ARLINGTON, Texas — After Arkansas' third series Saturday night, it looked like quarterback KJ Jefferson and the 10th-ranked Razorbacks’ offense had No. 23 Texas A&M figured out.
Less than 10 minutes into the game, Jefferson had a bounce in his step and a confidence about him following a pair of long touchdown passes to Ketron Jackson (32 yards) and Warren Thompson (56 yards). Seconds after Thompson crossed the goal line, Jefferson celebrated with a shoulder shimmy.
But after that point, the Razorbacks largely fizzled out offensively. Arkansas added only one score on its final eight drives in a painful, all-too-familiar 23-21 loss to the Aggies in AT&T Stadium.
“They started tackling us a little better,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “We missed a few passes in that time. We weren’t winning first down during that stretch. And A&M made some plays that they didn’t in the first (quarter).”
Arkansas finished the game with 3 three-and-out drives on offense, part of a fruitless six-series stretch that followed its final big-play score. The Razorbacks, between touchdowns in the first and fourth quarters, punted five times and lost a fumble inside the Texas A&M 5.
The loose ball was recovered by the Aggies and, after a lateral at the Aggies’ 18, returned 97 yards during a momentum-shifting moment.
To make matters worse, Arkansas during its dry spell turned in four series that failed to melt even 1 minute, 45 seconds off the clock. In the third quarter, the Razorbacks ran eight plays for 21 total yards.
Jefferson echoed his head coach when asked about the unit’s struggles. First-down performance was an issue.
“It's like we preach about getting the first first down and get rolling,” Jefferson said. “We weren't able to tempo. It kind of put our offense in a (bind) right there.
“Just being able to just come out and try to get that first first down each and every time we step on the field and finish drives (is key).”
It appeared the Razorbacks’ aim early was to attack the Aggies’ defense through the air. Jefferson completed 4 of 7 first-quarter passes for 99 yards and was 8 of 13 for 126 yards at halftime. He finished with 171 passing yards.
Jefferson attempted 6 passes in the second half, completing 4 for 45 yards. Arkansas ran the ball 21 times after the break for an average of 3.9 yards and on 54 plays overall.
Oklahoma transfer receiver Jadon Haselwood, who caught a team-high five passes for 56 yards, said he saw a shift in the Texas A&M defense after the Razorbacks’ explosive start.
“I say they ran a lot more zone after that,” he said. “After we got the pass game going a little bit, that kind of opened up the run a little bit.”
Jefferson also noticed a different defensive front from the Aggies.
“We just wanted to establish the run game more and then try to open up the passing game,” said Jefferson, who recorded his second career 100-yard rushing performance with 105 on 18 carries. “They made great adjustments. We’ve just got to bounce back.”
Arkansas was its own worst enemy at times offensively, getting in its own way on more than one occasion.
The Razorbacks fumbled five times and lost a fumble for the third time in four games. They also finished 1 of 3 in the red zone and went away from a hot hand, running back in Dominique Johnson, to throw gadget-type plays involving Malik Hornsby.
On three consecutive plays early in the second quarter, Johnson rushed for 12, 8 and 7 yards. The ensuing 3 plays lost 1 yard and forced an Arkansas punt at the Aggies’ 39.
Texas A&M, which did not record a first down in the first quarter, then went 93 yards in six plays to get on the scoreboard. It was the start to 23 unanswered points.
Pittman stood up for offensive coordinator Kendal Briles’ play calls.
“We’ve got an offensive coordinator, a damn good one,” he said. “Whatever we decide that we're going to do, we decide as a staff. I wished they would have worked, but they worked in practice.
“I’m not questioning his calls.”
Haselwood and Jefferson both said their attention has turned to Alabama, which visits Fayetteville next Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff on CBS.
"I'd say this probably put a little chip on our shoulder," Haselwood added. "You know, all we can do is work. It's not going to stop. College football is going to keep going. We've got to get better weekly."