Few college football rivalries can match the excitement of Texas A&M and Arkansas in the Southwest Classic, and Saturday’s final hosting of the game at AT&T Stadium was proof of that. The Aggies defeated the Razorbacks 21-17, earning their 12th win in the programs’ last 13 meetings.

Here are five takeaways from A&M’s win:

A fitting end to the Southwest Classic in Arlington

In the Southwest Classic’s final season before returning to campus, there couldn’t have been a more fitting end to a 13-year run at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. The game was neck-and-neck the entire time and there was a rush in the fourth quarter.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed’s five-yard touchdown keeper tied the game at 14 with nine minutes left in the second quarter until a 45-yard field goal by Arkansas redshirt senior kicker Kyle Ramsey made it 13: 24 in the game ended.

Fresno State transfer tight end Tre Watson’s first score as an Aggie couldn’t have come at a more opportune time when he scored a five-yard touchdown with nine minutes left. From there, A&M’s defense tightened up, culminating when Purdue transfer defensive end Nic Scourton strip-sacked Boise State transfer quarterback Taylen Green to secure the win.

We hope the excitement of the rivalry carries over to the trip to College Station and Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Photos: Aggies defeat Arkansas in Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium

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Le’Veon Moss breathes life into the Aggies’ offense

A&M’s offensive attack looked stale for most of the second quarter and all of the third quarter, with the Aggies’ five complete drives ending in punts each time. Junior running back Le’Veon Moss, wearing tension green cleats, was the energizer for A&M when he scored the game-winning goal.

With just under 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Moss completed three consecutive runs of 23, 8 and 15 yards before Reed Watson hit for the touchdown. Moss continued his fourth-quarter push on the Aggies’ next possession, rushing 30 yards down the sideline before a facemask penalty added 15 more yards.

Two more 7-yard gains increased Moss’s receiving total to a season-high 117 yards and an average of nine yards per carry. His performance came against the SEC’s fourth-best rush defense, with the Razorbacks allowing just 82.3 yards on the ground Saturday.

Moss has only scored three touchdowns this season, but his offensive impact is undeniable with over 100 yards in every conference matchup.

A&M’s sales strength was on display

Elko has talked about how winning the turnover battle in games is beneficial to success in the SEC. That game plan worked for A&M in its win over Florida on Sept. 14, when the Aggies threw three interceptions without committing any turnovers.

A&M once again prevailed in the turnover battle with a 3-0 lead. Florida transfer linebacker Scooby Williams recovered a fumble and Alabama transfer cornerback Dezz Ricks intercepted a pass in the first half as the Aggies kept the ball themselves without any turnovers.

Still, no turnover was bigger than Scourton’s strip sack of Green with a minute and a half left. Florida transfer nickel defenseman Jaydon Hill flew in for the recovery, effectively sealing an A&M win as the Aggies took over Razorback territory.

Junior defensive back Shemar Stewart forced the fumble in the second quarter by breaking up a handoff from Green to Jackson, paving the way for a 5-yard score two plays later. A&M didn’t score any points from Ricks’ pick, but it did prevent Arkansas from scoring in a closely contested game before halftime.

Tyler White was the Aggies’ most valuable player

It was one of those games where the player was A&M’s most influential player, and why not? White hit the ball nine times for 388 yards, an average of 43.1 yards per kick. That’s not a jaw-dropping statistic, but the redshirt freshman from Southlake scored seven punts inside the Arkansas 20-yard line, ensuring the Razorbacks never got easy field position.

White’s stats won’t be as sexy as those of Moss, Scourton and junior wide receiver Noah Thomas, but his performance played just as big, if not bigger, a role in the Aggies escaping Arlington with a win. Elko’s focus on special teams success is already paying off.

A&M’s run defense continues to show improvement

The Aggies held their third straight opponent to 100 rushing yards or fewer, and the Razorbacks’ 100 yards looks even more impressive as Arkansas previously averaged 240 rushing yards per game. The dual-threat Green was limited to 12 yards on 12 carries, while Utah transfer RB Ja’Quinden Jackson managed just 37 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

A&M’s run defense is looking better every week after giving up 198 and 180 rushing yards, respectively, to Notre Dame and McNeese State in the first two weeks of the season. Scourton and Hill each recorded sacks, with Scourton accounting for three of the Aggies’ nine tackles for loss.

Elko and defensive coordinator Jay Batman won’t be fans of the 279 yards and one touchdown allowed through the air, but it’s evidence that A&M has eliminated the running game for Arkansas.

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