It was close… and then it wasn’t. Arkansas fell behind 28-0, cut the deficit to 28-23, and then got boatraced in the fourth quarter en route to a 49-26 loss to 2nd-ranked Alabama in Fayetteville.
A rowdy crowd was disappointed with the start, which saw the Hogs fall behind 28-0 midway through the second quarter. Alabama star QB Bryce Young injured his shoulder in the second quarter, potentially changing the game. The Hogs managed a touchdown drive late in the first half to cut the deficit to 28-7.
The third quarter was all Arkansas. The Hogs scored to cut the lead to 28-14 before kickoff specialist Jake Bates hit the Tide with a surprise onside kick, recovering at the 46. The Hogs cashed that in for a field goal to cut the lead to 28-17.
The Tide continued to self-destruct on the next series, with a bad snap on a punt giving Arkansas the ball on the 3. Rocket Sanders punched in a touchdown to make it 28-23. The two-point conversion was no good, but Razorback Stadium was rocking as the third quarter ended.
The high point came as Arkansas backed the Tide up to 3rd-and-15 at their own 20. Then the hammer fell. Backup quarterback Jalen Milroe scrambled for 77 yards to set up a touchdown. Alabama’s next two possessions were 70+ yard touchdown runs by Jahmyr Gibbs. The complete collapse of Arkansas’ defense against a backup quarterback defined this game.
Instant Analysis
Arkansas’ defense has a major problem. The Razorbacks were shredded for more than 560 yards, most of it against a backup quarterback. The Tide had 230 yards on their first three possessions of the fourth quarter. It’s not just open-field tackling: the Hogs didn’t set the edge and struggled to stay near receivers. Fans love to criticize Kendal Briles, but Barry Odom is making a lot of money for his defense to be that bad.
Arkansas’ receivers are not very good. We may have overestimated the Arkansas receiving corps, particularly Matt Landers. Hog wideouts got zero separation and Landers again had a deep pass bounce off his hands. Freshman Jaedon Wilson also played a bit, dropping his only target on a perfectly-thrown slant route. Shoutout to Ketron Jackson, who looked very good. He was about the only one.
The run game looked much better. If there’s a positive takeaway, it’s the run game. The Hogs put up 187 yards on the ground. Holes were there all game, and Sanders and KJ Jefferson both had several good runs.