FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Texas A&M football escaped a hostile road environment with a victory.
Despite the defense’s lackluster performance and the back-and-forth nature of a game featuring over 1,000 yards of offense and more than 80 points scored, the Aggies outlasted the Razorbacks 45-42 to achieve their first 7-0 start since 1994.
The offense had to perform at a high level to secure the narrow win in the highest Southwest Classic game in eight years. A&M has now won four straight in the series and 13 of the last 14.
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Heading into Week 9, A&M has a strong chance of being ranked inside the top three in the national polls thanks to Miami’s upset loss. Next up in this stretch of three straight on the road is LSU.
Here’s how the Aggies graded in their Week 8 victory:
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MORE AGGIES: Highly ranked Aggies beat Razorbacks 45-42
Texas A&M football Week 8 grades
Quarterbacks: A+
Saturday night was easily Marcel Reed‘s best game of the season.
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The redshirt sophomore finished the night 23-for-32, passing for 280 yards and four total touchdowns, including three through the air. He took no sacks for the second straight week. and gained 55 yards on six carries. His 72% completion percentage is Reed’s highest yet in 15 career starts.
In a night when the defense needed all the help it could get, Reed committed no turnovers and led just two drives that ended in a punt.
Running backs: A
There were questions surrounding what A&M’s running game could look like without Le’Veon Moss. Although it wasn’t the team’s most explosive performance of the season, the Aggies used a diverse set of rushers to gain 217 yards and three touchdowns. Running backs accounted for 137 of those yards on 25 attempts.
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Rueben Owens II led with 14 carries for 69 yards and two touchdowns. EJ Smith was just as effective, gaining 52 yards on seven carries, including a crucial 2-yard run on fourth-and-1 late in the fourth quarter that kept an eventual touchdown drive alive.
In total, four backs touched the ball.
Texas A&M running back Rueben Owens II (4) breaks through the Arkansas defense to score a touchdown during the second half Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Fayetteville, Ark.
Michael Woods/Associated Press
Receivers: B+
While the usual suspects Mario Craver and KC Concpecion made their presence felt Saturday, others in the wide receiver room stepped up significantly against Arkansas.
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Sophomore Ashton Bethel-Roman finished the night with a team-high 83 receiving yards and a touchdown on four catches. Bethel-Roman caught a 37-yard pass on second-and-10 during A&M’s final scoring drive, putting the Aggies in plus territory.
Four different receivers caught at least one pass, with Craver, Concepcion and Bethel-Roman each collecting at least three.
Tight ends: B-
Nate Boerkircher scored a touchdown, his second of the season. He accounted for four of the tight ends’ five receptions, and much of their contribution came from blocking in the run game.
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The group continues to take pride in its ability to block at the point of attack, and with several two-tight end sets deployed throughout the game, they’ve become a vital part of the run game this season. The Aggies have now topped 200 yards rushing in three of four SEC games.
Offensive line: A
Another stellar performance by the big guys upfront.
Texas A&M running back Rueben Owens II celebrates with offensive lineman Chase Bisontis after scoring a touchdown in the second half against Arkansas on Oct. 18, 2025 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. The Aggies won 45-42.
Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
No sacks were allowed as A&M finished just three yards shy of 500 yards of total offense and consistently gave Reed plenty of time to read the defense and make plays downfield.
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As a team, the Aggies averaged 6.2 yards per carry and 12.1 yards per reception, a true testament to the offensive line’s effort against Arkansas.
Defensive line: C+
A&M finished the night with four total sacks, three of which came from the defensive line.
All three sacks occurred in the second half as Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green kept breaking out of tackles and extending plays, making things difficult for the Aggies’ pass rush.
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However, late in the fourth quarter, with the game on the line, Dayon Hayes and Cashius Howell combined for half a sack each to force a punt and help secure the victory.
Texas A&M defensive end Dayon Hayes (right) tackles Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. during the second half Oct. 18, 2025, in Fayetteville, Ark.
Michael Woods/Associated Press
Linebackers: C-
Over the last three weeks, the combined efforts of Taurean York and Daymion Sanford have consistently contributed to the stat sheet.
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Week 8 didn’t produce their usual impressive numbers; the pair finished with seven total tackles and one for a loss. At times, it seemed they were in the wrong gaps during run fits, and safety Marcus Ratcliffe acknowledged this after the game.
“Misfits in the run game are exactly that,” Ratcliffe said. “It’s a misfit of one person should be in another gap.”
Consequently, Arkansas rushed for 268 yards, the most A&M has allowed this season.
Defensive backs: C+
Outside of Arkansas wide receiver O’Mega Blake finishing with 118 yards and one touchdown on seven receptions, the defensive back group played a solid game. Will Lee II and Julio Humphrey were each credited with a pass defensed.
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Three wide receivers caught passes, with the other two combining for 69 yards and seven receptions. Green finished with 256 yards and averaged 13.4 per attempt.
Special teams: A
There wasn’t much opportunity for the punt game to be a major factor since both teams only punted twice each. A&M returned just one kickoff, too. Sophomore Tyler White finished with an average of 46½ yards per punt, including a long of 51 yards.
Place kicker Randy Bond went 1-for-1 on field goals and was perfect 6-for-6 on point-after attempts.
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Coaching staff: A
Another strong performance by head coach Mike Elko and his staff. The Aggies saw an increase in penalties to seven from the three last week, but they still managed to win an SEC road game even though the defense didn’t play at its best.
Offensive coordinator Collin Klein is showing his ability to create favorable situations for his quarterback, leading to an incredibly efficient offensive performance. A&M had more touchdowns (six) than drives that didn’t end with a score.
On defense, Elko and his staff are finding ways to make timely plays, as evidenced by the aforementioned sack.
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Coming out of halftime, the defense forced a three-and-out and then Arkansas punted again with 6:52 remaining, both critical drives that influenced the game’s outcome.
With a nationally televised test looming next week against LSU, Elko’s team has proven it can win in many different ways.
Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
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