Knight arises as No. 10 Aggies down No. 17 Razorbacks
The Sports Xchange
Sep 25, 2016
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Four touchdowns from Trevor Knight and three crucial defensive stands carried No. 10 Texas A&M past No. 17 Arkansas 45-24 Saturday night at AT&T Stadium.
The Aggies (4-0) moved to 2-0 in the SEC by beating the Razorbacks for the fifth consecutive year. Texas A&M has likely moved ahead of the SEC pack as the biggest early-season threat to No. 1 Alabama.
Knight passed and ran for two touchdowns each in totaling 382 yards of offense, with 157 yards coming on the ground, as the Aggies outscored Arkansas 28-7 in the second half.
Josh Reynolds caught four passes for 141 yards, including a 92-yard touchdown that gave the Aggies their first lead. Trayveon Williams scored twice and ran for 153 yards on just 12 carries.
The offensive stars told only part of the story. Texas A&M's defense rose to the occasion, especially in the shadow of its end zone.
The Razorbacks (3-1, 0-1) had three drives go inside the Texas A&M 10-yard line that yielded only three points. Two of those had first-and-goal from the 2, with a fourth-down stop late in the third quarter proving to be the game's momentum changer.
Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen stood up to constant pressure, as well as several big hits, to compete 28 of 42 throws for 371 yards and two scores.
Rawleigh Williams III had 79 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Razorbacks. He also lost a fumble going in for an apparent score in the second quarter.
Arkansas had three turnovers.
The Aggies stay in SEC play with next week's trip to South Carolina. Arkansas plays host to Alcorn State before welcoming Alabama to Fayetteville the following week.
The Aggies were on their way to a go-ahead score to start the third quarter before Knight and Williams fumbled an exchange at the Arkansas 5.
The Razorbacks responded with a 19-play drive that took nearly 10 minutes, only to come up empty. On fourth down just inches from the goal line, Keon Hatcher was run down in the backfield on an end-around by safety Armani Watts.
The goal-line stand gave the Aggies new life, and their first lead at 24-17 followed late in the quarter.
Knight (12-22, 225 yards) and Reynolds gashed the Razorbacks with the longest pass for a college game at AT&T Stadium.
The Aggies went up two touchdowns on Williams' 33-yard dash early in the fourth. Williams added a 22-yard score later in the period to close out A&M's scoring.
Knight's second long touchdown run pulled the Aggies even at 17-17 going into halftime. The 48-yard burst came with 13 seconds left in the half to complete a 74-yard drive in six plays.
Knight had 101 yards rushing on six carries at the break.
Arkansas went into the locker room having committed two turnovers and getting one field goal out of its first two trips inside the Texas A&M 10-yard line.
The third trip resulted in an 8-yard touchdown from Williams for a 17-10 lead.
The Aggies tied it 7-7 on the first play of the second quarter on Knight's 42-yard delayed keeper right up the middle. The drive started after Myles Garrett recovered a fumble in the Arkansas backfield.
Arkansas went up 10-7 on the next drive, but Cole Hedlund's 25-yard field goal had to feel like a win for the Aggies.
Williams's 55-yard scamper set the Hogs up at the Texas A&M 2-yard line. Thanks to a pair of penalties by the Aggies, Arkansas ran seven plays -- six at the 2-yard line or closer -- and couldn't punch it in.
Williams was on his way into the end zone on Arkansas' next drive before he was separated from the ball by safety Armani Watts, who also fell on the fumble at A&M's 1.
The Aggies turned the change in possession into Daniel LaCamera's 48-yard field goal to make it 10-10.
The Razorbacks struck first, needing two plays to convert a fumbled punt by Christian Kirk into a touchdown. Allen hit Keon Hatcher from 15 yards out to take the early lead.
The Aggies drove down the field on their ensuing possession, but LaCamera missed a 36-yard field goal.
NOTES: Texas A&M and Arkansas were ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2011 and 10th time overall. ... It was the sixth meeting at AT&T Stadium and third as SEC members. ... Arkansas was playing for the second time this season in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, having won at TCU 41-38 on Sept. 10.
Sep 25, 2016
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Four touchdowns from Trevor Knight and three crucial defensive stands carried No. 10 Texas A&M past No. 17 Arkansas 45-24 Saturday night at AT&T Stadium.
The Aggies (4-0) moved to 2-0 in the SEC by beating the Razorbacks for the fifth consecutive year. Texas A&M has likely moved ahead of the SEC pack as the biggest early-season threat to No. 1 Alabama.
Knight passed and ran for two touchdowns each in totaling 382 yards of offense, with 157 yards coming on the ground, as the Aggies outscored Arkansas 28-7 in the second half.
Josh Reynolds caught four passes for 141 yards, including a 92-yard touchdown that gave the Aggies their first lead. Trayveon Williams scored twice and ran for 153 yards on just 12 carries.
The offensive stars told only part of the story. Texas A&M's defense rose to the occasion, especially in the shadow of its end zone.
The Razorbacks (3-1, 0-1) had three drives go inside the Texas A&M 10-yard line that yielded only three points. Two of those had first-and-goal from the 2, with a fourth-down stop late in the third quarter proving to be the game's momentum changer.
Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen stood up to constant pressure, as well as several big hits, to compete 28 of 42 throws for 371 yards and two scores.
Rawleigh Williams III had 79 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Razorbacks. He also lost a fumble going in for an apparent score in the second quarter.
Arkansas had three turnovers.
The Aggies stay in SEC play with next week's trip to South Carolina. Arkansas plays host to Alcorn State before welcoming Alabama to Fayetteville the following week.
The Aggies were on their way to a go-ahead score to start the third quarter before Knight and Williams fumbled an exchange at the Arkansas 5.
The Razorbacks responded with a 19-play drive that took nearly 10 minutes, only to come up empty. On fourth down just inches from the goal line, Keon Hatcher was run down in the backfield on an end-around by safety Armani Watts.
The goal-line stand gave the Aggies new life, and their first lead at 24-17 followed late in the quarter.
Knight (12-22, 225 yards) and Reynolds gashed the Razorbacks with the longest pass for a college game at AT&T Stadium.
The Aggies went up two touchdowns on Williams' 33-yard dash early in the fourth. Williams added a 22-yard score later in the period to close out A&M's scoring.
Knight's second long touchdown run pulled the Aggies even at 17-17 going into halftime. The 48-yard burst came with 13 seconds left in the half to complete a 74-yard drive in six plays.
Knight had 101 yards rushing on six carries at the break.
Arkansas went into the locker room having committed two turnovers and getting one field goal out of its first two trips inside the Texas A&M 10-yard line.
The third trip resulted in an 8-yard touchdown from Williams for a 17-10 lead.
The Aggies tied it 7-7 on the first play of the second quarter on Knight's 42-yard delayed keeper right up the middle. The drive started after Myles Garrett recovered a fumble in the Arkansas backfield.
Arkansas went up 10-7 on the next drive, but Cole Hedlund's 25-yard field goal had to feel like a win for the Aggies.
Williams's 55-yard scamper set the Hogs up at the Texas A&M 2-yard line. Thanks to a pair of penalties by the Aggies, Arkansas ran seven plays -- six at the 2-yard line or closer -- and couldn't punch it in.
Williams was on his way into the end zone on Arkansas' next drive before he was separated from the ball by safety Armani Watts, who also fell on the fumble at A&M's 1.
The Aggies turned the change in possession into Daniel LaCamera's 48-yard field goal to make it 10-10.
The Razorbacks struck first, needing two plays to convert a fumbled punt by Christian Kirk into a touchdown. Allen hit Keon Hatcher from 15 yards out to take the early lead.
The Aggies drove down the field on their ensuing possession, but LaCamera missed a 36-yard field goal.
NOTES: Texas A&M and Arkansas were ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2011 and 10th time overall. ... It was the sixth meeting at AT&T Stadium and third as SEC members. ... Arkansas was playing for the second time this season in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, having won at TCU 41-38 on Sept. 10.
