FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas finally played a game with no turnovers, but once again the defense couldn't do much to help the offense.
Arkansas fell to No. 4 Texas A&M 45-42 on Saturday in Razorback Stadium. Arkansas had 527 yards of total offense to 497 for the Aggies, but when the Razorbacks needed a stop they seldom got one. The exception was late in first half when Arkansas scored two touchdowns in the final 1:51 to pull within 21-20 heading to intermission. But the Aggies stretched the lead to 31-20 in the third quarter. It was Bobby Petrino's second game as interim head coach.
"When you play a game like that, it was a heck of a football game," Petrino said. "For the second week in a row, our guys competed hard, but that's not what we're out there to try to do. We're out there to try to win. And one thing I wanted to make clear in the in the locker room was that it's a team loss. The offense's job is to outscore them by at least one point. The defense's job is to hold them to one less point, and special teams have got to give us some plays. So, we didn't we didn't accomplish that. I am proud of how hard they competed. I'm proud of how hard they prepared for it, and the fact that we continued to come back and get in a position to give us a chance.
"We're just making too many mistakes right now to be able to just score every time we have the ball. And defensively, we came up with some stops, at times. We defended the run better, at times, but then we rushed past the quarterback a number of times, and a guy that can run like that, you can't rush past the quarterback. We had our defensive tackles and ends, at least four times, all past the depth of the quarterback and ended up killing us with that. So, a lot of good. There's a lot of things to correct. One thing's for sure; we're going to keep working hard at it. We're going to have a good attitude, and we're going to keep competing and find a way to win."
Another problem on Saturday was nine penalties for 74 yards. A&M had seven for 67, but the timing of Arkansas' seemed to be a problem all day. This came one week after only getting one penalty against Tennessee. As Arkansas has done much of the time in the five losses they have had to play from behind. That was the case against both Tennessee and A&M.
"Yeah, I just kept waiting for a turnover," Petrino said. "At some point, we're going to get some turnovers. So, I felt like you get in that position, that we have a chance opportunity to get a turnover, and something good will happen. And obviously, they're a very good football team, and they're executing very well on offense right now, and we just weren't able to get the ball out."
Quarterback Taylen Green had another big game. He completed 19 of 32 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns. Green also rushed 11 times for 86 yards and two more touchdowns. He provided a scare when he was helped off the field with 12:20 remaining in the first half. However, Green only missed one play and came back the next time the Hogs had the football.
"He’s tough as they come," Petrino said. "He competed extremely hard, threw the ball, ran the ball, operated the offense. Changed protections, did everything he possibly could do to get us the win. So, to be able to come back in the game like that, I didn’t know how hurt he was until the trainer came and talked to me. I was a little bit surprised that he was going to be able to come back into the game, but when he did it was full speed and ready to go."
Green explained the injury that happened to him on the play that lost three yards.
"I just had a collision with the defender," Green said. "It was like a knee-to-knee collision. Went into the tent and just doing the examinations, and I was good. I wanted to go back and play. They just put a brace on it. I just went out there and played. I don’t think it’s anything major."
Some speculated if Arkansas lost to A&M that the players would let go of the rope on the season. Petrino disputed that.
"We’re going to keep competing, no question about it," Petrino said. "These are good kids. They have stuck together and we’re going to keep building on this is not going to be the last time in their life they go through hard times. It’s going to mean a lot more when they have kids and the alarm clock goes off at 6 a.m. and they don’t feel good and get up and go to work and do a good job anyway. That’s what this is supposed to be about. So we’re just going to keep pounding at that. I feel good about them. Every time I talk to them, they’re very attentive and look me in the eyes. They want to win games. They want to win football games. We’ve got to give them a better opportunity as a staff to get that victory."
Green agreed with his coach.
"Definitely. Like I said, in the preseason, everybody's care factor and passion for each other and love for each other speak volumes and how close we are," Green said. "We have a lot of emotions just being frustrated and all that, but those are the times we just got to come together. Everybody that's been here since January or the other transfer portal window, that's what everybody… The blood, sweat and tears we put into it. Everybody loves when everybody is winning, but it's about how we respond."
Another player who had a big day was running back Mike Washington. He carried 16 times for 147 yards. Washington also caught three passes for 16 yards.
"First, I want to shout out the O-lineman," Washington said. "I'ma keep saying that. I've been saying that since day one. We have the best O-line in the country. And I'm going to stand 10 toes on that every day. Without them, the holes, they wouldn't have been there. I wouldn't have had 147 yards so big ups to them."
Arkansas (2-5, 0-3) will be home again on Saturday when they play host to Auburn (3-4, 0-4) at 11:45 a.m. on the SEC Network. Auburn fell to Missouri 23-17 Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
