Texas A&M 58, Arkansas 10: Turnovers Are Killer

For many years Texas A&M has really only had their traditions to brag about. In College Station on Gameday it's tradition to "Kiss Your Date" after a touchdown. I know because my brother, an A&M grad, invited me to a game when I was a freshman in high school and they beat Baylor 70-17 or something like that and my brother complained the entire rest of the weekend that he had brought me instead of a girl. Thanks to the Arkansas Razorbacks' turnover problems, the "Kiss Your Date" tradition is continuing strongly for the fans of the team with the shoulder stripes.

It would be unfair to say it's merely interceptions and a fumble that cost the Hogs the game. The defense gave up over 350 passing yards before the 4th quarter even started including an 80 yard TD reception for Ryan Swope. The defense failed to show the tenacity that good defenses play with. Once again against a running quarterback, broken plays become touchdowns as Arkansas defenders try to choose between stopping the run and covering the wideouts.

Following the ULM game, I asked "Where do we go from here?" and the answer appears to be nowhere... fast. The season has gone downhill. With the 4th consecutive loss, the team originally expected to be in the Cotton Bowl in a Worst-Case scenario now battles to get their first win against an FBS school and has to wait at least another week to try and double their wins for the season.

The difference between a win and a loss is execution, and this team continues to fail to execute. I made the comment last week that it seems like there is a lack of attention to detail since Bobby Petrino is no longer with the program. I think that the attention to detail is really what this team is missing. One of the greatest coaches who ever lived was John Wooden, and his attention to detail was one of his hallmarks. The first meeting he had with his players was to teach them the proper way to put on their socks. I wouldn't be surprised if the players didn't even have socks based on the way this Arkansas team appears to be run.

This is a team that has lost its identity, and all the comments that "You can't count this team out if Tyler Wilson is on the field" are nice, but they don't win football games. Tyler Wilson is not winning these football games, and yes, they racked up a lot of yards on a Texas A&M defense that ranked #12 in the country in Yards per game, but failed to put it in the endzone with all of those yards. This team's problem is not just defense. This team is in trouble and every linebacker that leaks through the middle of the offensive line untouched shines light on the leaks that have sprung in the sinking ship that is this season.

In each game this season a streak or a record was broken like the Little Rock winning streak and Cobi's receiving yards record. Are the spirits of this football team being broken? This team is definitely broken, because whatever they are doing... it isn't working.