Razorback report

A&M ends are focus this week

Texas A&M defensive lineman Daeshon Hall (10) gestures to the crowd during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Prairie View A&M Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Texas A&M defensive ends Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall are getting plenty of attention for Arkansas' game planning this week.

"They're big and they're long. Really long. They're quick twitch," Arkansas tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. said. "I guess if you were building a Madden team and you pick defensive ends, you would want them to look like that."

Garrett, the SEC sack leader with 12.5 last season, has three in three games this season. Hall, 6-6, 270 pounds, had seven sacks in 2015.

"Those are two future NFL players right there," Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen said. "They're great football players."

Garrett, a 6-5, 270-pounder, was relatively quiet in Texas A&M's 35-28 overtime victory against Arkansas last year until he swiped the ball free from quarterback Brandon Allen late in the fourth quarter. The Aggies recovered but missed a potential game-winning field goal.

"Myles is a guy that's physical," Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos said. "He uses his hands well. He's just obviously very disruptive. He can change the game very, very quickly.

"You can never, ever take that for granted. The way you design your offense or call the game, the fact that either one of those ends change the game at a moment's notice."

Enos said the Aggies have pitted Garrett against left tackles and Hall against right tackles.

"That's a huge advantage," he said. "It's hard to game plan for one guy. It's really hard to game plan for two. That's the conundrum they put you in with having both of those guys."

Arkansas offensive lineman Frank Ragnow called the Aggies linemen freakish athletes.

"They present a ton of problems," Ragnow said. "We're calling this a two-chinstrap game because you need two chinstraps because their guys are coming after you and they'll find you."

Said offensive line coach Kurt Anderson, "You can't allow all the external things, crowd noise, fatigue, anything, that can make a player change one single rep, because one single rep with these guys can change a game."

An inch short

Keon Hatcher nearly scored a second touchdown last week on a long pass from Austin Allen. The on-field officials called the play a touchdown, but the replay official ruled Hatcher down inside the 1-yard line for a 73-yard catch and run.

"Oh man, I was so hurt after that," Hatcher said, smiling. "I really put that on me. I've got to punch that in. That won't happen again, I can promise you that."

September champs

A win for No. 10 Texas A&M (3-0) on Saturday would give the Aggies their third consecutive perfect record in September.

The Aggies got off to a 5-0 start in 2014 and were ranked as high as No. 6 before finishing 8-5. The 2015 team was 4-0 in September and peaked with a No. 9 ranking at 5-0 before losing five of its last eight games and finishing 8-5.

Texas A&M is 11-0 in September the last three seasons, while Arkansas is 7-4, with two of the losses to the Aggies.

Secondary concern

Arkansas receivers coach Michael Smith said Texas A&M's secondary is loaded with veterans and good players, particularly at safety, with Armani Watts and Justin Evans, and nickel back Donovan Wilson.

"I recruited Donovan Wilson," Smith said. "Unbelievable football player. Played his tail off last year and was an All-SEC performer.

"The Evans kid just got SEC player of the week. Armani Watts, another talented, talented safety. They're probably the best group of safeties, which makes their secondary one of the best in this league. And I'm not taking away from their corners, because they've got really good corners.

"We've got to account for their safeties in the running game. They're aggressive. They play downhill and they do a great job of reading things with their eyes between the pass and run."

Slobber trenches

Arkansas offensive line coach Kurt Anderson said Texas A&M has an extensive odd-front package for third downs and that preparing for the Aggies is a huge challenge.

"In my opinion, watching them, I think you're hard pressed to find better ends and a better front four in the country," Anderson said. "It's going to be a great challenge for our guys. One that we're going to have to strap it up and bring two chin straps, because you're gonna bust the first one and you're gonna have to put the next one on because it's gonna be a slobberknocker."

Sports on 09/22/2016