Instant replay

Hogs lose safety for targeting

Arkansas coach Bret Bielema watches a replay after safety De'Andre Coley was flagged for targeting during a game against Texas A&M on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, in Arlington, Texas.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Arkansas junior safety DeAndre Coley was penalized for targeting and ejected with 6:47 to play in the second quarter of the Razorbacks' game against Texas A&M on Saturday night.

Coley hit Aggies wide receiver Speedy Noil after an incomplete pass from Trevor Knight -- with cornerback Ryan Pulley on the coverage along the sideline -- on a third-and-7 play from the Texas A&M 4-yard line.

Officials ruled it not only was a late hit but also that Coley targeted Noil with a helmet-to-helmet hit. The call on the field was upheld after a review by the replay officials.

Instead of the Aggies punting from their end zone, they had a first and 10 at their 19.

Texas A&M then drove to the Arkansas 30, and Daniel LaCamera hit a 48-yard field goal to tie the game 10-10.

Sad news

Mike Bender, a former Arkansas player and assistant coach, died Friday at his home in Hot Springs. He was 73.

Bender was an All-Southwest Conference guard for the Razorbacks as a senior in 1965. He returned to Arkansas to become the offensive line coach for coach Danny Ford for three seasons from 1995-1997.

If at first ...

Arkansas wanted a better angle for kicker Cole Hedlund on a 20-yard field goal attempt from the left hash mark during the second quarter, so the Razorbacks were called for delay of game.

Texas A&M, not wanting to give Hedlund any help, declined the penalty.

So Arkansas offensive tackle Dan Skipper then moved to draw a false start penalty, which can't be declined.

Given a little more operating room, Hedlund hit a 25-yard field goal to put the Razorbacks ahead 10-7.

For starters

Arkansas redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Brian Wallace made his first career start, replacing Colton Jackson at right tackle.

Jackson, a redshirt freshman, started the first three games.

Juniors Frank Ragnow and Jake Raulerson were back at center and right guard, respectively -- where they started the first two games -- after swapping spots in the starting lineup last week against Texas State.

Nice office

During an interview with the SEC Network this week, Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema was asked to name the single greatest thing that exists inside AT&T Stadium that people would never know about.

"Well, the head coach's locker room is pretty pimp, I've got to admit," Bielema said. "You've got your own little area there to kick back, relax.

"But the best part of that locker room by far would be a postgame celebration with a win."

The crowd

The announced attendance for Saturday night's game was 67,751, which ranks fourth in the teams' six games at AT&T Stadium.

The largest crowd at the venue for an Arkansas-Texas A&M matchup -- 71,872 -- was for their first game in 2009.

Other crowds were 65,622 in 2010, 69,836 in 2011, 68,113 in 2014 and 67,339 in 2015.

Flag bearers

Sophomore tailback Rawleigh Williams carried the United States flag and senior wide receiver Drew Morgan carried the Arkansas flag when the Razorbacks ran onto the field before the game.

Up to 23

Austin Allen's 15-yard touchdown pass to Keon Hatcher in the first quarter extended Hatcher's streak to 23 games in which he's had a catch that went for a first down.

Raulerson gets shot at Aggies

Jake Raulerson had to leave Texas for Arkansas to play against Texas A&M.

Raulerson, an offensive lineman, began his career at Texas and played the previous two seasons for the Longhorns before coming to Arkansas this year as a graduate transfer with immediate eligibility.

The Texas-Texas A&M game used to be among college football's fiercest rivalries, but the teams stopped playing when the Aggies left the Big 12 Conference and joined the SEC for the 2012 season.

So while the Aggies and Longhorns continue to ignore each other, Raulerson -- who is from Celine, Texas -- finally got to play against Texas A&M.

Hammonds at Wildcat

Arkansas freshman tailback T.J. Hammonds was set to take a direct snap on a third-and-3 play from the Aggies 46 in the second quarter, but he never got a chance to show what he could do.

Brian Wallace was called for a false-start penalty, and with Arkansas facing third and 8, Austin Allen was back at quarterback.

Allen passed to Jared Cornelius for a 38-yard gain to the Texas A&M 8.

Rawleigh Williams then ran for a touchdown a 17-10 lead for Arkansas.

Late start

The 8:15 p.m. start for the Arkansas-Texas A&M game was the latest for the Razorbacks since 2005, when their game at Southern California started at 9:25 p.m.

The No. 1-ranked Trojans won the game 70-17.

With the starting time so late Saturday night, the Razorbacks came to AT&T Stadium at 11 a.m. to give the players a chance to stretch their legs.

Arkansas will start its next game nine hours earlier than the kickoff against Texas A&M when the Razorbacks play Alcorn State at 11 a.m. Saturday in Little Rock.

In Arlington for a while

Arkansas and Texas A&M played against each other in AT&T Stadium for the sixth time Saturday night.

The teams are scheduled to continue to meet in Arlington through the 2024 season.

"It's a win for Arkansas," Razorbacks Athletic Director Jeff Long said of the neutral site game. "It gets us into our largest fan base outside the state of Arkansas.

"The recruiting down there is very important, and it's not just recruiting of athletes, it's recruiting of students. We're getting a large number of high-quality students out of the Dallas area."

Arkansas and Texas A&M played three nonconference games in AT&T Stadium from 2009-2011 before the Aggies left the Big 12 Conference for the SEC.

At Texas A&M's insistence, the series was played on a home-and-home basis the Aggies' first two seasons in the SEC -- at College Station in 2012 and Fayetteville in 2013 -- before returning to Arlington.

Sports on 09/25/2016