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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Marcel Reed threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 55 yards and another score as No. 4 Texas A&M held on to beat Arkansas 45-42 on Saturday and keep its perfect season going.
The Aggies (7-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) have opened with seven wins for the first time since 1994, when they finished 10-0-1. With No. 9 Georgia’s 43-35 win over No. 5 Mississippi earlier Saturday, Texas A&M is the only remaining unbeaten team in the SEC.
The Aggies continued their dominance in the series with the Razorbacks (2-5, 0-3), winning for the 13th time in the last 14 meetings. Texas A&M scored on seven of nine completed rives and totaled 497 yards of offense.
Leading 38-35 with less than 10 minutes remaining and facing serious game pressure after Taylen Green’s four-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Platt, Texas A&M’s EJ Smith had a two-yard conversion on fourth-and-1 from the Aggies’ 34 to extend a critical drive.
Reed then found Ashton Bethel-Roman for 37 yards to the Arkansas 27, and Reuben Owens II scored on a 12-yard run four plays later to extend the lead to 10. With 10 seconds to play, Green hit CJ Brown for a four-yard score to pull the Razorbacks back within three.
Texas A&M recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the win.
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Owens, the Aggies’ primary ball carrier in place of the injured Le’Veon Moss, finished with 69 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Bethel-Roman had 83 yards receiving and a score, KC Concepcion added five catches for 53 yards and a touchdown, and Nate Boerkircher had a one-yard touchdown catch.
Green threw for 256 yards and three scores and ran for 89 yards and two more touchdowns, and Mike Washington rushed for a season-high 147 yards for Arkansas in its fifth straight loss.
Poll implications
With No. 2 Miami’s 24-21 home loss to Louisville on Friday, Texas A&M is likely to climb into the top three of the upcoming AP poll. It would be the program’s first in-season top-three ranking since 1995.
The takeaway
Texas A&M: The offense made up for a lackluster performance on the defensive side of the ball. Aggies coach Mike Elko will likely call on his defense to improve in the coming weeks after his team surrendered 527 total yards and 268 yards rushing to the Razorbacks.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks showed a great deal of fight in their first home game under interim head coach Bobby Petrino. They need to bottle that resolve for a morning kickoff next week.
Up next
Texas A&M travels to No. 10 LSU next Saturday.
Arkansas continues its homestand next week against Auburn.
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