Gameday Extra

10.31.2020 PITTMAN KNOWS RECRUITING TEXAS IMPORTANT Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman and his staff have inspired their players and taken care of some losing streaks this season, including 20 straight SEC losses and no home SEC wins in four years. While they can feel good about moving a slight notch ahead of Ole Miss and Mississippi State and their felliow new coaches in the league hierarchy this season, the next step is to close the gap against Texas A&M. The Razorbacks (2-2) and Aggies (3-1) have played the last 11 years with Arkansas winning the first three contests at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, but Texas A&M claiming the last eight games in the series, beginning with a 58-10 blowout in College Station in 2012. While the Razorbacks have played close in and had chances to win some of those games, the Aggies have owned the series, be it nine times at AT&T Stadium or one game each in Fayetteville or College Station. So how did it get here? I'll take recruiting, particularly the lack of Arkansas doing so in Texas as one of the chief reasons in its futility against Texas A&M. "Location-wise, A&M would recruit a lot of the same players that we do or vice versa, however you want to put it," Pittman said earlier this week when asked about bumping heads with the Aggie coaching staff on the recruiting trail. "Obviously they have great facilities and a very fine football staff. So we have to recruit against them quite often." No doubt, Pittman gets the importance of recruiting Texas. While he may have been born in Oklahoma, he adopted Arkansas as his favorite team in his youth, wanted to play for the Razorbacks and even had a vacation and retirement home in the state before he ws even hired for what he calls his dream head coaching job. He knows the benefits of mining the talent of Texas and how important that state's talent has been to the Arkansas football program over the years. "I know full well that some of the best Razorback football players have come from the state of Arkansas and the state of Texas," Pittman said. "You can be sure those are two of the states we are going to recruit hard." Former coach and Texas native Chad Morris and Pittman have combined to land or gets pledges from 18 Lone Star prospects from 2017-2021, double what the program landed in the previous five-year time span. It was believed by most so-called college football experts - and myself - that Texas A&M beginning play in the SEC in 2012 would help Arkansas' recruiting in the Lone Star state. That didn't happen, but one could argue that former Razorback head coach Bret Bielema just simply dropped the ball while all but abandoning recruiting in Texas. That's one reason the slide toward mediocrity started. Bielema talked about how important Texas was, but then didn't walk the walk. His reported dissing of Texas high school football and their spread offenses at a 2015 summer coaches conference, brought to the college football world's attention by former Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury didn't help matters any. The numbers show the Aggies have had a talent edge on the field against the Razorbacks during this current run. Since Texas A&M officially entered the SEC in 2012, the Aggies have averaged the nation's 10th-best recruiting class while Arkansas has averaged 29th. That includes Texas A&M having six top 12 finishes, three top eight classes and no class worse than 20th nationally. Conversely, Arkansas has a high of 22 and a low of 51 during that time. Arkansas has won its share of recruiting battles lately with Texas A&M, including for current quarterbacks KJ Jefferson and Malik Hornsby and future Razorback signal caller Lucas Conley. There are eight members of the 2021 Arkansas recruiting class - including redshirting Oklahoma wide receiver Jaqualyn Crawford - who were legitimate Texas A&M targets. There have been a combined 14 or so recruiting wins against the Aggies since Pittman arrived in December of 2019. One way to beat them on the field - regardless of where the game is played - is to beat them on the recruiting trail. COMMENTARY DUDLEY E. DAWSON HOW WE SEE IT TEXAS A&M VS. ARKANSAS Arkansas won a recruiting battle with Texas A&M for KJ Jefferson. David Beach/NWA Democrat-Gazette Visit wholehogsports.com/alerts to recieve daily and breaking newsletters with the latest updates from Whole Hog Sports. CLAY HENRY HAWGS ILLUSTRATED Texas A&M's running game is stout. The Aggies won't be throwing into Barry Odom's zone schemes too much. That's proven to be pure insanity through four games. So the Hogs have to do more on offense. Rakeem Boyd gives the Hogs just enough of a burst against his old team to make it the difference. Arkansas, 28-27 MATT JONES WHOLE HOG SPORTS The Aggies had trouble beating the Razorbacks' 2-10 teams of the past two years. Arkansas will come to Kyle Field dressed as a real football team on Halloween. Arkansas 17-14 DUDLEY E. DAWSON HAWGS ILLUSTRATED I can't say enough about the way these Arkansas coaches and players have changed the narrative in such a short time. I wouldn't be surprised if the Hogs pull this one off, but Kyle Field gives the Aggies the edge. Texas A&M, 31-21 SCOTTIE BORDELON WHOLE HOG SPORTS If this game was being played in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, I would take the Razorbacks. Full stadium or not, Kyle Field is a challenging place to play. Just ask Kyle Trask and Florida. Arkansas is competitive, like it will be the rest of the season, but I see the Aggies' run game and Isaiah Spiller being the difference. The Razorbacks need their linebackers to get healthy. Texas A&M, 31-24 TYE RICHARDSON THE MORNING RUSH Barry Odom broke Matt Corral Saturday. Kellen Mond has struggled against Arkansas. Another streak ends in College Station. Arkansas, 31-27 BART POHLMAN THE HOG POD Arkansas has lost eight straight to the Aggies, most of the heartbreaking variety; five of those eight losses were by one score or in OT. A&M seems to be finding its groove under Jimbo Fisher, while the Razorbacks are playing as well as anyone. If Arkansas gets off to a good start offensively, they'll end another streak. Arkansas 31, Texas A&M 27 TOMMY CRAFT THE MORNING RUSH The adage "defense travels" must be true if Arkansas has a chance to finally beat the Aggies in an SEC game. Road trips haven't bothered the Odom defense so far and Kyle Field won't Saturday. Arkansas, 34-30 SETH CAMPBELL WHOLE HOG SPORTS Rakeem Boyd has his first 100-yard rushing game, but it isn't enough for the Razorbacks as the offense fails to get going. 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