There is still work to be done. Lots of it, in fact. Arkansas entered this week with high hopes after steamrolling Alcorn State. However, the only problem was the Razorbacks weren’t facing an FCS opponent on Saturday night.

Even though Austin Allen continued to prove he is one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC, Arkansas was no match for top-ranked Alabama when the two SEC West rivals met in Fayetteville.

Here’s an analysis of the Razorbacks’ 49-30 loss:

5 TAKEAWAYS

  • Big plays hurt: It has been a theme in games which the Razorbacks have struggled, and it continued against the Crimson Tide. Alabama routinely moved the chains with huge gains, whether it was Joshua Jacobs busting free for a 56-yard run or Damien Harris going for a 57-yard gain. The final nail in Arkansas’ coffin, though, came when Minkah Fitzpatrick returned his third interception of the night for a 100-yard score.
  • Allen continues to lead: Even though the end result was disappointing, Allen continued to be a positive for the Razorbacks. With the offense struggling to get its running game going, the first-year quarterback completed 25-of-48 pass attempts for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns. His three interceptions were costly, but on a night where so much went wrong, Allen can’t be blamed for the offense’s struggles.
  • Defensive miscues were plentiful: The unit allowed multiple big plays that ignited the Alabama offense and made life easier for the visiting Crimson Tide. Throughout the season, the defense has allowed opponents to put up big numbers, but they didn’t always turn into points. But when the offense made mistakes, the defense never rallied to bail the team out. As a result, Alabama had 28 points off turnovers.
  • Offensive line was exposed: For a program which prides itself on dominating the line of scrimmage, the offensive line didn’t show up on Saturday night. The Razorbacks began the season with three first-year starters up front, and the unit continued to run into problems against the Crimson Tide on Saturday. Not only did the line allow Allen to be sacked six times and undergo pressure the entire game, the running game only averaged two yards per rush on the night.
  • Expectations should be reduced: Even after suffering an eventually lopsided loss to Texas A&M in its SEC opener, there was hope this may be the year Bret Bielema and the Razorbacks would take the next step and compete to come out of the West. However, those aspirations need to be reduced after another tough defeat in conference play. Arkansas may have handled its non-conference opponents, but there’s still work to be done to compete for an SEC title.

REPORT CARD

Offense: B- – Even Allen, who alongside Jared Cornelius was the bright spot in defeat, struggled with turnovers. When the Razorbacks weren’t passing, it was simply a disaster against the Crimson Tide.

Defense: C – The defense allowed Alabama to make big play after big play and it failed to help out the offense, which could’ve used a boost all night long.

Special teams: B- – Drew Morgan and Deon Stewart both registered decent kickoff returns, and Adam McFain made his lone field goal try. Meanwhile, Toby Baker was strong with an average of 52.8 yards per punt.

Coaching: B- – It’s tough to blame Bielema and the coaching staff for the loss, especially considering Alabama has been dominant all season long, but the defense allowed the Tide to roll up a season-high 517 yards.

Overall: C- Scoring 30 points against the Crimson Tide is not an easy task, but there were way too many miscues that cost Arkansas.

GAME PLAN

The running game was nonexistent, forcing Allen to do all he could to help the Razorbacks put up points. Aside from his connections with Cornelius, the offense was far from stellar. The offensive line’s struggles were blatant, and the unit’s play will likely continue to be a concern throughout the remainder of the schedule.

GAME BALLS

  • QB Austin Allen: The junior signal-caller threw for more than 200 yards for the fifth straight game and posted a career-best 400 passing yards. Saturday marked the second time Allen has thrown for more than 300 passing yards and both have come against SEC foes.
  • WR Jared Cornelius: Aside from Allen, Cornelius filled up the box score with 5 catches and 146 receiving yards. He was one of the few bright spots for the Razorbacks in defeat.
  • LB Brooks Ellis: He posted a team-high eight tackles and had a pass deflection to lead the defense.