Arkansas Razorbacks vs Alabama Crimson Tide: Keys to Victory
By Cory Thone
On Saturday, the Arkansas Razorbacks will square off against the #8 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Razorbacks have not had much success against the Tide in the last…well..decade. Alabama has won their last 8 games against Arkansas. Last year in Fayetteville, the Hogs got as close as you can to winning a game while simultaneously losing the game against Bama. The Hogs gained more yards, had fewer penalties, and forced more turnovers in a losing 14-13 effort. So close, yet no cigar for the Hogs yet again.
Sep 26, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks running back Alex Collins (3) runs with the ball against the Texas A&M Aggies at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The Razorbacks have certainly improved week by week since dropping a head scratcher to Toledo in Little Rock, and then losing at home in NWA to Texas Tech. Most notably, the emergence of Dre Greenlaw at weakside linebacker, Rawleigh Williams III at running back, and Drew Morgan in the passing game have jolted the Razorback team awake. After an overtime loss to A&M, the Hogs rolled in Knoxville an underdog, and escaped with a hard fought victory over the Vols.
None of this impresses Tide fans, however. Not that it should. Tennessee is struggling to find their footing after losing 3 very close games this season. The Hogs lost 3 straight games already this season, and were the favorites to win in 2 of them. It’s probably too much to ask that Nick Saban and the Alabama team overlook the Razorbacks as hard as their fans are.
Saban ain’t no fool. He remembers the game last year, and how the Razorbacks have improved under Bret Bielema and Robb Smith week by week. In 2014, the Hogs were a few lucky bounces or breaks away from beating Alabama, Mississippi State, and Missouri. The same can be said about the Hogs this year. 2 touchdowns called back against Toledo, a touchdown called back against Texas Tech, and untimely penalties against A&M cost the Hogs huge. If you look at the Tennessee game, the Razorbacks only had 3 penalties, none of which negated big plays. If the Razorbacks would stop shooting themselves in the feet, then who knows where they’d be right now. And Nick Saban knows it.
“Arkansas, to me, has a really, really good team.” Said Saban earlier this week. Nick Saban is probably the best coach in college football, and I fully expect that he’s noticed and studied everything I’ve already talked about in this post. Hoping that Nick Saban overlooks the Hogs is like hoping the sun doesn’t come up. It’s not going to happen. If the Razorbacks want to win this Saturday, then they need to do these 3 things.
1) Control the Line of Scrimmage
The Razorbacks will need to control the trenches on both sides of the ball this week if they want to win this game. Offensively, the Hogs front 5 looked great against A&M and Tennessee. They need to bring that momentum into Tuscaloosa, and open up holes for Alex Collins and RW3. The Razorbacks line has only given up 2 sacks this year, and it’s helped Brandon Allen become of the more efficient passers in the SEC.
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Defensively, the Hogs need to be able to slow down the Alabama running game, led by Derrick Henry. The Razorbacks rotate about 8 or 9 guys in and out of the game on the d-line to keep them fresh, and this could be a big advantage for Arkansas in this game. Brooks Ellis shines brightest when stopping the run, and he’s going to have his work cut out for him on Saturday. Much like with Arkansas, the Tide looks to use the running game to open up the passing attack. If Arkansas can slow Alabama down on the ground, then the inconsistent QB play of Jake Coker could be an advantage to the Hogs.
2) Minimize Mistakes
I know this may sound like a cop out answer, but it’s true. The Hogs helped themselves get a tight win over Tennessee by cutting out mistakes. They would/could have won 2 other games this year that were lost, in large part, due to mistakes. Alabama is too good to be beaten by a team that doesn’t execute. It’s going to be hard enough scoring points against a stacked Tide defense. The Hogs can’t afford to face 1st and 15 because of false starts, or to get pass interference calls on third down.
3) Score in the 4th Quarter
The Razorbacks offense turns into a poopy diaper in the 4th quarter. There’s no other way to describe it. If the Hogs want to win against Alabama, then I guarantee it will require some 4th quarter points. The Razorbacks can’t afford to leave field goals and touchdowns on the field against the Tide. More than that, it’s time for Arkansas to just get it done down the stretch. Despite being such a young team, there are a few upperclassmen leaders in key roles, specifically at QB, RB, and WR. One of those guys needs to make a play down the stretch and get the Hogs some late game points.