Ainias Smith fumbles punt, takes it to the house anyway as Texas A&M extends lead over Arkansas

Ainias Smith and Texas A&M look well on their way to an 11th win over Arkansas in 12 tries.

With his team up 27-16 near the halfway point of the 4th quarter, the Aggies wide receiver caught a massive break on Saturday after A&M forced an Arkansas punt. After initally coughing the ball up, he was able to recover it and take it for a touchdown as the Aggies extended their advantage to 34-16.

Take a look at the play below:

Not. Gonna. Catch. Him. @ainias_smith ???

? @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/utnwnZ2c1w

— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) September 30, 2023

It was a full-circle moment for Smith, who also has 4 catches for 71 yards on the afternoon. In last year’s Southwest Classic, he suffered a right leg fracture and was lost for the season.

Leading up to this year’s rivalry game, Smith had discussed “getting revenge” on the AT&T Stadium turf and “tak[ing] it a bit more personal”. He’s done just that in a terrific performance against the Razorbacks, and he and the Aggies appear headed for a 3rd straight win.

Sydney Hunte

Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.