Arkansas Football: Previewing the Texas A&M game

The Arkansas Razorbacks and Texas A&M Aggies will match up at Cowboys Stadium at noon this Saturday in what will be the final non-conference tilt between these two rivals. Starting next season these former Southwest Conference foes will once again be conference rivals as members of the SEC.

Both of these teams came into the season with conference and National Championship aspirations, but  now both find themselves 0-1 in their respective conferences and most likely out of any conversation about the National Championship. 

Arkansas was dominated last weekend by Alabama in a 38-14 loss, while Texas A&M watched a 17-point halftime lead fade away in a 30-29 loss to Oklahoma St.

Which team can put disappointment behind them will go a long way toward deciding the winner of this weekend's game. Here are some other keys to the matchup.

Arkansas' Offensive Identity

Bobby Petrino said this week that the Hogs are still trying to find their offensive identity. 

Maybe he should have said the Hogs are fighting to take charge of their offensive identity. 

Every team in the land has an offensive identity, but some are defined by their strengths while some are defined by their weaknesses. When the Razorbacks went on their six-game winning streak to close out the 2010 regular season, their identity was that of a well-balanced offense with an offensive line that could establish the run and protect the passer. 

Up to this point in the season the Razorbacks' offensive identity has been that of a team that lacks a running game or the blocking to allow time for the passer to find receivers downfield. Four games into the 2011 season, the Razorbacks still don't know what they can do well, and if they don't figure it out soon, this season could get away from them.

Who's in Charge of This Circus?

In a 60-minute football game, there is going to be a time when you get punched in the mouth, and you can bet that moment will come more than once against the potent A&M offense, featuring Ryan Tannehill and his host of talented receivers. 

When that moment comes, who do the Hogs turn to? 

The last two seasons, that person was Ryan Mallett. No matter what happened, when his teammates looked into his eyes, they could never find doubt. It's the "it" factor; that certain something that gives others confidence.

It's hard to figure out who that person is for the Razorbacks this year. Many figured that Knile Davis and Jake Bequette would fill that role, but with both of them out with injuries, there seems to be a void. Joe Adams, Jarius Wright and Greg Childs would figure to be the leaders of the team, but wide receivers depend so much on others to get them into the game that it's hard for them to set the tone. 

It was expected this year that the defense would carry this team at times, and it may be from that side of the ball that leadership needs to come. The Razorbacks will need for Jericho Nelson, Tramain Thomas and Jerry Franklin to step up their game this week. 

Arkansas' Defensive Backfield vs. A&M's Wide Receivers

The Arkansas pass defense has been suspect at best up to this point in the season. They were torched for 373 yards two weeks ago by Troy and then gave up 10 yards per pass attempt last week against the Crimson Tide. 

Neither one of those teams has a passing game on the level with the Aggies of Texas A&M. 

Ryan Tannehill has thrown for 892 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions in only three games this season. He has a strong receiving corps at his disposal, led by Ryan Swope and Jeff Fuller, who have 21 and 17 catches respectively on the season. 

Arkansas' ineffectiveness against the pass has been a total team effort, as the line has failed to pressure the passer, and the defensive backfield has failed to make plays on the ball. It will be a long day for the Hogs if Tannehill has all day to throw. 

Big Plays

Football comes down to who can make plays, and for Arkansas, this was never more obvious than against Alabama; the Crimson Tide had touchdowns of 37, 83 and 61 yards to go with a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown by DeQuan Menzie. Arkansas had one play of more than 30 yards all day long against Alabama.

Texas A&M has also been susceptible to big plays, allowing Oklahoma St. to pass for 438 yards on 60 attempts for an average of 7.3 yards per attempt. Arkansas has had the best of big plays in this series, so look for the winner of this year's Southwest Classic to be the one that can make big plays.

Win the Turnover Battle

Arkansas ranks 113th in the country in  turnover margin with a -6 turnover/takeaway ratio.

For a defense that is supposed to be much improved, two takeaways through four games is disappointing. 

Teams turn the ball over when they are under pressure, and as mentioned before, Arkansas' opponents have not been under much pressure this season. With starting Defensive End Tenarius Wright out for 4-6 weeks with a broken arm and Jake Bequette still nursing a hamstring, it may not get any easier for the Hogs to bring pressure against the Aggies. 

Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill has a touchdown run of 65 yards this season, so the Hogs' defense will have to keep him contained even if they are able to get some pressure.

Things have not been much better for Texas A&M. They committed four turnovers in the second half of last week's game against Oklahoma State. It will be critical to see which of these teams is able to reverse recent trends and limit their mistakes.

Texas A&M Favored by Three Points

The Aggies are the early favorite in this game by three points. It would be hard to argue against that fact. 

Texas A&M lost a heartbreaker to Oklahoma State last week, but actually played competitive football against a really good team. 

Arkansas is still a completely unknown quantity, either playing "little sisters of the poor" or getting their bottom spanked by what looks to be the best team in the country. 

That's not to say that Arkansas can't win this game, only that if you're a betting man, you take the team with less questions—and right now that is Texas A&M.