed, his 90.7 QBR in this game was by far his best performance of the season, ranking him No. 23 nationally. It’s the first time he’s been in the top half of FBS quarterbacks all year, so even if it was “just Arkansas,” that’s a huge shot of hope for the Aggie signal-caller going forward. We also saw sophomore TE Kiotti Armsgrong bust out a 54-yard catch, breaking tackles and nearly taking it to the house. The tight end position has been a black hole for them in the passing game, so if Armsgrong is truly emerging as a legit option, that’s massive for this offense.
The Weapon, The 12th Man, and What’s Next
But let’s be real, the biggest revelation here is K David Olano. This dude averaged 53.5 yards on his field goals. Think about that for a second. The Aggies’ kicking game isn’t just reliable anymore, this guy is a flat-out weapon. Enjoy this senior while you can, because he just might be kicking on Sundays next year. And you gotta give massive props to the 12th Man! Coming off two tough losses and with absolutely atrocious weather leading up to the game, A&M fans still packed Kyle Field with 108,657 strong. That’s truly impressive.
This win felt good, a real palate cleanser. Now, the Aggies need to carry this momentum forward, because the next challenge is already on the horizon. Let’s get ready for #BTHOmizzou!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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