Photo by Kirby Clarke, TexAgs
Texas A&M Football
Post-Game Review: Texas A&M 35, Arkansas 28 (OT)
September 27, 2014
10,390
ARLINGTON — Kenny Hill threw three touchdown passes after the third quarter and the Texas A&M defense made several key stops late in the game as the sixth-ranked Aggies rallied from a 14-point deficit to defeat Arkansas, 35-28, in overtime Saturday night at AT&T Stadium.
Hill hit Malcome Kennedy for a 25-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime for a seven-point lead. A&M defensive end Julien Obioha then stopped Alex Collins cold for no gain on fourth-and-one to clinch the victory and send the crowd into a frenzy.
That was a stark contrast to the atmosphere just minutes earlier. The Aggies (5-0, 2-0 in the SEC) appeared destined to take their first loss when they fell behind 28-14 late in the third quarter.
Kirby Clarke, TexAgs
Pope's (pictured) long touchdown catch gave the Aggies life and began Hill's late-game takeover.
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However, Hill connected with Edward Pope for an 86-yard touchdown pass with 11:59 remaining in the game and then with Josh Reynolds for a 59-yard touchdown with 2:08 left.
That put the onus on the A&M defense to hold off the Razorbacks, who accumulated 484 yards, including 285 on the ground. But Arkansas (3-2, 0-2 in the SEC West) could not manage a first down on the ensuing series and was forced to punt.
A&M coach Kevin Sumlin opted to try to win in overtime.
It proved a good decision.
Rising: Hill’s Heisman candidacy should have gotten a boost with his performance in the clutch. Hill struggled through much of three quarters and didn’t appear to have a strong showing. Yet, he still passed for 386 yards and four touchdowns while leading the Aggies to a come-from-behind victory.
Hill was sharp when it was needed most. He completed six of 10 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Falling: Concerns about the Aggies' defense should subside considerably. Arkansas’ highly touted running game was hyped as the Aggies’ biggest test. Although giving up some big plays as expected, A&M was excellent in the second half. The Aggies gave up just 91 rushing yards on 25 carries in the second half. A&M forced five punts and a turnover on downs in the second half and overtime.
Best hands: Pope, whose hands could be confused for glue traps, leaped high to snare a Hill pass and came down on his right knee in the back of the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown pass with 10:06 remaining in the second quarter. That touchdown pulled the Aggies into a 14-14 tie. Pope caught four passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
Kirby Clarke, TexAgs
The Aggies buckled down against Arkansas' vaunted rushing attack, even ending the game on a fourth-and-short stop.
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Best hit: It wasn’t a bone-jarring hit, but Obioha’s stop of Collins broke Arkansas’ back. Facing fourth-and-one at the A&M 16-yard line in overtime, the Razorbacks turned to Collins, who rushed for 131 yards. Collins looked for a hole off-tackle, but Obioha filled it and stopped him cold to end the game.
Turning point: A&M appeared down and out with 28-14 deficit early in the fourth quarter. That’s until Pope reeled in an 86-yard touchdown pass from Hill. That play provided the Aggies a spark of momentum and they rode that on to tie the game and win in extra time.
Standing 'O': Pope’s 86-yard touchdown reception with 12:42 remaining in the fourth quarter was the longest college or professional touchdown pass ever scored at AT&T Stadium.
Hill hit Malcome Kennedy for a 25-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime for a seven-point lead. A&M defensive end Julien Obioha then stopped Alex Collins cold for no gain on fourth-and-one to clinch the victory and send the crowd into a frenzy.
That was a stark contrast to the atmosphere just minutes earlier. The Aggies (5-0, 2-0 in the SEC) appeared destined to take their first loss when they fell behind 28-14 late in the third quarter.
Kirby Clarke, TexAgs
Pope's (pictured) long touchdown catch gave the Aggies life and began Hill's late-game takeover.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"Pope\u0027s (pictured) long touchdown catch gave the Aggies life and began Hill\u0027s late-game takeover.","MediaItemID":46728}
That put the onus on the A&M defense to hold off the Razorbacks, who accumulated 484 yards, including 285 on the ground. But Arkansas (3-2, 0-2 in the SEC West) could not manage a first down on the ensuing series and was forced to punt.
A&M coach Kevin Sumlin opted to try to win in overtime.
It proved a good decision.
Rising: Hill’s Heisman candidacy should have gotten a boost with his performance in the clutch. Hill struggled through much of three quarters and didn’t appear to have a strong showing. Yet, he still passed for 386 yards and four touchdowns while leading the Aggies to a come-from-behind victory.
Hill was sharp when it was needed most. He completed six of 10 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Falling: Concerns about the Aggies' defense should subside considerably. Arkansas’ highly touted running game was hyped as the Aggies’ biggest test. Although giving up some big plays as expected, A&M was excellent in the second half. The Aggies gave up just 91 rushing yards on 25 carries in the second half. A&M forced five punts and a turnover on downs in the second half and overtime.
Best hands: Pope, whose hands could be confused for glue traps, leaped high to snare a Hill pass and came down on his right knee in the back of the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown pass with 10:06 remaining in the second quarter. That touchdown pulled the Aggies into a 14-14 tie. Pope caught four passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
Kirby Clarke, TexAgs
The Aggies buckled down against Arkansas' vaunted rushing attack, even ending the game on a fourth-and-short stop.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"left","Size":"large","Caption":"The Aggies buckled down against Arkansas\u0027 vaunted rushing attack, even ending the game on a fourth-and-short stop.","MediaItemID":46686}
Turning point: A&M appeared down and out with 28-14 deficit early in the fourth quarter. That’s until Pope reeled in an 86-yard touchdown pass from Hill. That play provided the Aggies a spark of momentum and they rode that on to tie the game and win in extra time.
Standing 'O': Pope’s 86-yard touchdown reception with 12:42 remaining in the fourth quarter was the longest college or professional touchdown pass ever scored at AT&T Stadium.
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