FAYETTEVILLE — Austin Allen knows Arkansas has beaten Texas A&M. He recalls some great games against the Aggies.
Yes, Arkansas leads the series with A&M, 41-29-3. It's just that none of those victories took place during Allen's previous four seasons on the UA squad.
“We haven't beat them and this is my last chance,” Allen said. “It's four straight. We had our chances, but we didn't get them.”
Allen said it's time. If it's going to happen, it will be because the Hogs loosen up and find their magic. That's what center Frank Ragnow thinks it's going to take.
“We were playing tight against TCU,” Ragnow said Tuesday. “We've got to get our mojo, be exciting and quit playing tight. We are not that far away.”
That seemed to be the message from several corners of the media room Tuesday. Allen said he needs to be the one to lead the charge with a burst of energy.
“I think we came out tight, trying not to make mistakes against TCU,” Allen said. “As leaders, me and Frank need to show some energy.
“I have been told I was putting too much pressure on myself. I can see that looking back. I just have to go make it a game. That's all it is. Football is supposed to be fun and I'm going to just cut it loose.”
Offensive line coach Kurt Anderson said tightness just leads to more tightness.
“You make a mistake and you worry about it,” he said. “I've played in college and in the NFL. I've had sacks and it didn't cause the team to lose. So one mistake isn't going to be the end of the world. So go play and cut it loose.
“That's what we talked about in the bye week. You can't play with scared money. Throw it all out there. Cut it loose.
“I think we can get our mojo back. You hit a play here or there, and you get momentum on your side. We were a play or two away from doing that in our last game.
“What I know, we are some little things away from getting our mojo back. We worked on those things in the bye week. You hit a deep shot, punch it in a couple of times, hit a few field goals and things are different. I think we are a good team. One game is not going to define us.”
There seemed to be some energy in the room Tuesday. Allen said there is excitement from the Cowboys-inspired jerseys unveiled last weekend.
“It's the start of SEC play,” he said. “We've got the new uniforms. We all think they are cool. There are a lot of players on our team who are Cowboys fans. So they love them. I think we were all a bit taken back about how cool they really were. So we've got those, we are playing in Jerry's World. There are a lot of things to be excited about.”
That doesn't mean the Aggies will be a pushover. Allen sees a great challenge in the scheme and the talent level with the defense this week.
“They got after me last year,” Allen said. “But we did pile up a lot of yards. We just didn't finish inside the 5-yard line. They bring a lot of pressures and they are good. But when I looked at the tape this week, I remember how close we were in a lot of those situations.
“We've worked a lot the last two weeks on the critical areas, inside the red zone and on the goal line. We always do, but we emphasized it a lot this past week.”
It's about taking the practice to the game. Anderson said the Hogs were close to perfect in the week leading up to the TCU game.
“That was the fewest mental errors I can recall in preparation,” Anderson said. “But, preparation is just that; it's not a game. You are judged on your game performance. We have to execute better this week.”
There are hints that the Hogs might rotate some fresh bodies in the offensive line. Could it be that guard Jake Raulerson and tackle Brian Wallace, the best of the backups, get some snaps?
“We've looked at that,” Anderson said. “We've talked about maybe Colton Jackson getting some rest (at left tackle).”
But there was a reminder that Wallace is still making mistakes in practice. He was the starter from the A&M game to season's end last year, but went to the bench late in preseason camp.
“Brian continues to do good things in practice,” Anderson said. “But he needs to be consistent in his assignments. He'll have a good period, then he'll start out the next period with a critical mistake that would put the team in a bad position.
“Brian has made some great strides. But there are still some issues – and maybe it's conditioning – where he isn't doing things right. I've worked with him after practice to try to solve some of those issues.
“But we might get some of those backups out there. That might give us some fresh legs. We are comfortable with doing that. We have some backups we really think have stepped up.”
The tough part is that there is a lot to learn about the A&M defense.
“Yes, they are complex,”Anderson said. “They aren't one thing. They are an under-front, an over-front. They have good inside tackles. They have good ends. They lost the No. 1 overall pick at end and they still have a couple of senior ends who are very good.
“You don't see a drop in their front. They have speed with their linebackers and they can shoot some gaps. They have a multitude of fronts.”
It's a challenge the Hogs seem excited about, even glad that there is an early start. Game time is 11 a.m.
“I think our guys are glad about the early start,” Anderson said. “I am for sure. I think we all want to get at it as soon as possible to get rid of that bad taste from the last game.”