Texas A&M Dominates Arkansas 34-7 Behind Physical Run Game, Freshman Breakouts

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — Texas A&M needed a response.

After back-to-back losses, the Aggies returned to Kyle Field with a clear objective: become the more physical football team.

They did exactly that.

Texas A&M dominated the Arkansas Razorbacks 34-7 Saturday night, leaning on a hard-nosed rushing attack, a defense that held Arkansas to 214 total yards and several young players who stepped into bigger roles.

The Aggies carried the ball 49 times for 231 yards and four touchdowns, all season highs. They also controlled the clock, holding the ball for 38 minutes compared to Arkansas' 21.

Head coach Mike Elko said the team's approach was intentional.

“I’m proud of the response,” Elko said. “Challenged the guys to come out and play physical and control the line of scrimmage, and I thought we were able to do that.”

That physicality showed up immediately.

On Arkansas' opening drive, Texas A&M safety Dalton Brooks intercepted quarterback KJ Jackson, giving the Aggies early momentum and an opportunity to set the tone.

A&M cashed in when Carson Baker punched in a rushing touchdown to give the Aggies a 7-0 lead.

From there, the run game continued to dictate the night.

Freshmen Carson Baker and KJ Edwards received expanded opportunities and made the most of them. The two combined for 92 rushing yards and three touchdowns, providing a glimpse of what could become a dynamic young backfield for the Aggies.

Edwards scored twice and continued a rapid development that has seen his role increase throughout the season.

“I think he’s getting more and more comfortable, more and more confident,” Elko said. “You obviously see an explosive twitch in him and, as we’re continuing to search for ways to create explosives, obviously he has the ability to do that for us.”

For Edwards, the success began with the offensive line.

“We knew coming in a week, we wanted to establish the run game,” Edwards said. “Coach put us in the best position to maximize our run game, and the O-line controlled the line of scrimmage. It speaks for itself.”

The freshman said the Aggies recognized early that the rushing attack could be effective.

Edwards pointed to an early run by running back Rueben Owens as a moment that helped set the tone.

“The first run that Rube had, he kind of trucked the safety, kind of just setting the tone,” Edwards said. “So I knew it was kind of going to be a good night with the run game.”

The success was also a product of a shift in practice.

Elko said the Aggies began emphasizing more competitive and physical work after the Kentucky game, looking for a way to re-energize a team that had fallen into a lull.

“I just felt like we needed to re-energize things a little bit,” Elko said. “I think the practices have gotten more physical, more enjoyable.”

That physicality carried over to Saturday night.

The Aggies repeatedly found success on outside runs, taking advantage of Arkansas' defensive alignment and creating room for the young backs to make plays in space.

Edwards said the film study showed the opportunity was there.

“We watched on tape the linebacker was mainly just hovering,” Edwards said. “So we knew once we get the outside run that they was kind of just going to sit inside, and we were expecting to bounce it out.”

While the offense controlled the line of scrimmage, the defense provided the complementary football Elko had been looking for.

Arkansas managed just 214 yards of total offense and was held scoreless for the final three quarters.

One of the biggest defensive moments came in the second half, when the Razorbacks reached the goal line but were stopped on fourth down.

Elko identified three plays as the game's biggest momentum swings: Brooks' opening interception, Olano's field goal before halftime and the goal-line fourth-down stop.

“I thought there were three really big momentum plays,” Elko said. “Obviously the pick that started the game and us finishing that drive to get the 7-0 lead, David’s kick before halftime to stretch it out to three, and then the stop on the fourth down in the goal line area that the defense made and then the offense coming out and driving it down the field.”

Olano's kick may have been the most memorable.

With time winding down in the first half, the Texas A&M kicker drilled a 57-yard field goal, the longest made field goal by an Aggie since 1999.

The kick also extended A&M's lead to three scores heading into halftime.

Elko said the coaching staff used a timeout to determine how the swirling wind might affect the kick before giving Olano the green light.

Olano said he already knew he had the range.

“I knew I had the range for it,” Olano said. “Love that coach trusted me with that, and obviously loved that I was able to convert that and kind of help the team in that way going into the half.”

The kick was Olano's first from that distance in a game at Texas A&M, but he said the attempt itself did not require a different approach.

“Really it’s just no different kick,” Olano said. “57 is no different. You really just have to mentally lock in and kind of focus in on what you’ve been doing for your whole life.”

Olano said he has made kicks from as far as 74 yards in practice, but the game-winning moment carried a different feeling.

After the ball sailed through the uprights, his teammates surrounded him as the Aggies headed toward the locker room.

“It brings me so much joy to be able to not only experience this moment myself but with those guys,” Olano said. “It was so awesome to share that moment with them on the field.”

The moment was particularly meaningful for a player who only began playing football as a high school junior.

Olano grew up playing soccer and said his family still had to learn the nuances of football after he made the transition to kicking.

Now, he is kicking in front of more than 100,000 fans at Kyle Field.

“Who would have thought we would have gone from playing soccer to playing on Kyle Field in front of 100,000 people?” Olano said.

For the Aggies, Saturday's victory was about more than one kick or a pair of freshman touchdowns.

It was about finding an identity.

Texas A&M finished with 231 rushing yards compared to 103 for Arkansas and dominated time of possession. Elko said those numbers reflect the kind of football his team needs to play.

“When you out-possess teams 38 to 21, when you out-rush teams 231 to 103, those are going to be recipes and markers to have success for sure,” Elko said.

That does not necessarily mean the Aggies will run the ball 72 percent of the time every week. Elko stressed that commitment to the rushing attack has to come with effectiveness.

But Saturday provided evidence that Texas A&M can control a game when its offensive line establishes itself up front.

For Edwards, the win was also a confidence boost after a difficult stretch.

“This was a major win just getting our confidence back,” Edwards said. “The past two weeks we kind of just been down as a unit, and good thing we got this win so we can keep it going.”

Now the Aggies have to do exactly that.

There will be little time to celebrate.

Texas A&M will travel to take on Missouri next, facing another SEC test on the road.

Elko said the goal coming out of the Arkansas victory is simple: build on the momentum.

“We need positivity. You need joy,” Elko said. “Hopefully momentum gets created off of the win and we go out, have a great week of practice and prepare the way we need to.”

After two difficult weeks, Texas A&M finally has the kind of performance it was searching for.

Physical at the line of scrimmage. Efficient on offense. Aggressive on defense.

And, perhaps most importantly, back in the win column.