Sam Pittman breaks down Texas A&M ahead of Saturday, discusses relationship with Jimbo Fisher

Two old Southwest Conference rivals are set to face off in Arlington this weekend, with both Arkansas and Texas A&M heading to AT&T Stadium. Sam Pittman will lead the Hogs, looking for their first win streak in the series in over a decade.

Pittman broke down the Aggies during his Monday press conference, explaining the different position groups and what they did well. He spent most of the time speaking on the defense, where Texas A&M has one of the best units in the SEC.

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“We’re excited to go to Dallas and play Texas A&M,” Pittman said. “They have a really good team. Obviously, a big win for them over Miami on Saturday. They have a lot of speed in the secondary. They’re big on D-line, got big linebackers. Can really stretch the field at wideout. They had some guys suspended last week, I don’t know if they’re coming back or not.”

Two key players Pittman highlighted, from an offensive perspective, from Ainias Smith and Devon Achane. Stopping those two will be key according to the Arkansas head coach. New starting quarterback Max Johnson even got a shoutout after getting the win over Miami.

“You have to stop No. 6 and 0 on offense, that’s hard to do. Achane is really fast and of course, Ainias Smith is dangerous running the ball, catching the ball, and on punt returns. Max Johnson played really well, I thought, against Miami. They’ve got a good special teams group. Really solid team, big team. Looked like a big, physical SEC team.”

It’s the first SEC matchup of the season for both schools. With Arkansas getting the win last year, their season propelled into a successful one, while Texas A&M only had eight victories. Winning in Arlington is important for both programs.

Sam Pittman discusses relationship with Jimbo Fisher

Heading into the matchup, Pittman discussed the relationship he has with head coach Jimbo Fisher. He said the two are good friends and he respects everything Fisher has done while in College Station.

“Have a lot of respect for Coach Fisher,” said Pittman. “I would consider him a friend of mine. Certainly have a lot of respect for him and his program and the guys on his staff.”

Pittman and Fisher have faced off against each other twice as head coaches, having one apiece. While this might be a short-term rubber matchup, there are surely a few more heavyweight fights coming between the two. Both have their respective programs trending in the right way.