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No. 23 Texas A&M goes for 8th in row vs. SEC rival Arkansas
No. 23 Texas A&M (2-2, 0-1 SEC) vs. Arkansas (2-2, 0-1), at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; Saturday at 12 p.m. EDT (ESPN).
Line: Texas A&M by 23.
Series record: Arkansas leads 41-31-3.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
The Aggies, whose losses are at No. 1 Clemson and to No. 7 Auburn, look to win their eighth consecutive game over Arkansas since the former Southwest Conference rivals reunited in the SEC. Both teams are trying to avoid 0-2 starts in conference play. The Razorbacks have lost their last 12 SEC games, and 16 of 17.
KEY MATCHUP
Arkansas QB Nick Starkel vs. his former team. The grad transfer from Texas A&M has back-to-back 300-yard passing games with three TDs in each game since taking over as the Razorbacks starter. But he did have five interceptions in last week's 31-24 loss to San Jose State, which was a 20-point underdog that hadn't been a major conference team since 2006. While coach Jimbo Fisher said Starkel was a "very good player" with the Aggies, junior Kellen Mond is 16-9 as their starter.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Texas A&M: Junior WR Jhamon Austin has consecutive 100-yard receiving games, with 111 yards against Auburn after 109 against Lamar. He missed four games last season because of injury after 12 catches for 112 yards in the 2017 Belk Bowl against Wake Forest. The Aggies had only four 100-yard receiving games last season.
Arkansas: Junior RB Rakeem Boyd has 394 yards rushing and three TDs. He didn't play as a freshman at Texas A&M in 2016 before going to Independence Community College and then was the Razorbacks' leading rusher last season.
FACTS & FIGURES
This will be the sixth consecutive meeting at the home stadium of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, whose owner Jerry Jones was co-captain of Arkansas' undefeated 1964 team. ... The Aggies won 24-17 last year, after three of the previous four games in the series went to overtime. ... The Razorbacks have eight turnovers (six interceptions, two fumbles) this season. They also have eight takeaways (four interceptions, four fumbles). ... Second-year Arkansas coach Chad Morris is a 1992 graduate of Texas A&M, where he got a mathematics degree and didn't play football.
