Arkansas wrap-up: Composure in short supply as Bama piles up the points
Alabama’s offense did a solid job against Arkansas, but not a superlative one. Any turnover total greater than zero is too many, and Alabama recorded three of them. But true freshman QB Jalen Hurts continued his ascension to stardom, and the Crimson Tide put together a solid running game even without Joshua Jacobs, who suffered some kind of hand or elbow injury early in the first quarter.
But defensively, Alabama lost its composure, and as a result, Arkansas QB Austin Allen played pitch-and-catch with his receivers despite spending as much time picking himself off the ground as he did actually throwing the football.
Previews 2016: Arkansas, Auburn and LSU
August 13, 2016 Comments Off on Previews 2016: Arkansas, Auburn and LSU
Arkansas has become a more dangerous team under Bret Bielema’s watch…Auburn may be winding down the Gus Malzahn era…This could be Miles’ swan song…
Continue reading …Arkansas preview: Razorbacks may not have the horses to win this one
October 7, 2015 Comments Off on Arkansas preview: Razorbacks may not have the horses to win this one
It is easy to dismiss Arkansas as “Georgia Lite” given the Razorbacks’ offensive tendencies, but Arkansas has frequently been a tough out for Alabama. So much so, in fact, that Alabama needs to avoid falling into the trap posed by this direct-from-central-casting “trap game.”
In 2014, Arkansas took Alabama to the wire before the Crimson Tide eventually won, 14-13. It was the game that the Alabama coaches used to eventually define the 2014 squad, and it also marked the last game QB Blake Sims really struggled to get through. In 2015, Alabama gets the Hogs a week after rolling around like a bunch of hogs in the Georgia mud. Fortunately for Alabama, the fourth quarter of its win over Georgia was little more than a mutual slap-fest, as prescribed by the stunningly poor weather conditions.
Continue reading …Arkansas preview: Razorbacks smell blood in the water as Bama comes to town
October 6, 2014 Comments Off on Arkansas preview: Razorbacks smell blood in the water as Bama comes to town
Whether Arkansas actually follows through with doing the near-impossible this weekend, it won’t be for a lack of confidence that the impossible can be done.
In year two of Bret Bielema’s tenure in Fayetteville, Arkansas might not be one of the SEC’s best teams, but it’s not from a lack of believing. And with Alabama coming to town fresh off being made to look very mortal by Ole Miss, the Razorbacks will surely speak with a noticeably louder oink this week.
Continue reading …From Polls to Playoff, Part 2: The System Breaks
September 3, 2014 Comments Off on From Polls to Playoff, Part 2: The System Breaks
Beginning in 1936, the Associated Press ranked the nation’s top twenty football teams and awarded a national championship at the end of the regular season. Although bowl games (usually somewhere between five and seven) existed in these early days, the bowls were not taken into account when determining the national champion. There were several reasons the bowls were not included, including maintaining the amateur emphasis of college football, the fact the bowls were exhibitions, and the fact that most schools or conferences attempted to share the wealth by forbidding teams from attending the same bowl game in consecutive years.
Continue reading …Previews 2014: Arkansas Razorbacks
August 26, 2014 Comments Off on Previews 2014: Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas runs a smash-mouth, I-formation attack that puts a premium on running the football. It’s old-school, and definitely against the grain as far as trends go, but a pro-style attack only really works when a team has the talent to execute. Arkansas doesn’t. The Razorbacks are bereft of a competent passing game, and Bielema’s staff looked more than a little overwhelmed during its first season in the SEC.
Continue reading …Arkansas preview: Razorbacks in transition, Alabama looking for domination
October 15, 2013 Comments Off on Arkansas preview: Razorbacks in transition, Alabama looking for domination
For Alabama fans who appreciate nostalgia, they’ll get plenty of it when Arkansas comes to town this week.
Why? Because they’ll swear Danny Ford was back in Fayetteville.
Bret Bielema took over the Arkansas program this spring after John L. Smith was mercifully let go after a season that could justifiably be called the most disappointing – relative to expectations – in the history of Arkansas football. The Razorbacks were coming off a string of high-scoring seasons under Bob Petrino, and the program was threatening to punch into the elite of the SEC West.
And then Bob Petrino got in a motorcycle accident, got caught lying about an affair and was relieved of his duties as the Razorback head coach. The coach of the Hogs had been thrown off his Hog and was found to have been acting like a pig.
Continue reading …2013 Fall Previews: Arkansas Razorbacks
August 11, 2013 Comments Off on 2013 Fall Previews: Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas fans would no doubt like to surgically excise any memory of the 2012 debacle from their brains. The season started with high hopes, then saw Bob Petrino fired as head coach after lying about an affair, and finished with John L. Smith’s complete self-destruction as (what turned out to be interim) head coach. Arkansas looked poorly prepared, completely unmotivated and athletically out-classed. Now it’s up to former Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema to return some semblance of competency to Fayetteville.
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Sources tell TideFans.com that Auburn first offered the job to Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, who gave it strong consideration before eventually turning the job down. Auburn is also believed to have gauged interest from Jimbo Fisher, Gary Patterson and at least one other major college coach, but could not find a willing dance partner. Bob Petrino was never seriously considered by the people charged with actually making the decision. Enter Gus Malzahn.
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The team that loses that Alabama-Arkansas game has NEVER won the SEC Western Division championship. Here’s why.
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