For the fourth straight year, Arkansas will be facing a new Texas A&M starting quarterback when the two teams meet up Saturday in Arlington, Texas, in the annual Southwest Classic.
It will be former Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight at the helm of the No. 10 Aggies (3-0, 1-0) this time as he follows Johnny Manziel, Kenny Hill and Kyle Allen as signal callers who have all beaten the No. 17 Razorbacks (3-0, 0-0) the past three years.
The last two of those games have been overtime losses in Arlington.
“Offensively, they have a senior quarterback who even though he hasn't been playing at A&M, he's got a lot of experience,” Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema said on Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference. “He doesn't really get rattled. He's got a great group of wide receivers around him that understand the game and they've designed it that way.
“…The addition to this year's game is the running game. Without a doubt, they've got two or three running backs that go through there as well as the quarterback. They can run it. That's easy to see, and then defensively, they have two edge players that are as good as there is in college football and to support them, great linebackers who play extremely hard, are gifted athletes, and then a secondary that attacks the ball and attacks ball carriers like no other.
“I think those things, and the kicking game, he's got a great kicker (sophomore Daniel LaCamara) who doesn't give you a chance to return the ball. And whoever they want to put back as return guys, they've got more speed than the Olympics. I think there's a lot of really good things they have working for them.”
Bielema is happy to finally be playing an SEC game, something every other league team has already done.
The two teams will play at 8 p.m. in a game that will be nationally televised by ESPN from the Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“We're excited to get into SEC play,” Bielema said. “Everybody else has been able to do it but us, so we've been excited about this one. Obviously, a chance to play our third straight team from the state of Texas. We had TCU two weeks back and then Texas State.
“A&M, I have a lot of respect for Kevin and his program and what he's built there. I think this unit on film is talented and as deep as we've seen out of them and excited about the challenge.
“Really kinda cool to go into Jerry World and have an opportunity to play in AT&T Stadium and that environment against a very good football team, two ranked teams and the world will be watching. I think our guys are excited about the stage and hopefully we can play well.”
The Razorbacks’ rushing game has been led by sophomore and Dallas native Rawleigh Williams III, who has flourished this season after suffering a season-ending neck injury a year ago.
Williams has rushed 71 times for 354 yards with three touchdowns with a long gain of 37 yards and an average of five yards per carry and Bielema was asked if that production had surprised him.
“It has, but it hasn’t,” Bielema said. “If you've been around Rawleigh, and obviously the demeanor in which he lives life. Kinda the same way he came back from the injury, it's the same way he's progressed through his football career.
“That's the part, I forget where the Auburn game was last year, but he didn't play a lot in those first couple games, was just starting to get in rhythm and then to get knocked out cold turkey and didn't play the rest of the year, and then obviously coming back from a major surgery, now to be three games under his belt into his sophomore year, we're just beginning to scratch the surface.
“He hadn't played a lot of football. His reads, his dynamics. His ability to affect the game when he doesn't have the ball in his hands in pass pro or a receiver or just another part of our offense is pretty amazing.
Bielema complimented running backs coach Reggie Mitchell and offensive coordinator Dan Enos for putting Williams in a position to succeed.
“I think him and Reggie (Mitchell) have done a nice job," Bielema said, "our running back coach has come in and done a lot of really good things with him as well and Dan Enos I know is a guy that in my opinion uses his player strengths as good as anybody and he uses Rawleigh to the fullest.”