FAYETTEVILLE -- Defensive tackle Cam Ball and the Razorbacks got off to a good start in the SEC with a road win at Auburn.

Now they head to AT&T Stadium in Arlington to face No. 24 Texas A&M. In four games, Ball has 12 tackles, including eight solo. He's excited to face the Aggies.

"Oh man, I feel good," Ball said. "I'm psyched about it. Any opportunity and chance I’ve got to go into that stadium, it's a surreal feeling. And to just know that this is the last year and to know that we haven't won [since 2021], this is the last year, so we can go out with a bang and end it off just like that."

Several of Ball's teammates are from Texas. Ball knows they are extra motivated for the game.

"I know it means a lot to them and especially to the teammates that weren’t fortunate enough to have the Texas A&M offer out of high school, so they make it a little more personal," Ball said. "But I know it means the world to them just as if I was playing back home in Atlanta."

This past Saturday Arkansas went into Auburn and won 24-14 after losing to Auburn 48-10 lsat season. Ball talked about the locker room after the Auburn win.

"I can say that it was a pretty good feeling," Ball said. "We were all partying and turning up, but then reality kicked in and the 24-hour rule started coming into play. We knew that we had to go ahead and just put that win behind us and prepare for A&M the very next day."

Ball was impressed with Arkansas safety TJ Metcalf who was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

"To think about his effort, it was surreal just seeing him," Ball said. "We talked before the game and, like I said before, we’ve got Dallas this weekend and we’ve got a couple of Texas kids. Auburn was a school that played with TJ a lot coming out of high school. Didn’t really give him the offer, but kept putting him on visits. So he already made up in his mind that it was personal. It was very much personal for him. You can tell just by what he did. TJ is a good kid, man. He knew, just like the rest of us, after the 24-hour rule, it’s onto A&M as well."

Metcalf is part of an Arkansas secondary that has played without Jaylon Braxton, considered the best cornerback on the team, and safety Hudson Clark much of the season. Braxton was injured against Oklahoma State and hasn't played since then.

"I would just say they're one of the most closest groups on the team," Ball said. "The back end, they do a lot of things together on and off the field. They hang out with each other.  Just to see the depth that we have, not necessarily in an emergency standpoint, but just to see that we do have depth. And if one goes down, next man up, and that we have the guys for it."

Ball was a freshman at Arkansas in 2021 so even though he was on team the defensive tackle wasn't part of the group that beat the Aggies.

"Unfortunately, my freshman year, I didn't get a chance to go down there," Ball said. "So, I won just like the rest of my teammates, but come this weekend, you know, it's going to be an even different feeling when I can actually, like, grasp the trophy and not just see it in a trophy case, man. But just the past two years, we should have finished. We know we didn't play our best game, and it's enough motivation already that this will be the last time we play in the stadium. So, that's my motivation going to this weekend. I want that trophy."

The Arkansas defense had issues forcing turnovers prior to the Auburn game, but managed five in that contest.

"I can say, it's a different feeling," Ball said. "Just going out there, having takeaways in the game, you know, it's just the momentum for not only us, but for the offense as well because we know if we get a good three-and-out or get a takeaway or turnover, we know our offense is going to go down the field and execute. So, it motivates the both sides of the ball."

Ball also had a good laugh about quarterback Taylen Green trying to hurdle an Auburn defender on Saturday.

"Taylen, he's about, about 6-7, 6-8 but he really don't have a lot of vert," Ball said. "Me personally, if it was me, I would've cleared it. But Taylen is a little… he don't really have a lot of jump, bounce to him, but I'm working with him on it. So next time be aware, if he does it again, it's because of me. 

"I thought it was pretty cool. Taylen’s athletic. He's athletic enough to do it. You know what I'm saying? Just I got to get with him on his bounce a little bit. That's about it. He got it in him, though. He got it in him."

The Razorbacks will face Texas A&M on Saturday in Arlington's AT&T Stadium with the kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.