They went back and forth for most of the game, but Alabama ultimately outlasted feisty Arkansas, 42-35, on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The No. 2-ranked Tide clinched the SEC West title and a date with No. 1 Georgia for the SEC Championship on Dec. 4 in Atlanta.

Alabama, now 10-1 overall and 6-1 in SEC play, won for the 15th straight time over Arkansas, which falls to 7-4 overall and 3-4. The Tide have won 61 of their past 63 home games. This season they are 4-0 against AP Top 25 teams.

The upstart Razorbacks split 6 games, going 3-3 against ranked teams this season.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young threw for a program-record 561 yards. His 5th touchdown pass of the game, a 40-yarder to Jameson Williams, gave Alabama some breathing room with 5:39 to play in the game. Young then ran for a 2-point conversion to give the Tide a 42-28 lead. Williams finished with 3 TD catches and 190 yards receiving. He had TD catches of 79, 32 and 40 yards.

Arkansas scored its final TD with a minute left to account for the final margin.

Alabama appeared to put the game away with its first drive of the second half. The Tide marched 75 yards in 9 plays to open the second half and take a 31-14 advantage. Young completed the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Christian Leary. Young completed all 3 pass attempts in the drive, for 51 yards.

Still, Arkansas wouldn’t go down without a fight. On the ensuing drive, Razorbacks needed just 3 plays to go 75 yards and shorten the deficit to 31-21. That’s because KJ Jefferson connected with Treylon Burks for a 66-yard touchdown pass.

A holding penalty nullified a Young touchdown run, and the Alabama QB was sacked forcing a long field goal attempt by Will Reichard, who was short on his attempt. He made good however on the next drive, booting a 30-yarder to increase the Tide’s margin to 34-21, a lead they took into the 4th quarter.

A little trickeration from Arkansas made it a 1-score game. The Razorbacks lined up for a field goal but faked it. Holder Reid Bauer, Arkansas’ 3rd-string quarterback, threw to Blake Kern, who completed the 32-yard touchdown play and a stunned Alabama team saw its lead dwindle to 34-28.

The Tide converted an early turnover into a Reichard 48-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. Dallas Turner recovered a fumble at the Hogs’ 32-yard line, but a running play and two incomplete passes netted just 2 yards and Alabama settled for the field goal.

But the offense cranked up late in the first quarter. After an Arkansas punt pinned the Tide on their own 2-yard line, Alabama proceeded to go on a 9-play, 98-yard march. Young capped the drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to John Metchie and a 10-0 lead. It was Young’s SEC-leading 34th touchdown pass of the season.

Young completed all 4 pass attempts, good for 82 yards in the drive. Three of those went to Metchie for a total of 70 yards.

Arkansas answered with an impressive drive of its own, going 96 yards in 14 plays to make it 10-7 midway through the second quarter. Jefferson completed 5-of-6 passes for 72 yards on the drive, including a 15-yard touchdown pass to Burks. He also rushed 3 times for 26 yards.

The Tide didn’t take long to rebuild a 10-point lead. They took just 2 plays to do it. After Young was sacked for a 4-yard loss, he lofted a 79-yard touchdown pass to Williams, the SEC’s leading receiver. It was the 7th play of 50-plus yards for Alabama this season.

Arkansas didn’t go away. The Hogs traveled 75-yards in 7 plays to cut Alabama’s lead to 17-14 late in the second quarter. Trelon Smith rushed 3 times for 28 yards, but the big play was a 40-yard pass to Warren Thompson to the Tide 1-yard line. Dominique Johnson plowed in from there for the score.

It was Alabama’s turn to come right back. The Tide took 6 plays to go 75 yards. Young threw to Williams for a 32-yard touchdown and a 24-14 lead they took into halftime.

Next, the Tide will head to Auburn for the Iron Bowl, already having secured their 9th SEC West division title under Nick Saban.