Post-Game Review: Texas A&M 50, Arkansas 43 (OT)

ARLINGTON — Once again, Christian Kirk made pivotal big plays. Once again, Armani Watts made a clutch interception. Once again, Texas A&M rallied to vanquish Arkansas in overtime.

Kirk scored on a 100-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter and caught a 10-yard touchdown pass as the Aggies (3-1, 1-0) toppled Arkansas, 50-43, in overtime for the third time in four years at AT&T Stadium on Saturday in the Southeastern Conference football opener.

However, the victory was not assured until Watts made a diving interception of an Austin Allen pass intended for tight end Cheyenne O’Grady. Watts made a similar interception last season to clinch an overtime victory over Tennessee. The grab ended a wild ride in which the lead changed seven times in the second half.

A&M actually had to rally from a 21-7 deficit and overcome a terrible call that nullified what should have been an 81-yard touchdown run by freshman quarterback Kellen Mond. Instead, the Aggies settled for a field goal and trailed, 21-17, at halftime.

However, running back Keith Ford stormed for touchdown runs of 23 and 44 yards.

Then Daniel LaCamera hit a 37-yard field goal to propel the Aggies to a 33-28 lead with 8:46 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Arkansas (1-2, 0-1) quickly regained the lead on a 44-yard Allen pass to Jonathan Nance. Kirk then returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown and a 40-36 lead.

Arkansas was able to answer with a quick drive for 4-yard touchdown run by David Williams and a 43-40 lead. The Aggies responded with a game-tying LaCamera 27-yard field goal with four seconds left in regulation.

Then, in overtime Mond, who passed for 216 yards, hit Kirk in the left corner of the end zone for the 50-43 lead.

On its ensuing possession, Arkansas faced third-and-8 at the 12-yard line. Allen threw toward the end zone for O’Grady, but instead found Watts as A&M notched its sixth straight win over the Hogs.

Rumbled: Christian Kirk scored three touchdowns, while accumulating 246 all-purpose yards. He scored A&M’s first touchdown on a 81-yard pass. He had a 100-yard kickoff return and caught the game-winning touchdown pass.

Stumbled: Side judge Chris Conley made what will likely be the worst call of the 2017 season. He ruled A&M quarterback Kellen Mond stepped out of bounds at the Arkansas 10-yard line on what should have been an 81-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Video replays clearly showed Mond fought off Arkansas safety Josh Liddell and stayed in the field of play. In fact, it wasn’t really even close. Indeed, the SEC even acknowledged the error in a release which read:

“On the play at 10:02 in the second quarter of the Texas A&M vs. Arkansas game, the ball carrier was incorrectly ruled out of bounds and the play was whistled dead by the official.”

Still, A&M eventually had to settle for a short field goal and trailed, 21-10, at the time.

Turning point: As is often the case in this crazy series, the game wasn’t decided until the final play. This time, it was Armani Watts making a game-ending interception.

Unsung hero: Junior defensive end Landis Durham had the game of his life. He notched two of the Aggies’ six quarterbacks sacks. He also was credited with another quarterback pressure and finished with five tackles overall. Durham also arrived just a step late on a Jarrett Johnson sack that denied him the hat trick.

Key stat: Turnovers were even. Total yardage was similar (A&M had 501, Arkansas 507) and third down conversions weren’t much different. Perhaps the biggest difference was that A&M kicker Daniel LaCamera was three-for-three on field goal attempts, which included one that forced overtime. Arkansas did not attempt a field goal.

Scoring summary

First quarter

Ark: Jared Cornelius 6 pass from Austin Allen (Connor Lampert kick). Drive: 65 yards, 7 plays, 3:27. Big play: Maleek Williams 22 run to the A&M 1-yard line. Ark 7, A&M 0

A&M: Christian Kirk 81 pass from Kellen Mond (Daniel LaCamera kick). Drive: 85 yards, 3 plays, 1:02. A&M 7, Ark. 7

Second quarter

Ark: David Williams 2 pass from Cole Kelley (Lampert kick). Drive: 82 yards, 11 plays, 5:15. Big play: Cornelius 15 pass from Allen on 3rd-and-10 to the A&M 45-yard line. Ark 14, A&M 7

Ark: Chase Hayden 6 run (Lampert kick). Drive: 30 yards, 2 plays, :31. Big play: Henre’ Tolliver intercepts Mond pass at A&M 30-yard line. Ark 21, A&M 7

A&M: LaCamera 27 FG. Drive: 79 yards, 5 plays, 2:18. Big play: Mond 79 run to the Arkansas 10-yard line. Ark 21, A&M 10

A&M: Trayveon Williams 18 run (LaCamera kick). Drive: 82 yards, 6 plays, 2:14. Big play: Damion Ratley 50 pass from Mond to the Arkansas 32-yard line. Ark. 21, A&M 17

Third quarter

A&M: Keith Ford 23 run (LaCamera kick). Drive: 71 yards, 9 plays 3:37). Big play: Jhamon Austin 8 pass from Mond on fourth-and-four to the Arkansas 27-yard line. A&M 24, Ark. 21

ARK: David Williams 1 run (Lampert kick). Drive: 71 yards, 6 plays, 2:11. Big play: Williams 26 run to the A&M 1-yard line. Ark. 28, A&M 24

Fourth quarter

A&M: LaCamera 37 FG. Drive: 56 yards, 13 plays, 5:13. Big play: Trayveon Williams 12 run to the Arkansas 37-yard line. Ark. 28, A&M 27

A&M: Ford 44 run (pass failed). Drive: 53 yards, 3 plays, :47. A&M 33, Ark. 28

ARK: Jonathan Nance 44 pass from Allen (Jeremy Patton pass from Allen). Drive: 79 yards, 7 plays, 3:25. Ark. 36, A&M 33

A&M: Christian Kirk 100 kickoff return (LaCamera kick). A&M 40, Ark. 36

Ark: David Williams 4 run (Limpert kick). Drive: 75 yards, 4 plays, 1:31. Big play: Nance 45-yard pass from Allen to the A&M 4-yard line. Ark. 43, A&M 40

A&M: LaCamera 27 FG. Drive: 40 yards, 11 plays, 3:35. Big play: Damion Ratley 7-yard pass from Mond on fourth-and-three to the Arkansas 35-yard line. A&M 43, Ark. 43

Overtime

A&M: Kirk 10 pass from Mond (LaCamera kick). Drive: 25 yards, 3 plays, no time. A&M 50, Ark. 43