Here is everything we learned after Texas A&M's 45-42 win over Arkansas

What a game. No. 4 Texas A&M (7-0, 4-0 SEC) escaped Fayetteville with a 45-42 win over Arkansas (2-5, 0-3 SEC) in one of the craziest games of the weekend, as the Aggie defense surrendered over 500 yards and all head coach Mike Elko could say after the game that this was a bad day for his defense to play poorly.

However, Texas A&M's offense had another breakout game, scoring on every drive outside of two, and after leading by just one point going into halftime. In contrast, Arkansas had all the momentum, and the Aggies came out determined with their fourth touchdown, highlighted by a massive run from starting quarterback Marcel Reed. Again, these games happen, but focusing on the good aspects of the win is what matters moving forward.

Texas A&M produced 497 yards, including Marcel Reed's 280 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Rueben Owens finished with 69 yards and two touchdowns, leading a group that ran for 217 yards, collectively averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Two of Reed's best throws went to sophomore wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman, who led the group with 83 yards and his first touchdown of the season.

Defensively, the Aggies failed to contain quarterback Taylen Green, who is by far one of the hardest quarterbacks to tackle, resulting in the senior running for 85 yards and two of his five touchdowns on the night. Next week, Texas A&M will face a 5-2 LSU team and QB Garrett Nussmeier, who is not a running threat and is playing behind a shaky offensive line.

Before facing the Tigers in Baton Rouge, here are five key takeaways from Texas A&M's 45-42 win over Arkansas in Week 8.

Texas A&M's defense had a no-good, awful day

Well, that was not ideal. Outside of several early third-down stops in the first half, Texas A&M's defense, which allowed 527 yards, including 268 rushing yards, was abysmal in the second half, allowing quarterback Taylen Green to pick apart the Aggie secondary while breaking contain on nearly every outside run for chunk gains.

As a football fan, it is frustrating to watch, knowing this defense has shown the ability to play at an elite level. As head coach Mike Elko said after the game, this is now who Texas A&M is, and needs to be fixed moving forward.

"We didn't play anywhere near the standard of Texas A&M football, ever, at any point."

Again, these issues are fixable, knowing that Taylen Green is an exceptional talent as a runner and has shown the ability to exploit holes in every defense he's faced. However, the Aggie run defense, which did not allow over 100 yards on the ground during the last three SEC wins.

Plugging gaps and setting the edge is key, while A&M's pass rush, which showed life late in the second half, must create more pressure over the next two games.

Still, a win is a win, and leaving Fayetteville 7-0 for the first time since 1994 is a significant achievement.

Welcome to the party, Ashton Bethel-Roman

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman was the talk of the preseason, primarily due to his impressive speed and ability to separate in coverage. While transfer wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver have consistently stood out over the past six games, Bethel-Roman stepped up for the Aggie offense on Saturday.

During Texas A&M's first score of the game, Marcel Reed found Bethel-Roman for a 24-yard fade route touchdown, as a perfectly thrown ball resulted in an impressive catch, which was just the first impact play from the young receiver, who, as many remember, was once committed to Arkansas.

Late in the second half, leading by a score, Marcel Reed found Bethel-Roman once again for a key 37-yard pass that led to Rueben Owen's second touchdown, leading to the Aggies mounting a ten-point lead, which essentially sealed the game.

Already knowing what Concepcion and Craver bring every week, adding Ashton Bethel-Roman to the mix only makes Texas A&M's passing game a weekly threat for any secondary.

Texas A&M's running back room is in good shape despite Le'Veon Moss's absence

After landing freshman Jamarion Morrow in the 2025 recruiting class, paired with the return of Rueben Owens, Amari Daniels, and EJ Smith, the Texas A&M running back room was always in good enough shape, even if star senior Le'Veon Moss was too miss extended time. Well, that time came, and on Saturday, this group stepped up.

Owens, who scored two touchdowns, including the Aggies' final score of the game that put the Razorbacks behind the sticks, led the team with 69 yards. At the same time, EJ Smith is finally healthy and looked the part after several strong runs, racking up 52 yards, averaging 7.4 yards per carry.

While Morrow and Daniels only combined for four carries and 16 yards, knowing that Owens and Smith can produce at a high level in front of Texas A&M's elite offense line is a good sign until Moss makes it back to the field. The Aggies are in good shape until then.

Texas A&M's offensive line continues to dominate in the trenches, no matter the opponent

One of the primary reasons Texas A&M is 7-0 starts in the trenches, as the veteran Aggie offensive line has barely allowed quarterback Marcel Reed to be touched, which continued on Saturday, allowing zero sacks and only a handful of pressures, but until the Pro Football Focus grades are released, we're going off the eye-ball test.

Allowing Reed to progress through his reads and opening holes in the running game led to 217 yards on the ground. Texas A&M's prolific offense has exposed nearly every defense this season and is the primary reason the Aggies left Fayetteville with a win.

From size and strength to versatility, Mike Elko and offensive line coach Adam Cushing have the luxury of immense depth at both guard and tackle, allowing in-game rotations to elevate the run or pass game. Outside of left guard Chase Bisontis' questionable holding call, the O-line completely dominated the Razorbacks in all four quarters.

Marcel Reed has continued to look like an elite signal caller

Throughout the offseason, the primary question about Marcel Reed's ability to lead the Aggie offense was his performance as a pocket passer. After a 7-0 start, those questions may linger for some, but have been answered for most.

On Saturday, Reed completed 23/32 for 280 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for another score, and based on his past performances on the road, this was by far his most complete outing, leading the Aggies to a scoring drive on every possession outside of two punts. Combined with over 200 yards rushing, Texas A&M's offense outright won the game.

While the offensive line deserves plenty of credit for keeping Reed clean all season, and especially against the Razorbacks, it was the redshirt sophomore's decision-making that stood out, attempting more checkdown passes that resulted in east first downs, setting up play action opportunities, and leading to seven touchdowns and just one field goal.

One of Reed's best passes of the night, and one of his more impressive throws of the season, was his 37-yard sideline pass to WR Ashton Bethel-Roman, as the Aggies led 38-35 with over nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. This pass, combined with Bethel-Roman's impressive catch, led to Rueben Owen's second touchdown and virtually ended the game.

Marcel Reed will need to continue playing at this level over the next two road games against LSU and Missouri. So far, the Tennessee native has lived up to his immense potential through seven games.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M football's top takeaways from 45-42 win over Arkansas