Using ESPN’s FPI (Football Power Index) as a guide, Arkansas has a 29.3 percent chance to beat Texas A&M on Saturday.

KEY FOR HOGS LIES IN STOPPING A&M’S PASS RUSH

If Arkansas is to come away with an upset victory tomorrow afternoon against Texas A&M, the Razorback offensive line will need to hold off the vaunted Texas A&M pass rush.

The Aggies’ defensive line is coming off a dominant performance against SMU where its front seven recorded eight sacks, giving Texas A&M 16 sacks in four games, which leads the SEC. In addition to 16 sacks, the Aggies also have 30 tackles for loss, good for second in the conference.

Leading the charge in the Aggies’ pass rush is true freshman Myles Garrett. At 6-foot-5, 255-pounds, there aren’t many defensive linemen out there that possess his kind of speed, strength and size. He’s racked up 5.5 sacks in the first four games of his collegiate career. However, success has been spread around the Texas A&M front seven early on in 2014 as 10 different players have recorded a sack. So it’s certainly not just Garrett Arkansas will need to worry about.

But the Razorbacks offensive line is more than capable of protecting Brandon Allen from the Aggies. In the Hogs’ past 16 games, the offensive line has allowed just nine sacks and only one so far this season, both of which lead the SEC. Arkansas’ starting offensive line is big and physical with a heavier average weight than any NFL team. Dan Skipper (6-foot-10, 326-pounds) and Denver Kirkland (6-foot-5, 330-pounds) will anchor the offensive line of scrimmage for the Hogs.

The offensive line is the Razorbacks best position group, even better than its running backs and protecting Allen will be an absolute necessity. Strong pass protection will help the Arkansas offense to keep the balance they like to have, freeing up Allen to work the play-action game and keep A&M’s defense honest downfield. If there isn’t strong pass protection, it’ll force Arkansas to become one-dimensional and even as good of a running game as they have, a one-dimensional offense is never a key for success.

Games in the SEC are won and lost along the line of scrimmage and it’ll be no different in Arlington this Saturday between the Razorbacks and Aggies.