Few rivalries in college football can match the excitement of Texas A&M and Arkansas in the Southwest Classic, and the final installment of the game at AT&T Stadium Saturday was proof of that. The Aggies defeated the Razorbacks 21-17 for their 12th win in the program’s last 13 meetings.

Here are five takeaways from A&M’s win:

A fitting end to the Southwest Classic in Arlington

In the Southwest Classic’s final season before returning to campus, there couldn’t have been a more fitting end to a 13-year run in the home of the Dallas Cowboys. The game remained neck-and-neck throughout, but it came to a riot in the fourth quarter.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed’s five-yard touchdown keeper with nine minutes left in the second quarter tied the score at 14 until a 45-yard field goal by Arkansas redshirt senior kicker Kyle Ramsey with 13:24 left in the game.

The Fresno State transfer tight end Tre Watson’s first score as an Aggie couldn’t have come at a more opportune time when he hauled in a five-yard touchdown with nine minutes left. A&M’s defense tightened from there, culminating with Purdue transfer defensive end Nic Scourton’s strip sack of Boise State transfer QB Taylen Green to put the win to bed.

We hope the excitement of the rivalry makes the trip to College Station and Fayetteville, Ark.

Photos: Aggies hold on to face Arkansas in Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium

View Gallery

Le’Veon Moss breathed new life into the Aggies’ offense

A&M’s offensive attack looked stale for most of the second quarter and all of the third quarter, with the Aggies’ five full drives ending in punts each time. Junior running back Le’Veon Moss, wearing green cleats, was the Energizer Bunny for A&M, providing a spark to the scoring drive.

With just under 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Moss broke off three consecutive runs of 23, 8 and 15 yards before Reed found Watson for the go-ahead goal. Moss continued his fourth-quarter surge on the Aggies’ next possession, rushing 30 yards down the sideline before a facemask penalty added another 15 yards.

Two additional gains of 7 yards brought Moss’ total to 117 yards and an average of nine yards per carry. His performance came against the SEC’s fourth-best rush defense, with the Razorbacks allowing just 82.3 yards on the ground on Saturday.

Moss has only three touchdowns this season, but his offensive impact with over 100 yards in every conference game is undeniable.

A&M’s sales power was visible

Elko has spoken about the extent to which winning the turnover battle in games contributes to success in the SEC. That game plan worked for A&M in the Sept. 14 win over Florida, as the Aggies hauled in three interceptions without committing a turnover of their own.

A&M again emerged victorious in the turnover battle with a 3-0 lead. Florida transfer linebacker Scooby Williams recovered a fumble and Alabama transfer cornerback Dezz Ricks intercepted a pass in the first half as the Aggies held onto the ball themselves without a turnover.

Still, no turnover was bigger than Scourton’s sack of Green with a minute and a half left. Florida transfer nickel back Jaydon Hill flew in for the recovery, effectively sealing an A&M victory as the Aggies took over in Razorback territory.

Junior defensive end Shemar Stewart forced the fumble in the second quarter by breaking up a handoff from Green to Jackson, paving the way for a five-yard score two plays later. A&M didn’t get any points from Ricks’ pick, but it prevented Arkansas from scoring before halftime in a closely contested game.

Tyler White was the Aggies’ most valuable player

It was one of those games where A&M’s most impactful player was the punter, and why not? White booted the ball nine times for 388 yards, an average of 43.1 yards per punt. That’s not an eye-popping statistic, but the redshirt freshman from Southlake, who had seven points inside the Arkansas 20-yard line, ensured the Razorbacks never got easy field position.

White’s stats won’t be as sexy as those of Moss, Scourton and junior wide receiver Noah Thomas, but his performance played as big a role, if not bigger, in the Aggies’ escape from Arlington with a win. Elko’s emphasis on special teams success is already paying off.

A&M’s run defense continues to show improvement

The Aggies held their third straight opponent to 100 rushing yards or less, and the Razorbacks’ 100 yards look even more impressive now that Arkansas previously averaged 240 rushing yards per game. The dual-threat Green was limited to 12 yards on 12 carries, while Utah transfer RB Ja’Quinden Jackson managed just 37 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

A&M’s defense is looking better every week after giving up 198 and 180 rushing yards to Notre Dame and McNeese State, respectively, through the first two weeks of the season. Scourton and Hill each tallied sacks, with Scourton responsible for three of the Aggies’ nine tackles for loss.

Elko and defensive coordinator Jay Batman won’t be fans of the 279 yards and a touchdown allowed through the air, but it’s a testament to A&M’s elimination of the run game for Arkansas.

Find more Texas A&M coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.