When Sam Pittman said it felt like Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond had been around long enough to have graduated, it was because he knew what the four-year starter could do.
Mond played like he had a tenured position with the Aggies on Saturday night.
He completed 21 of 26 passes for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns. He managed the game like he's been there before many times. The only thing he didn't do was drive the bus as he improved to 4-0 against the Razorbacks.
The problem for the University of Arkansas was that Mond was just one of several big-game players for the Aggies, a team with an abundance of speed on defense and at their skill positions. Tight end Jalen Wydermyer is too fast for his size, and harder to stop than a truckload of bricks.
Add in an experienced offensive line, and A&M looks like an SEC contender.
After falling behind 7-0, the Aggies scored touchdowns on their next six possessions by five different players.
On a night when the Razorbacks desperately needed a turnover -- something they had excelled at creating this season -- there were none to be found.
Arkansas played hard, but the depth and speed needed to keep up didn't exist, but there were no signs of quit in these Razorbacks during a 42-31 loss that wasn't as close as the score indicates.
After holding the Aggies on their first possession, the Hogs drove 87 yards on 12 plays using 4:49 of the clock. The touchdown came on a 6-yard throw from Feleipe Franks to Treylon Burks.
The Razorbacks caught the Aggies looking when Franks raced for 28 yards on the drive. Then on third and 1 from the A&M 7, the Hogs offense shifted and Burks took a direct snap to pick up the needed yard for a first down. Then he caught his touchdown.
Although the Razorbacks opened up hot, all that did was serve notice that the Aggies better not be looking ahead. They were, but only to the touchdown they scored on the next drive.
A&M took a 14-7 lead on its next possession when 15 was the major number.
After a 15-yard pass completion to the Arkansas 30, Jalen Catalon was penalized 15 yards for targeting and ejected from the game. Then Ainias Smith got his first run of the night, and his second touch, when he scored on a 15-yard run to make it 14-7 with seconds left in the first quarter.
Catalon is one of the Razorbacks better and most consistent defenders. He has been a key to this season's early success, and all day long targeting calls that were worse than his were overturned after replay to became just personal fouls.
Aided and abetted by penalties, the Aggies then made it 21-7 and appeared to have complete control of the game.
It looked especially dangerous when the Hogs went for it on fourth and 2 from their own 49, but perhaps Sam Pittman knew he had nothing to lose -- not with the way the Aggies were moving the ball on offense.
Franks showed his moxie and hit Burks for 36 yards down the left sideline, and two plays later Franks passed 1 yard to Tyson Morris for a touchdown.
Arkansas didn't have an answer for the Aggies on their next possession as they drove 74 yards in just seven plays for a 28-14 lead with 1:13 to go in the first quarter.
The Aggies had 279 yards of offense in the opening half and scored touchdowns on every drive but their first one.
Arkansas did move move the ball, but four tackles for losses and two missed field goals kept the Razorbacks down two touchdowns going into intermission, and there was no magic on this Saturday.