Monday huddle: Aggies’ playoff hopes are likely done after a loss to Arkansas

Offense sputters again for the Aggies

Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) runs the ball as Texas A&M defensive back Demani Richardson (26) and defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal (8) give chase in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. (Tony Gutierrez, AP Photo)

Huddle up! Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene.


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Aggies drop first one of the season, with other tough games still ahead.

It’s hard to imagine a season being called a disappointment before October even arrives, but that might be the case already for Texas A&M.

After just missing out on a College Football Playoff berth last year and being ranked No. 7 to start the season, the Aggies just haven’t seemed to fully find their footing this year.

The previous games didn’t result in a loss, but that wasn’t the case on Saturday, when the Aggies fell behind Arkansas 17-0 en route to a 20-10 defeat.

The offense still hasn’t clicked behind new starters along the line and backup quarterback Zach Calzada, who is still filling in for injured starter Haynes King. That has put too much pressure on the A&M defense, which hasn’t been dominant enough to compensate for the struggles on offense.

Barring winning out the rest of the season -- an unlikely scenario, given Alabama and a road game at Ole Miss are still on the schedule -- it looks like the playoff dreams of the Aggies are all but done.

An upset win propels Baylor into the rankings.

There wasn’t much attention given to Baylor after the first three games of the season due to the weak opponents the Bears have played, but that all changed this past weekend in a big way.

Baylor sent a message to the country that it could be a team to be reckoned with, following a 31-29 upset over No. 14 Iowa State.

However, the schedule will get a lot harder for Baylor as it tries to prove it can handle prosperity, starting with a game at No. 19 Oklahoma State on Saturday. Over their next six games, Baylor will play three ranked opponents (Oklahoma State, BYU and Oklahoma), in addition to West Virginia, Texas and TCU.

Texas does something for the first time in 16 years.

Texas left no doubts: There wouldn’t be another close game against Texas Tech after last season’s overtime win in Lubbock, as the team routed the Red Raiders in Austin, 70-35.

It was the first time the Longhorns have scored 70 points or more in a game since 2005, when Vince Young was in charge of the offense.

Now, Texas will see if it can slay a nemesis this week when it travels to Fort Worth to take on TCU.

The Horned Frogs have won six of the past seven meetings against Texas, including a 33-31 win in Austin last year.


About the Author

Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.

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