ARLINGTON, Texas - The venue was different and the teams weren’t the same.
But one couldn’t help but to remember Arkansas’ oh-so-close finish at the Sugar Bowl last season as the Razorbacks were putting together another memorable comeback Saturday afternoon at Cowboys Stadium.
Unlike last year, Arkansas was able to finish this time, beating No. 14 Texas A&M 42-38 in a game the Aggies led by 18 points at halftime.
“All I asked them at halftime was to come out and compete in the second half,” Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. “They did a great job and hung together as a team.”
The No. 18 Razorbacks looked ready to fall apart against Texas A&M early on. In a game reminiscent of several run-and-gun games from the old Southwest Conference, the two teams combined for 1,209 yards of total offense Saturday.
Texas A&M looked to be the one with the quickest gun in the first half. The Aggies gashed the Arkansas defense to the tune of 404 yards total offense by the intermission and looked to have its future conference foe well on its way to a second consecutive loss.
RELATED VIDEO: Bobby Petrino – Texas A&M Postgame
But the Razorbacks remained poised. Arkansas made a series of adjustments that clearly had the Aggies confused on both sides of the ball after halftime.
Offensively, Arkansas moved the ball with ease. Tyler Wilson finished with a school-record 510 yards passing and orchestrated a fantastic 9-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in the go-ahead score with 1:41 remaining.
The Razorbacks had just 16 yards rushing going into the fourth quarter, but began opening up holes in the final frame. Broderick Green scored the game-winning touchdown on a 3-yard plunge and later went nine yards on a third-and-8 to allow Arkansas to run out the clock.
“I think that’s what did it for us, our upperclassmen and top players,” Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said. “The same players that didn’t make the plays last week came through. They had not just a good performance, but the mentality and pushed our guys on the sidelines.
“I was proud of our kids.”
Defensively, the Razorbacks looked like a completely different team after halftime. While Arkansas didn’t consistently hold the Aggies in-check in the second half, it did so enough to allow its offense the ability to comeback while working through some rough patches in pass protection and the run game.
There are plenty of questions about the Razorbacks defense moving forward, but there is little question it was a unit that played as pivotal a role as any in recording a historic comeback. Texas A&M scored just once after halftime on a field goal with 4:22 to play.
Unable to stop the Aggies’ run game throughout, Arkansas came up with a huge play late when D.D. Jones stuffed Christine Michael on a fourth-and-2 with 1:15 remaining.
Michael and Cyrus Gray were dominant for the Aggies, combining to rush for 325 yards and five touchdowns.
“We definitely felt like the fourth-and-2, they were going to run the ball,” Petrino said. “I thought we made a nice call and we did a really nice job with our suge up front at the pad level and hold them to a field goal.
“That was a great tackle on that play to stop him and keep a big man like that from getting a first down.”
Arkansas fans chanted “S-E-C” as the clock expired, serving the Aggies a reminder the weekly games in the nation’s toughest conference prepare teams for games like Saturday’s.
Not every team can pull off the unimaginable, but a more mature Arkansas team did Saturday.
You can follow Matt Jones on Twitter @NWAMatt.
Is there any update on Robert Thomas?? We can NOT afford to lose another d-lineman. Especially him.
exactly, that’s all I’m worried about now. Winston’s injury looked serious and Thomas’ might be too. Great win, but at what cost?
And what about Joe Adams? His catch streak is over, did he get injured as well?
I LOVE this team in the 5 wide formation. It is tough as heck to handle for the opposition.
Glad to have Broderick back , DJ looked to be getting in the groove also. Tyler showed he can break records if just given 3 seconds.
Good improvement, just need to keep getting better.
Im sure we could all be critical of the O line or the D , but instead lets just be happy for our boys, they fought hard for this one ! Proud to be a Razorback !!
Tremendous game, win. Numbers 8 and 4 are studs. Hopefully, the injuries are not serious and the Razorbacks found some identity on both sides of the ball.
Beat Auburn!
being an old SWC hog, if this game were against the teasips, i would be on my roof screaming about the great comeback. however having much respect for the aggies, and you will too once you go to kyle field and meet their fans, i felt we stole this game.
i had a feeling we would start slow after the butt kicking last week, but for our defense to play like they did in the first half, there is just no excuse. any team in the SEC that gives up these kind of points has no chance. our defensive line was suppose to be our strength, was worse than miserable. you have to put the blame on willy.
win or lose, until the hogs refuses to tolerate this type of play, we will never play with the bama’s, and gators.
our offensive line while good but young has no chance against any defensive line as long as they don’t respect our running game. with wingo running in the first half, they just teed off on wilson, i hope the kid has life insurance, but in the second half, with d.j. and green running, all of a sudden wilson had time to throw and our line held. if we keep wingo on the bench, keep d.j. healthy, with the help from green, we can still win out and go to a major bowl. if we can make the opposition respect our running game, nobody can stop our offense.
petrino won this game, he is an offensive genius.
after auburn last year, willy turned our defense around, hope he can do the same this year. we don’t play anyone with a great offense, after the aggies. all our defense has to do is be respectable.
I Believe our offensive line showed signs of growing up, got to get this D to play like they did in the 2nd half. Team needs to realize if Florida beats Bama and wins out and LSU beats bama, Arkansas wins out and beats a top #3 team Florida in SEC champ. game, then your right back in the National champ. game. Just saying theres alot to play for and it is’nt over til its over! Lets go hogs, BELIEVE! IT CAN STILL HAPPEN!
That’s great! While the OLine is “growing up”, they are putting our QB in the grave. This BS CANNOT continue.
Razorrandy,what you say is true,i bet poor Tyler sits in that Hot tub all day on Sunday,but pound for pound he is the Toughest QB in the Country.
i agree our o line has to help tyler more but man is number 8 tough theres no way in hell we win today if mallett was still our qb big win go hogs
Yep the line has got to protect better Wilson can’t keep taking those poundings. Just saying, late 3rd and into the 4th quarter line seemed to play better or A@M was getting tired. Wilson is for sure a gamer though.
I agree with the Geeze…when CBP went to Green and Johnson, look at the respect they got and that slowed A&M down on blitizing Wilson…hard running does make a difference and it was nice to see Green actually moving his feet after contact…Johnson is ready to get more work…Wingo is a back that can help when it come to passing to a back…other than that, he gets no respect from the defense…but he came up big on that catch for a touchdown…perfect play for him…OL, you all got to keep your QB clean…he’s taking too many hits…DL, wow??? Where are you guys…A&M played way to fast in the first half…they spend a lot of energy and I knew that they would tire and Wilson and those receivers would step up…and that’s what happened along with some power running by Green and Johnson…good comeback and win…now, let get Auburn…
They say it’s not official until it is on a t-shirt. So put it on a t-shirt, Tyler Wilson is one tough son of a gun.
If wen can build on the 2nd half of this game we can hang with everyone left on our schedule. I’m not saying we will win out, but that was an impressive display of will and heart to fight back from 18 down at half. I didn’t believe they could do it and they proved me wrong! We’ve got a lot of holes on defense, but it was a great team win. Wingo needs to move to reciever. The two men carrying the rock in the 4th quarter should be starting from this moment on.
Yeah Tyler Wilson is an absolute warrior! He reminds me of Kurt Warner with his courage in the pocket. I just hope we can protect him better each game.
Willie has to go!!!! 404 yards given up by half time… I have been saying it since his first year.. He is lost when it comes to calling a defensive game.. Why does it take till after half time to figure out what needs to be done to stop a team from running down your throat!! He is just not the guy!!! He needs to go!!! I want the hogs to win a national championship.. That will never happen with this clown.. Sorry, it’s the truth!! Defense wins championships!!!! Just ask florida, Lsu, and Alabama!!! Just saying
Someone once said the best defense is a great offense. That was the case today. The penalties, the bonehead penalties, have to go.
Arkansas was very fortunate to come out of Jerry’s Place with a w today.
Tyler “Timex” Wilson…
He takes a lickin’ but keeps on tickin’ …..
I think its funny how everybody was not worried when Green went down in the spring..i am one of them…then he comes back and has a monster of a come back…and everybody including me….is impressed with green now and has no complaint….Green as long as you run like that the rest of the year we will be 10-1 in baton rouge….Welcome back B. Glad you shut us up!! WPS!!!! P.S. D.J. is a monster and should start…my opinion
I guess i should change my name to #4forHeisman
Yep we gotta get ADAMS and CHILDS in the groove with WRIGHT AND HAMILTON.Wade and some of these young recievers are making some good catches in big possesions too. Lets leave this funk we’ve been in behind and start that march again towards big things.
I agree about Willy. It’s just not happening with this guy. I am convinced that we have the defensive talent to be better than we are. When you score 17 first half points, you hope that it’s enough to avoid falling into an 18 pt. deficit, yet we accomplished that feat. Yes, they played better in the second half with an assist from Mike Sherman, but the Aggies produced statistics for a full game in the first half; teams with conference/national championship aspirations don’t do that.
I understand the offensive struggles, but even now we can see signs of improvement. The protection was better for Wilson in the 2nd half (though he was still roughed up more than he should have). The line also started clearing holes for more decisive runners. The problems on that side of the ball have more to do with replacing 3/5 of an O-line, a QB, an all-conference RB, and an all-american TE. There were bound to be adjustments.
Willy’s defenses, on the other hand, just keep making the same mistakes over and over.
So….should we get rid of Petrino when the offense doesn’t perform? Florida 2 years ago, LSU 2 years ago, every Alabama game, etc. In many of those games the defense played well enough to win, but the offense didn’t show up. Using your logic we should Petrino because of that. Right? The defensive calls aren’t the problem. The problem is injuries, depth, poor discipline (containment) and weak tackling.
It’s like when the defense doesn’t perform well it’s “free willy”, but when the offense doesn’t play well it’s, “those players need to get better”.
You have a point mrprfct, but that non-tackle tackling and poor discipline doesn’t just happen once in a while. It’s pretty much the norm. The blame should ultimately go on the guy getting the big bucks. As exciting as that game was and as great an effort as it was in the second half to comeback, that kind of no run, no defense will ever win against the best teams. It can be fixed though.
Yea… it can be fixed by not having 3 starting defensive lineman sitting injured on the sidelines. Arkansas ain’t Texas… we don’t have 4 star recruits 3-deep ready to jump into the game. Give Willy a break. Our luck with injuries this season has been absolutely atrocious.
I’ve said it now and will say it again: If we had not injuries coming out of summer camp we are the best team in the nation and that includes Alabama and LSU.
Correction: if we “no” injuries.
Tyler reminded me of a young Brett Favre. Every time an Aggie put him on his backside, he got better.
Now that it’s three days later I hope everyone can stop comparing us to Florida,using Florida as an example that we should aspire to, or talk about Florida being the SEC East champion.
There’s only two comparisons in which Arkansas is similar to Florida this year. One, we played three creampuffs before playing Alabama, and, two, we got our asses handed to us by Alabama. The Hogs have got to start scheduling some quality competition BEFORE playing anyone in the SEC so the coaches and team can figure out vulnerabilities and strengths heading into the SEC schedule. Early season loses don’t mean as much and if the Hogs win then it sets the team up even better for the beginning BCS rankings.
To be honest I really hate the fact that A&M is moving into the SEC but hopefully the Southwest Classic can become a permanent Arkansas v Texas match-up like it was supposed to be.
Why has Willy Robinson not fired yet!!!!!! We will never be a chamiponhip team until we let him go!!!! This will be two good years and chances we have wasted all b/c of our defense dont lose site of this with this win guys !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!