'They play together as one unit': Arkansas interim HC previews matchup against Texas A&M

[ASFN Admin]

Following the firing of former head coach Sam Pittman on Sunday, September 28, former Aggie offense coordinator and current Arkansas interim coach Bobby Petrino inherited one of the most difficult remaining conference slates in college football.

That schedule includes No. 4 Texas A&M, which will travel to Fayetteville to take on the Petrino-led Razorbacks on their home turf. For the first time since his departure from the university in 2011, Petrino will lead the Hogs out of the tunnel at home with a massive opportunity to upset the Aggies.

As daunting as the schedule is for the Razorbacks moving forward, including this weekend's matchup against Mike Elko's squad, which is 6-0 for the first time since 2016, Petrino has one of the most gifted dual-threat quarterbacks in the SEC at his disposal. Quarterback Taylen Green has led Arkansas through thick and thin during his senior campaign, as he ranks third in the league with 1,654 passing yards and is tied for second with 14 touchdowns so far this season.

However, after firing much of Pittman's staff when he took the reins a couple of weeks ago, the Arkansas defense has left much to be desired. If Petrino wants to make his debut in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium special, it'll take bringing that unit together to stop a prolific Aggie offense led by sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed, and electric wide receivers like KC Concepcion and Mario Craver.

Here is everything Petrino said during Wednesday's SEC teleconference, as he prepares the Razorbacks to take on the Aggies on Saturday:

Petrino previews the matchup and mentality against Texas A&M​

Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino on the SEC Teleconference: "We're excited to be at home and play Texas A&M in our stadium. I think our players are going to come into the game with a lot of confidence and eagerness."

"Offensively, we'll have to score points, and it will…

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 15, 2025

Petrino talks about bringing the rivalry back to Fayetteville​

Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino on the SEC Teleconference: "I had a great time when I was down there (at Texas A&M). There are quite a few players back."

"My thoughts on Arkansas and A&M always put you in Dallas, so it's nice to be back in Arkansas."

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 15, 2025

Petrino discusses the opportunity to compete against the Aggies at home​

Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino on the SEC Teleconference: "We're hoping this gives us a home-field advantage. I've watched A&M play five of their six games at home, and certainly, their crowd played into those. Our crowd will need to come out and be loud."

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 15, 2025

Petrino's thoughts on Craver​

Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino was asked about A&M WR Mario Craver on the SEC Teleconference: "We need to know where he is on every play, and we need to do a good job of trying to disrupt his routes."

"They have a lot of other weapons, so it's not like you can focus…

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 15, 2025

Petrino gives his thoughts on Reed and his ability at the helm​

Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino was asked about A&M QB Marcel Reed on the SEC Teleconference: "Marcel came in as a true freshman and wasn't one of the guys who graduated in the mid-year, so we got him in June, and he had a lot of offense to learn and adjustments to make…

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 15, 2025

Petrino talks about ferocious Aggie defensive unit​

Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino was asked about the A&M defense on the SEC Teleconference: "They play together as a unit."

"They're very well coached and play with great effort, and that usually gives you a good defense and a challenge for us."

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 15, 2025

Petrino's thoughts on the rivalry game and playing in Dallas​

Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino was asked about the A&M-Arkansas series on the SEC Teleconference: "Now that we're in the same conference, it makes sense to play home and away and not in Dallas."

On previously playing at AT&T Stadium: "That was a huge success, but once…

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 15, 2025

Petrino discusses A&M's pass-rush ability​

Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino was asked about A&M's pass rush on the SEC Teleconference: "The challenge is they do it in a number of ways. They can do it with a four-man rush. Sometimes they bring a fifth guy. They can overload you."

"It's a challenge preparing for…

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 15, 2025

Petrino on the ankle injury to RB Le'Veon Moss​

Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino was asked about A&M RB Le'Veon Moss on the SEC Teleconference: "I feel bad for him. He was a young man I was close with, and we had a great relationship. ... He was playing really well. He's a great player, an extreme talent."

"They have…

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 15, 2025

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Everything Arkansas interim HC Bobby Petrino said previewing Texas A&M

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