Kellen Mond wasn’t going to give the Arkansas defense anything.

The Razorbacks had lived off turnovers all year. They provided the momentum swings to help win close games, often coming at a critical point late. But Mond, Texas A&M’s senior quarterback, didn’t fall into the same trap as others.

He finished 21-of-26 for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns on Saturday, and most importantly, he stayed mistake-free.

Texas A&M did whatever they wanted offensively, building a sizable lead before a couple of late scores made it a 42-31 Razorbacks loss. It didn’t help that safety Jalen Catalon, who is third on the team in tackles, was ejected early for targeting. So Arkansas played a majority of the game without one of their defensive leaders.

Isaiah Spiller and the A&M rushing attack were efficient all night, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. The offensive line was the catalyst, as the Razorbacks also had trouble putting pressure on Mond. It was a balanced attack that proved too much to handle. Even when it seemed the Razorbacks were close to getting a stop, A&M made a play to keep the drive going. Arkansas entered the game as the top third-down defense in the SEC, but they allowed the Aggies to finish 7-of-11 on third down.

In the end, the Razorbacks were forced to watch as Mond celebrated becoming A&M’s all-time leader in offensive yards, surpassing Johnny Manziel. It was an extremely disappointing showing for a unit that has received praise all season, but all hope is not lost.

Arkansas turns around to face a Tennessee team that has lost three in a row. A trip home after a tough loss could be just what the Razorbacks need. Either way, it’s hard to get too upset with where they are at this point.

Sure, it stings to lose to A&M. Again. This marked the Razorbacks’ ninth straight loss to the Aggies, tied for the longest streak in Southwest Classic series history. But, with a couple of streaks already having been broken this season, perhaps this one was meant to wait another year. I wouldn’t bet on Sam Pittman to go winless against the Aggies in his Arkansas tenure. That will come eventually.

For now, accept that this wasn’t a bad loss. A&M is a legitimate contender to make the College Football Playoff, and they only got help after a loss by No. 6 Oklahoma State this past week. Arkansas isn’t there yet, but they could be before long.

Although the defense struggled, the offense had one of its better games of the season. Rakeem Boyd rushed for 100 yards for the first time this year, and Feleipe Franks threw 3 touchdowns. It was a promising sign for an offense that had been solid but left fans wanting more. If it can keep that upward trend going and the defense returns to form, this team still has upset potential.

The defense will be better, too. Even looking at next week, Jarrett Guarantano is no Kellen Mond. One has to think the Razorbacks will be back to forcing turnovers sooner rather than later.

Games like this serve as reminders that there is still work to be done. But the Razorbacks are still on the right track.