No. 10 A&M Makes it Five Straight over Arkansas, 45-24

Saturday, September 24

Arlington, Texas

8:00 PM

Texas A&M

4-0 , 2-0

Arkansas

3-1 , 0-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Arkansas

Texas A&M

Photo by: Texas A&M Athletics

Sep 25, 2016 | Football

Box Score Box: A&M 45, ARK 24 (PDF)Photos

By: Associated Press / Texas A&M Media Relations

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The momentum quickly turned for 10th-ranked Texas A&M when Trevor Knight, the quarterback already with two long touchdown runs, had another big play right after a huge defensive stand by the Aggies.

Knight hit Josh Reynolds for a 92-yard tiebreaking TD pass two plays after 17th-ranked Arkansas was stopped three times from the 1, ending a 19-play drive that took nearly 10 minutes, and the Aggies went on to a 45-24 victory late Saturday night.

''A big-time momentum-changer,'' Knight said.

Reynolds caught the ball in stride just short of midfield and quickly shed defensive back DJ Dean on his way to the end zone to break a 17-all tie and put the Aggies (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) ahead to stay.

Texas A&M has won five straight against the Razorbacks (3-1, 0-1), all since joining the SEC in 2012.

''This game has been something else,'' Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin said. ''I was proud of our guys. They hung in there, and it just really showed the maturity of our team tonight.''

The long catch-and-run by Reynolds came two plays after Keon Hatcher was tackled by Armani Watts for a 5-yard loss on fourth down, ending the drive that started after A&M fumbled from the Arkansas 2.

''Everybody talks about fourth-down stops, but it took three others to create a fourth-down stop, you know, from closer than that,'' Sumlin said. ''So it wasn't just the fourth-down stop. It was the three before it.''

Quarterback Austin Allen was stopped twice from the 1, though officials reviewed the third-down run before ruling the play stood. One overhead replay showed just how close the ball was to the goal line, with Allen's tight end basically pulling him toward the end zone.

''I've got to believe that the right call was made,'' Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said. ''It took forever. When those reviews take that long, usually it's because they're going to get overturned. Obviously a huge, huge play.''

Earlier, the Razorbacks had to settle for a field goal after six snaps from the 2 on the same series.

Knight's 48-yard TD run just before halftime tied the game at 17, after an earlier 42-yard scoring run. He finished with 10 rushes for 159 yards, the last a 62-yarder on third down in the final minute of the game.

''We're trying to grow with Trevor. I think tonight he struggled early throwing, but he got running, and that was it,'' Sumlin said. ''Somebody asked me what his best stat is, and I said it's winning.''

ABOUT THE WIN...

• Texas A&M improved to 4-0 on the season and 2-0 in SEC play with the 45-24 victory over Arkansas Saturday evening.

• The win was the 40th win for Texas A&M since Kevin Sumlin took over in 2012 (40-16) and the 75th in Sumlin's nine years as a head coach (75-33).

• The Aggies have started at least 4-0 in each of the last three seasons, the first time the program has accomplished that feat since the 1939-41 seasons.

• Saturday's victory over No. 17 Arkansas was the 11th ranked win for Sumlin, moving him into the second most ranked wins for a Texas A&M head coach. Trailing only RC Slocum's 17 ranked triumphs.

• The Aggies improved to 3-0 this season when their opponent scores first.

• Sumlin is now 4-0 at AT&T Stadium and 7-1 in neutral site games. Additionally, Texas A&M is 20-7 in games away from Kyle Field under Sumlin. The Aggies also improved to 14-2 on artificial turf.

• The win improved the Texas A&M win-streak against the Hogs to five, the longest in the series since the 1940s.

ROCKET REYNOLDS

Senior WR Josh Reynolds gave the Aggies their first lead of the night with a 92-yard TD catch via the arm of QB Trevor Knight late in the third quarter.

• It tied for the fifth-longest reception in school history.

• Reynolds, who had a 95-yard TD catch vs. Vanderbilt last season, is the only player in program history with more than one 90-yard plus reception.

• It was the longest reception in a college game in AT&T Stadium history.

• It was Reynolds' 21st TD catch, which is third-most in school history behind Jeff Fuller (34) and Ryan Swope (24).

GRITTY NIGHT BY KNIGHT

Graduate transfer QB Trevor Knight fought through a tough Arkansas defense with a pair of first-half TD gallops and timely second-half passing.

• Knight accounted for a total of four touchdowns with 42- and 48-yard TD rushes in the first half and then connected with WRs Josh Reynolds and Christian Kirk for a pair of second-half touchdown passes.

• His 92-yard pass to Reynolds ties for the fifth-long pass in school history.

• Knight finished the night with 377 total yards with 225 passing and 157 rushing, which led the team.

ABOUT THAT GROUND GAME...

Texas A&M ground out a season-high 366 rushing yards on 37 bruising attempts. The 366 rushing yards is the most by Texas A&M since they joined the SEC, topping the 361 yards by the 2012 team at Mississippi State.

• Saturday evening marked the first time that Texas A&M had two rushers with 150 rushing yards in the same game since 1990 when Darren Lewis and Bucky Richardson did it against SMU. Lewis had 207 yards, while Richardson chipped in 180.

• RB Trayveon Williams, who was the nation's top true freshman rusher entering this weekend, led the way with 153 yards on just 12 carries, including a 33-yard TD dash. It was the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week's second straight game with 100-plus rushing yards, setting career highs in yards and touchdowns.

• QB Trevor Knight posted a career-high 157 yards on 10 carries, including a pair of long TD runs and another long run to seal the victory.

• RB Keith Ford chipped in 55 yards on 10 carries.

• The Aggies registered their fourth straight game of at least 200 rushing yeard to start the season, the first time for the Aggie to do so since the 1997 season.

ABOUT THAT DEFENSE

• The Texas A&M defense elicited comparisons to the fabled Wrecking Crew with a a pair of goal line stands. The first stand thwarted seven plays by the Hogs from inside the 10 yard line, then the Maroon & White forced a turnover on downs after four play inside the five yard line.

• The Aggies' attacking style of play matched their season average of 10 tackles for loss, which ranked sixth in the NCAA heading into this week's games.

NOTABLES

• Senior WR Josh Reynolds went over the 2,000-yard plateau in career receiving yards. He's the sixth player in school history to achieve the milestone.

• With his third tackle of the game early in the second quarter, junior FS Armani Watts logged his 200th career tackle, which leads the team.

• Junior DE Myles Garrett's late first quarter fumble recovery was the first of his career.

• The Texas A&M defense posted a three-and-out on Arkansas' initial offensive series, marking the third straight game that the Aggies' opponents have gone three-and-out to start the game.

• Freshman PK Daniel LaCamera's FG miss in the first quarter broke a streak of nine straight successful field goal attempts.

• In the second quarter, LaCamera was successful from 48 yards, which matched his career high from the Prairie View A&M game.

• Game captains for the Aggies were junior DE Myles Garrett, junior WR Ricky Seals-Jones, graduate QB Trevor Knight, senior DB Alex Sezer Jr. and senior LB Shaan Washington. Arkansas won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff.

• The Aggies' 12th Man representative was sophomore LB Cullen Gillaspia (Katy, Texas) in his fourth straight start. A former walkon, Gillaspia was awarded a scholarship at the end of fall camp.