Texas A&M Football: 5 takeaways from rivalry game vs. Arkansas
By Zach Bigalke
In a back-and-forth thriller, Texas A&M football beat Arkansas at AT&T Stadium in overtime. Here are five takeaways from the Aggies victory over the Razorbacks.
More: 5 reasons why Texas A&M was a lock to beat Arkansas in Week 4
The annual rivalry showdown between Arkansas and Texas A&M lived up to its billing as one of the early showcases on Saturday. Bret Bielema and Kevin Sumlin both needed a win to quiet the detractors calling for their heads. The Aggies and Razorbacks traded scores throughout a wild second half as the two offenses lit up the scoreboard at AT&T Stadium.
With a short field goal in the final seconds, Texas A&M tied the game at the end of regulation. The Aggies ultimately prevailed after extra play, but there is plenty to take away about both teams from this year’s Southwest Classic at Jerry World. Keep scrolling to read more about five things we learned about the Aggies and Razorbacks from their overtime thriller.
1. Young Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond is a legit SEC starter
Kellen Mond certainly wasn’t perfect on Saturday in Arlington. The Texas A&M freshman threw an interception that Arkansas turned into seven points. He also took a sack that killed another drive for the Aggies. In general, though, Mond offered solid quarterback play for Texas A&M as they moved to 3-1 on the season. The youngster showed why Kevin Sumlin is putting his job security in a freshman’s hands once again after hitting paydirt early in his A&M tenure with Johnny Manziel.
Mond threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns on 14-of-27 passing Saturday afternoon. He also ran the ball 10 times for 109 yards. Moving the ball effectively with both his arm and his legs, Mond helped lead the Aggies back from a halftime deficit to claim victory over the rival Razorbacks. He led the winning drive in the final minutes, converting a fourth-down throw along the way and hitting Christian Kirk for the go-ahead score that secured victory.
The dual-threat passer outplayed his veteran counterpart all day long. Mond played with poise and intelligence that belied his inexperience. As Texas A&M advances further into conference play this season, the freshman will continue to develop. Given the level of quarterback play in the SEC in recent years, he already looks like one of the best in the league.