ARLINGTON, Texas — In the second quarter of Arkansas’ 23-21 loss to Texas A&M, it looked as if the Razorbacks were about to cruise to a victory behind an offense moving the ball at will.
Arkansas' offense racked up 282 yards in the game’s first 26 minutes and was on the doorstep of punching in its third touchdown of the half. Texas A&M flipped all the momentum in a play that will live in infamy for the Hogs.
With the Arkansas leading 14-7 at the Aggies’ 3-yard line, KJ Jefferson dove forward but had the ball knocked out of his hands. Texas A&M defensive back Tyreek Chappell picked it up in midair, darted to the 15, then while wrapped up by Raheim Sanders, handed it off to Demani Richardson.
The rest is bitter history for the Razorbacks. Richardson took it all the way down the sideline for a score. It was an instant 13-point swing and gave the Aggies new life.
“I don’t know if it saved it (the game),” Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said of the play, “but it made it a lot easier to win.”
It narrowed the Arkansas lead to 14-13 at halftime. Game-changing plays like the fumble recovery is something Fisher said his team was missing before Saturday night.
“Two or three weeks ago we didn’t make those plays,” Fisher said. “We had plays to make, had a kick to make...We could be sitting there undefeated, be top five in the country, and still be the same football team. We learned to gut it out."
The Aggies' fumble recovery touchdown seemed to shock the Razorbacks. The next three Arkansas possessions resulted in punts, combining for just 19 yards on 11 snaps.
“That was probably the (most clutch) play of the game,” Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson said.
The Aggies' offense saw an uptick in production after the play. They kept their energy rolling in the third quarter and scored on the opening drive. It gave Texas A&M its first lead and the Aggies never relinquished it.
“It was a big momentum change,” Texas A&M running back Devon Achane said. “For them to go and put up some points on the board, it helped us a lot tonight…They score there and it puts us even in more of a hole.”
Achane, who rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown, highlighted the Aggies offense that totaled 154 third-quarter yards.
“It was this thing called execution,” Fisher said of the Aggies’ offense improving through the game. “Relaxing, not having the nerves in the same calls and same plays.”
While Fisher said he wished his team was undefeated, he acknowledged the benefit of playing ranked teams in back-to-back weeks. The Aggies defeated Miami 17-9 at home last week.
“Thank God we had those two teams,” Fisher said. “And thank God we have Mississippi State next week…You jump in this schedule we have and this league, you get humbled real quick. We’ve had great opponents which made us step up and play.
“There’s heart and character in these guys. And there’s want-to, and there’s competitiveness and talent. They can make plays. We just have to learn to be consistent, and learn to take a deep breath and let one play happen at a time.”