The Texas A&M vs. Arkansas matchup kicked off with plenty of anticipation, as Bobby Petrino faced his former team for the first time since 2015. Coming off a close loss against Tennessee, this game is their make-or-break point. Interestingly, Petrino even holds a 4-0 record against the Aggies, which intensifies the buzz even more. But just as the excitement reached its peak, ESPN threw in an unexpected twist.

The network confirmed it would stick to the 6:10 p.m. start time for the Texas vs. Kentucky game regardless of how long the A&M–Arkansas game ran. If the SEC showdown extended past the schedule, ESPN planned to shift it to ESPNEWS to keep the Texas game on time. As journalist Greg Rajan noted on X, “Have been told the Texas/Kentucky game will still start at 6:10 p.m. on ESPN. Texas A&M/Arkansas figures to move at halftime, likely to ESPNEWS.”

Well, this usually takes place to protect the prime-time slot, ensuring players don’t have to wait for the other games. But it looks like Texas A&M and Arkansas’ fate is taking constant hits in today’s game. With ESPN cutting them short, even the weather wasn’t in their favor; their kickoff was delayed due to thunderstorms. First, they were supposed to start at 2:30 PM, but then, because of adverse weather, it shifted to 4:30 PM. And then ESPN pulls another stunt, making sure Aggies don’t catch a break.

Now, talking about the game, there were many questions about how Mike Elko’s team would hold up their offense after losing Le’Veon Moss because of injury, but Reuben Owens proved that he’s no less of a player. Averaging over 4 yards a carry on five rushing attempts for 23 yards. Even QB Marcel Reed showed his best game, throwing a 24-yard pass to wide receiver Ashton Bethel Roman. Even with all the success, their defense was running thin.

Then came the shocker as the Texas A&M defense was looking like a pure mess, finding it hard to stop Arkansas running plays, giving up over 200 rushing yards in the first half, including Mike Washington’s yards. And then before halftime, they gave up a TD pass to O’Mega Blake and were barely 21-20. Despite gaining momentum, adversity struck Arkansas in the second half.

Bobby Petrino’s team takes a major hit

The Arkansas quarterback played the second half of the 2024 season with a knee injury and entered this season with a lot of hope. But a tackle forced him to leave their much-anticipated game against the Aggies in the second quarter. That’s right, Green had to go out and sit in the medical tent, but luckily, he just missed a single offensive play.

And after taking proper rest, he returns to the field. But what happened exactly? Well, Green hurt his leg after he decided to run with the ball instead of throwing it off during a play, and that’s when Texas A&M’s Daymion Stafford tackled him from behind. After this, Green was lying down on the ground for a while and was later given medical attention.

But before going out, Green was already turning heads with his performance, completing 3 of 7 passes for 38 yards and even recording 3 carries for 44 yards while the Hogs were trailing behind the Aggies with a 14-6 score early in the 2nd quarter. When he was out for a while, backup quarterback KJ Jackson took over the reins, holding up the team’s fate. Now, with all these ups and downs, it will be interesting to see if Bobby Petrino maintains his winning streak or Mike Elko’s team comes in as a shocker.