Football Faces No. 16 Arkansas to Open SEC Play

Saturday, September 25

Arlington, Texas

2:30 PM

Texas A&M

Arkansas

Tickets

Photo by: Texas A&M Athletics

Sep 24, 2021 | Football

By: Athletics Communications

No. 5/7 Texas A&M opens its 10th season of SEC play on Saturday as the Aggies face No. 16/18 Arkansas in the annual Southwest Classic inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Game 4: Texas A&M (3-0) vs Arkansas (3-0)

Saturday, September 25 • 2:39 p.m. (CT)
AT&T Stadium (80,000)
TV: CBS
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network, Sirius 136, XM 191
Live Audio: 12th Man Mobile app
Live Stats: Click Here

GAME NOTES (PDF)

What to Watch For

The Aggies will look to extend their series-best nine-game win streak against Arkansas, boasting a 9-0 record in the series since Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012 ... The Aggies’ nine-game winning streak matches Arkansas’ longest win streak in the series (1958-66).
Texas A&M will be seeking its first 4-0 start since 2016 when the Aggies opened the season with a 6-0 record.
Texas A&M carries an 11-game winning streak into the Southwest Classic, which is the fifth-longest in school history and the longest since 1992 when coach R.C. Slocum’s Aggies won 12 straight games in the regular season.
The win streak is tied with Oklahoma for the second-longest active winning streak in FBS behind Alabama’s 17-game string.
Junior TE Jalen Wydermyer’s 12 career touchdown catches are the most by a tight end at A&M, and his next TD reception will move him into the top 10 among all players in program history.
Junior DeMarvin Leal and graduate Micheal Clemons have been a force to be reckoned with on the defensive line over the last two games, as the pair has combined to tally 4.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and five QB hurries.
With his next point scored, senior Seth Small will become the fifth Aggie and fourth placekicker to return the 300-point plateau in career scoring ... Randy Bullock, who was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame last week, owns the school record of 365 points from 2008-11.

Quick Hits

The Aggies will be playing their second neutral site game of 2021, after the Aggies rallied past Colorado, 10-7, at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Sept. 11.
Texas A&M has won its last six neutral site contests at four different venues dating back to the 2017 season ... The Aggies have won seven contests at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
A&M is the only team in FBS allowing less than 100 passing yards per game and is one of six teams that haven’t allowed a passing touchdown in 2021.
The Aggies’ passing defense average of 77.3 yards per game easily leads the nation with Baylor at a distant No. 2 at 111.0 per game ... A&M is allowing just 3.0 yards per opponent pass attempt and has limited opponent passers to a 62.16 passer rating, which both lead FBS.
After shutting out New Mexico and limiting the Lobos to just 122 yards of total offense, A&M currently boasts the nation’s top passing, scoring and pass efficiency defense.
The Aggies saw great production out of their freshmen against New Mexico, with wide receivers Demond Demas and Moose Muhammad III making not only the first catches of their young careers, but the first TD receptions as well.
Quick starts have been a harbinger of Aggie victories in the Jimbo Fisher era ... The Aggies are 21-4 when scoring first and a perfect 20-0 when leading after the first quarter.
A&M had one of its most impressive seasons in program history in 2020, making its first appearance in a New Year’s 6 bowl game and boasting a No. 4 ranking in both the AP and Coaches polls by season’s end.

Milestone Watch

Junior RB Isaiah Spiller needs 183 rushing yards to move into the top 15 on A&M’s all-time career list ... He is six touchdowns away from breaking into the top 16 on the Aggies’ all-time career rushing TDs chart.
Junior TE Jalen Wydermyer needs one touchdown reception to move into the top 10 on A&M’s career receiving TD’s list ... Wydermyer’s 12 career touchdown grabs are already a school record among tight ends.
Junior WR Ainias Smith needs 53 receiving yards to hit the 1,000-yard plateau and is 26 all-purpose yards away from 2,000 for his career ... Two touchdowns will move Smith into the top 10 on A&M’s all-time career receiving TDs list.
Graduate DB Myles Jones is climbing A&M’s career pass breakups list with 28 to-date, and needs just one PBU to move into a tie for eighth all-time with Dustin Harris (09-12) and Sammy Davis (99-02) ... Jones’ PBU career total is also good for eighth on the SEC’s all-time list.
Senior PLK Seth Small needs one point to become the fifth Aggie and fourth placekicker to score 300-or-more points in a career.

Three-Headed Monster

Juniors WR Ainias Smith and RB Isaiah Spiller, along with sophomore RB Devon Achane, have become a reliable and unstoppable force for the Aggies ... The trio is responsible for all five of A&M’s touchdowns so far this year, and combined to score 24 of A&M’s 41 total touchdowns last season.
The trio led the offense in week one with Achane and Spiller racking up 124 and 113 rushing yards, respectively, and Smith adding 100 receiving yards ... Achane and Smith also each made a pair of trips to the end zone in the victory.
Spiller has remained as one of A&M’s most consistent performers in the backfield, already rushing for over 100 yards in two of the first three games ... He scored the 20th rushing touchdown of his career against New Mexico.
Spiller, who caught the game-winning TD against Colorado, needs 24 receiving yards to reach 500 for his career ... Only six Aggie RBs have reached the 500+ plateau in career receiving yards, most recently Trayveon Williams with 561 yards from 2016-18.
Smith has still been utilized in the backfield, despite making the move back to receiver in the offseason ... He flexed his versatility last year as he led the Aggies with 10 total touchdowns, six through the air and four on the ground.
Smith is already the only player in school history with 200+ career yards in rushing (366), receiving (947), punt return (404) and kick return (257) ... The rarity has only been achieved by 14 SEC players, including notables like Carnell “Cadillac” Williams of Auburn, Randall Cobb of Kentucky and Chris Rainey of Florida.
Achane was second on the team and second among SEC freshmen RBs with 364 rushing yards on the season, scoring four times on the ground and once through the air ... His biggest performance of the year earned him Orange Bowl MVP honors after tallying 140 yards on 12 carries, making two trips to the end zone.
Smith and Achane are the only players on the roster to have scored a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game ... Smith did so against Arkansas and at Tennessee last season, while Achane hauled in a 52-yard pass and used a 3-yard run to return to the end zone on the very next drive at South Carolina.

Setting the Standard

Junior TE Jalen Wydermyer continues to set the bar for A&M tight ends, as his 12 career TD receptions are the most in program history by a tight end ... Against Colorado, Wydermyer became the fourth tight end all-time at A&M to tally over 1,000 reciving yards in his career.
Wydermyer scored six touchdowns in each of his first two seasons, the second-most in a season by a tight end in program history ... He continues to chase Green Bay Packer Jace Sternberger’s 10 TD receptions in 2018.
Last year, Wydermyer was the Aggies’ leader with 29 catches for first downs ... He also led the team with 14 catches for first downs on third-down plays.
The Mackey Award finalist did the most damage in the Aggies’ two games vs. top-five opponents last season, tallying a combined 13 receptions for 135 yards against No. 2 Alabama and No. 4 Florida.

O-Line Anchor

Junior OL Kenyon Green is in his third year as a starter and first as a veteran leader on a young offensive line as the Aggies look to replace four multi-year starters.
Green, a consensus All-American and 2020 Outland Trophy Semifinalist, has made 26 consecutive starts, which stands as the most on the current roster.
In the season opener, Green, who was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his efforts in the game, was joined by freshmen Bryce Foster and Aki Ogunbiyi, along with sophomore Layden Robinson and Tennessee grad transfer Jahmir Johnson, all making their first starts at A&M ... The youthful unit cleared the way for a pair of 100-yard rushers and helped A&M tally 595 yards of total offense, good for fifth in the nation through week one.
Last season, A&M became the first school in the last 10 years to lead the SEC in sacks allowed (0.7), tackles for loss allowed (3.8) and yards per carry (5.45) in the same season.

Showing the Speed

Sophomore RB Devon Achane wasted no time settling into his second season in Aggieland, picking up where he left off after last season’s Orange Bowl MVP performance when he put up 140 yards on 12 carries and two scores.
Against Kent State, Achane rushed for his second consecutive 100-yard game (127), with both games featuring a 60-plus yard sprint for a touchdown ... In the win of New Mexico Achane’s success came through the air as he caught all three passes that came his way finishing the day with 45 yards and the second reciving TD of his career.
Through 11 career games, the two-sport standout is averaging 7.8 yards per carry and has scored six touchdowns on just 64 carries ... Achane averages a rushing touchdown every 10 carries for his career.
The talented sophomore also runs track for the Aggies, already receiving NCAA All-America selections in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. In his first season, Achane clocked the 11th fastest time in A&M history in the 200m (20.31), along with a 10.22 100m.

Swiss Army Knife

Junior WR Ainias Smith has been called a “Swiss Army Knife” by head coach Jimbo Fisher because of his do-it-all ability on the field ... He’s already the only player in Texas A&M history to gain 250+ yards as a receiver, rusher, punt returner and kickoff returner.
Smith is one of 10 players in SEC history to reach the 250-yard plateau in receiving, rushing and punt and kick return yards ... Smith is one of three SEC players to have accomplished the feat in the past decade.
Smith is 53 receiving yards shy of becoming the third player in SEC history to gain 1,000 receiving yards while also gaining 250+ yards as a rusher and returner (punt and kickoff) ... The others are Kentucky’s Randall Cobb (2008-10) and LSU’s Skyler Green (2002-05).
In the season opener against Kent State, Smith scored a pair of receiving touchdowns while chipping in 127 all-purpose yards (100 receiving, 16 rushing, 11 punt return).

Secondary - Leon O'Neal, Demani Richardson, Jaylon Jones

No Fly Zone

The Aggie defense boasts the top passing defense and scoring defense in the nation, allowing just 77.3 yards per game through the air and 5.7 points per game through three victories this season.
The defense stepped up big in the second half at Colorado, allowing just 54 yards of total offense, including only 23 yards through the air, to keep A&M in position to win ... The unit did not allow the Buffaloes to convert a third down in the half and gave up just four first downs the entire game.
A&M ranks fourth nationally in red zone defense and sits at No. 9 in total defense (239.3).
The Maroon & White also lead the country in team passing efficiency defense.
Senior DL Jayden Peevy, who was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his efforts against Colorado, is tied for third in the SEC with senior DB Leon O’Neal Jr. in passes defended as each Aggie has distrupted four passes through three games.

Leading the Defense

Junior DL DeMarvin Leal has gained the reputation as one of the country’s most disruptive defenders after an impressive 2020 campaign.
Leal tallied five tackles in two of A&M’s first three games and set a new career high with 1.5 sacks against New Mexico ... He has had at least 1.0 tackle for loss in each game this season.
Leal earned a number of preseason All-America first team and national watch list accolades entering the season after leading the Aggies in QB hurries (8) and finishing top-five on the team in tackles (37) a season ago.
Leal is one of three returning starters on the defensive line and was a key contributor on one of the nation’s best defenses last season, as the Aggies boasted the No. 2 rush defense in the country and finished the year at No. 9 in total defense.
Against No. 4 Florida, Leal recovered a fumble late in the fourth quarter that set up A&M’s game-winning drive and sparked the team’s eight-game win streak to close out the season.

Journey to Starter

Graduate LB Aaron Hansford started all nine games he played in last season and finished the year second on the team with 49 tackles, sitting only behind fellow linebacker and current Pittsburgh Steeler Buddy Johnson.
Hansford was originally recruited to A&M as member of the receiving corps and made the transition to the defensive side of the ball as a junior after battling a pair of season-ending injuries in 2016 and 2018.
For the second straight season Hansford led the charge on defense in the season opener as his eight takedowns against Kent State were a squad-best ... To start the 2020 season, Hansford set a new career mark with 11 tackles in the win over Vanderbilt.
Hansford played in 13 games as a junior, making his first start at then-No. 1 LSU ... He made some of his biggest plays against big opponents, recording his first career sack against No. 1 Alabama for a 10-yard loss and had another for an 8-yard loss at No. 4 Georgia.

The Elko Effect

After not finishing in the top 50 nationally in total defense for more than a decade, Mike Elko’s arrival in Aggieland as defensive coordinator in 2018 has coincided with consistent top-35 finishes, including a top-10 ranking in the 2020 final FBS total defense standings.
Elko has produced top-50 defenses in each of the last nine years with multiple programs (Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Bowling Green).
The Aggies led the SEC in 2020 in total defense at 317.3 yards/game ... They finished the year second in the SEC in rushing defense (92.0) and pass defense (225.3), and third in scoring defense (21.7).
For the first time since joining the SEC in 2012, Texas A&M finished better than No. 9 in all four defensive categories (total, rush, pass, score).
Another way the Aggies have improved under Elko and with the style of play by head coach Jimbo Fisher is the dramatic drop in number of snaps faced per game by the defense ... Texas A&M’s defense was facing just 58.7 snaps/game in 2020, which is similar to the numbers from 2018 (60.4) and 2019 (64.8) ... Prior to Elko’s arrival in 2018, the Aggies faced 72.5 snaps in 2017 and a whopping 79.6 in 2016.

A Winner

Head coach Jimbo Fisher, one of five active head coaches to win the national championship and ranks as the fourth-winningest active head coach in the Power 5.
Coach Fisher and the Aggies are in the midst of A&M’s longest winning streak since 1992, when A&M won 12 straight games ... The Aggies closed out the 2020 season on an eight-game win streak and are out to a 3-0 start in 2021.

WINNINGEST P5 HEAD COACHES (BY PCT.) (Minimum 6 seasons)

RK HEAD COACH YR. REC. PCT.
1. Dabo Swinney, Clemson 14th 142-34-0 .807
2. Nick Saban, Alabama 26th 259-65-1 .798
3. Kirby Smart, Georgia 6th 55-14 .797
4. JIMBO FISHER, TEXAS A&M 12th 112-33 .772
5. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame 32nd 255-95-2 .727