‘KJ (Jefferson) had a lot of success last year the last two years through the air against the Aggies.’ Aggies Wire goes ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ with Razorbacks Wire
Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) and head coach Jimbo Fisher, amid all the chaos surrounding starting quarterback Conner Weigman’s season-ending foot injury, is confident heading into their 11 a.m. matchup against Arkansas on Saturday, which will air on the SEC Network during the final day in September.
So, why the confidence after such a devastating prognosis? Backup quarterback Max Johnson, who has started 17 games in the SEC since transferring from LSU before the 2022 season, has already shown his incredible value after leading the Aggies in last week’s 27-10 win over Auburn, throwing for 112 yards and two touchdowns, including an absolute endzone dime to star WR Evan Stewart to further what was a 21-7 second-half advantage.
While Conner Wiegman’s promising sophomore campaign has been shelved until 2024, Aggie fans should feel grateful Johnson opted to stay this offseason, as the veteran has the experience and talent to start for nearly every other program in the SEC.
Heading back to Arlington, the annual Southwest classic vs. the 2-2 Razorbacks, the Aggies have only lost once in their series dating back to 2012, the first year they entered the conference, but don’t be fooled by Arkansas’s deceiving record, as senior quarterback K.J Jefferson and running back Rhaheim “Rockey” Sanders are absolutely nightmares to deal with on defense.
We went behind enemy lines with Razorbacks Wire’s Derek Oxford to get his valuable input on Arkansas’s strengths and weaknesses ahead of Saturday’s festivities.
The Max Johnson era begins on Saturday
Assuming Conner Weigman can’t go, Max Johnson will get the start. What different challenges does he pose for Arkansas’ defense, given that he faced them already in 2022’s Southwest Classic?
“He is more of a true pocket passer, kind of like Kedon Slovis of BYU, who they struggled with, especially in the second half of that game. He can make throws that they haven’t seen from any of the quarterbacks they’ve played, but his lack of mobility should help the defense not be as tired as they were chasing around Jayden Daniels.”
K.J Jefferson is a defensive nightmare
We all know about KJ Jefferson’s mobility, but he showed he can stretch the field with a season-high 289 passing yards against LSU last week. How do you think he’ll fare against A&M’s secondary, which has more than a few new faces?
“KJ had a lot of success last year, the last two years through the air against the Aggies, throwing for four touchdowns and no interceptions. The problem is, he’s only thrown a combined 34 passes in those two meetings. He will probably have to throw 30+ times for them to have offensive success on Saturday, but he should do okay.”
Arkansas RB Raheim "Rocket" Sanders could miss Saturday's matchup
With the news that running back Raheim Sanders could miss the game due to injury, who is the next man in line to take most of his snaps?
“Rashod Dubinion had a nice game against LSU, which was unexpected because AJ Green had been getting most of the work in Sanders’ absence. Dominique Johnson should also get some snaps at running back as well.“
Freshman tight tend Luke Hasz might be a problem for the Aggies secondary
Freshman tight end Luke Hasz has been a nightmare matchup the last two weeks and looks to be the go-to target for K.J. Jefferson. Who else in the Razorbacks passing game should the Aggies be aware of?
“Andrew Armstrong and Isaac TeSlaa are both weapons in the passing game, along with Tyrone Broden, who had a sensational grab in the back of the end zone against LSU last week near the end of the first half.”
Aggies take a close one
Final Score Prediction and Why?
Another three-point loss will devastate the fan base, but that’s how it’s gone in this series.
Final score: Texas A&M 30, Arkansas 27
Texas A&M will now travel to AT&T Stadium to face the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m. CT., and air on the SEC Network.
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