FAYETTEVILLE – The game that got away. That’s what the whole Arkansas program thought last year after the Razorbacks left Arlington, Texas.

A two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter against Texas A&M evaporated. It took one play of overtime to put the Aggies ahead. Three more signaled them as the winner.

Arkansas recovered from the 35-28 loss a few weeks later when it picked up its first SEC win under then second-year coach Bret Bielema. Other games suggested Arkansas was well on its way. But it was that close loss against Texas A&M that gave fans and the staff so much initial hope for the future.

It’s hope that carried over almost a calendar year later. Yet in a matter of two weeks the ultimate high positivity has turned sour. Bielema’s approval rating dropped from about 90 percent to 20. After two games. With an improved Texas A&M team waiting, there are not many in Fayetteville outside the Fred W. Smith Football Center who believe there is much of a chance for the Razorbacks on Saturday.

Of course, not many believed there was much of a chance for Toledo or Texas Tech before, either.

Texas A&M is the No. 13 team in the nation in scoring. It is No. 30 in rushing and No. 49 in passing. All of those are lower than expected numbers from a Kevin Sumlin and Jake Spavital offense. The totals are good, but not unusually high. They don’t suggest a dangerous type Aggies team.

Suggestions can be wrong. Texas A&M has put on the cruise control the last two weeks in wins against Ball State and Nevada. Arizona State tested Texas A&M for a while in Week 1 before the Aggies pulled away in the fourth quarter. While the numbers are not up to usual A&M standards, the potential remains.

Quarterback Kyle Allen, who checked in as the No. 3 quarterback in the SEC, is steady and can occasionally be spectacular. After a mediocre first two weeks, Tra Carson showed big-play potential against Nevada. And the offensive line has a pair of legitimate NFL prospects.

The biggest scare for Arkansas, though, is the other side of the ball. The Razorbacks have been able to move the ball for loads of yardage in each of its first three games, checking in with the 35th-most effective total offense in FBS. It’s those final 20 yards that have been damning. Arkansas is scoring a touchdown just 35.7 percent of the time when it reaches the red zone. And while Texas A&M won’t be confused with LSU defensively, the Aggies are better than they were last year.

At this point another close game would actually be a step in the right direction for Arkansas, given the last two weeks. That likelihood, however, seems awfully slim.