ARLINGTON, Texas — Arkansas and Texas A&M have been rivals since 1903, and the two programs will battle it out for the 80th time on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Although the Razorbacks (2-2, 0-1 SEC) are 42-34-3 all-time against the Aggies (3-1, 1-0 SEC), recent history hasn't been kind.
Arkansas has lost 10 of the last 11 Southwest Classic meetings, with its only victory in that stretch coming in 2021.
"It's a series where games are going to be close," Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said. "In all honesty, in these close games, we've come up disappointed more times than not. We've got to play with the same passion we had last week."
The Hogs hope to snap a two-game losing skid, with both losses coming in one-possession games. Arkansas dropped a tight contest to BYU 38-31 on Sept. 16 and lost by three points to LSU last weekend.
"We have to get ready for an Arkansas team who I think is a really excellent team," Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said. "Could be 4-0 just as quick as they're 2-2."
The Aggies, coming off a 27-10 victory against Auburn, boast one of the best defenses in the country. Texas A&M allows 17.8 points and 273.8 yards per game, the second-best in the SEC and No. 14 nationally.
"I like their linebacker core," Pittman said. "They've got really good statistics, so it will be a challenge, but they're a big, physical group that can run."
While Pittman praised the Aggie defense, he acknowledged the importance of playing clean and efficiently on offense, especially on third down, if the Razorbacks want to see success.
Arkansas redshirt senior quarterback KJ Jefferson has thrown at least one touchdown in 15 consecutive games. In the loss to LSU, he scored his 77th all-purpose touchdown, tying Matt Jones for the most in program history.
"Matt Jones was an incredible competitor," Pittman said. "He gave you a chance to win, like how KJ gives you a chance every week. KJ's ability to break that record shows his importance to our football team."
Pittman said players are improving as they get more game time together, and Jefferson is becoming more familiar with the new pass catchers around him.
"I think everyone is starting to get used to each other a little bit more, and KJ is starting to find the guys he knows will catch the football," Pittman said. "Hopefully, we can continue to do a good job on third-down prep and basically do the execution that we did Saturday night against whom I think was a really good football team."
One of those new faces is freshman tight end Luke Hasz, who has quickly emerged as one of Jefferson's favorite targets.
He ranks second on the team in receptions (15) and receiving yards (239) and is tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (3). Last week against LSU, Hasz led the team with six catches for a team-high 116 yards and two touchdowns to become the first Arkansas freshman with multiple receiving touchdowns in a game since Hunter Henry in 2013.
According to Pro Football Focus, a sports analytics company, Hasz is the highest-graded tight end in the country for a Razorback offense that averages 36.5 points and 384.2 yards of offense per game.
"He's playing better each week," Pittman said. "Luke catches the ball incredibly, and he can run... we'll continue to work on his blocking, but he's a big-time weapon running routes, and we're adding stuff for him each week."
Like with every game, Pittman will look to establish the run early against Texas A&M. Arkansas is averaging 3.95 yards per carry this season, down 1.15 yards from a year ago.
That decline can be credited to new pieces on the offensive line. At the same time, the offense as a unit is still adjusting to offensive coordinator Dan Enos' system without highly decorated junior running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders.
Sanders has missed the last three games due to a lower leg injury and didn't even make the trip to Baton Rouge. However, there's some optimism Sanders could suit up against Texas A&M, as he participated in practice this week.
Pittman hasn't said much about Sanders' status heading into the Southwest Classic, but the team is excited to see him back.
"I see the same thing you guys see, and I'm super excited if he can come back," Sophomore running back Rashod Dubinion said. "He's a tremendous leader… that man, AJ Green and Dominique Johnson, they all keep me motivated every day, bringing it to practice, which makes me step my game up."
Texas A&M is also battling injuries ahead of Saturday's matchup. Starting quarterback Conner Weigman hurt his right foot in the second quarter against Auburn last weekend and did not return.
On Wednesday, it was announced he would miss the remainder of the season, which means the Hogs will see a familiar face under center for the Aggies.
Sophomore quarterback Max Johnson, who helped Texas A&M to a 23-21 victory over Arkansas last year, will make his 18th start of his career after filling in for Weigman and completing 7-of-11 passes for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Tigers last Saturday.
"I think he's a really good player," Pittman said. "It looks to me like he believes he's a start, and the kids around him, more importantly, believe in him. He has a lot of speed. He's fast, has great movement and is a thrower. They run a lot of naked, trying to move the pocket with him. He was really accurate and gave the team a spark last week."
According to Pittman, the Aggies still have the same identity on offense despite Bobby Petrino taking over the reins on offense as offensive coordinator.
Petrino was the head coach of Arkansas from 2008 to 2011 and was dismissed from the position in Spring 2012.
“I don’t see a whole lot of difference in this year than what they were last year,” Pittman said. “They’re still a very physical running team. They’ve adjusted some of their offensive line from last year, but coach Petrino is one of the game's best offensive minds, and we respect him a lot. They’re doing a really nice job on offense.”
Coverage from AT&T Stadium begins at 11 a.m. Central on the SEC Network. Dave Neal and Matt Stinchcomb will be on the call, with Alyssa Lang reporting from the sidelines.
You can catch postgame coverage with Hog Zone after Saturday's 10 p.m. newscast on THV11.