ARLINGTON, Texas — Arkansas committed three turnovers, had 10 penalties and suffered its first SEC loss of the season, falling to No. 24 Texas A&M 21-17 Saturday before an announced crowd of 60,928 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Aggies (4-1, 2-0 SEC) held the Razorbacks (3-2, 1-1 SEC) to 5-of-15 on third-down conversions and won the field position battle, pinning Arkansas inside its own 20-yard line on seven of its 13 drives, including five inside the 10-yard line.
Although it was an uphill climb for the Hogs, they still managed to outgain Texas A&M in total offense 379 to 297.
Arkansas exploded out of the gate on the game's first possession. Quarterback Taylen Green connected with wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa for a 75-yard touchdown, his first of the season, to give the Razorbacks a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
TeSlaa led all pass catchers with 120 yards on five catches, while Green completed 23-of-41 passes for 279 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
That lead wouldn't hold for long, as Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed found wide receiver Noah Thomas for a 50-yard touchdown strike.
Arkansas responded with some Southwest Classic trickery, converting a 4th and 15 on a 25-yard run by punter Devin Bale. A few plays later, running back Ja'Quinden Jackson strolled in for an eight-yard score to put Arkansas ahead 14-7 with 4:56 to play in the first quarter.
Jackson, the SEC's leading rusher, was limited to 37 yards on 10 carries.
While the Hogs looked dominant in the first quarter, the final 45 minutes were plagued with mistakes.
Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko, known for his defensive prowess, dialed up blitzes and got pressure on Green, sacking the Boise State transfer three times and forcing many inaccurate throws.
In the second quarter, Green fumbled, and the Aggies (4-1, 2-0 SEC) took advantage. Reed found the end zone on a five-yard scramble to tie the game 14-14 with 8:58 to play.
Arkansas had only 42 yards of offense and three first downs in the second quarter, as the game entered halftime tied for only the second time in Southwest Classic history.
The Razorbacks came out of the break and added three points thanks to a 45-yard field goal by Kyle Ramsey to give Arkansas a 17-14 lead with 13:24 to play in the fourth quarter.
Four minutes later, Texas A&M secured its first lead of the game on a five-yard touchdown pass from Reed to tight end Tre Watson, putting the Aggies ahead 21-17.
With their back against the ropes, Arkansas got the ball back with 2:44 to play but couldn't turn it into points, falling to the Aggies for the 10th time in their last 11 meetings.
Arkansas returns to action on Oct. 5 against No. 5 Tennessee. Coverage from Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville begins at 6:30 p.m. on ABC.