This was probably the performance from Alabama we all should have expected.
It was probably inevitable, I mean. A week after a systematic road destruction of Georgia that caught the attention of the nation — and a week before a trip to College Station that will almost certainly have the nation’s attention again — Bama hosted an Arkansas team that a season ago probably should have beaten the Tide in Fayetteville. It was Homecoming, against a team that has losses on its resume to Texas Tech and freaking Toledo.
It was a trap, in other words.
So, credit to Nick Saban and Alabama — as ESPN noted during the game, one of Alabama’s identifying characteristics during his tenure has been its ability to beat unranked opponents. Saban’s squad beats the teams it’s supposed to, in other words. It struggled, it looked ugly, but it won.
TAKEAWAYS
• There are times when it seems Lane Kiffin’s offense is specifically designed to drive me crazy. I know his numbers are always good enough — Alabama finished with 396 total yards, for an average of 5 yards per play — but the Tide is still searching for (sports cliche alert!) consistency on offense. Twice in the first quarter Alabama drove inside Arkansas’ 20-yard line by leaning on backs Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake, then backed up and threw three times to set up field goal attempts (a make and a miss). The deep pass to Calvin Ridley late in the third quarter was notable only because Bama had been attempting to hit Arkansas deep for most of the game and either forced the football or couldn’t protect Jake Coker. Credit where it’s due, I suppose — they figured it out down the stretch. Just hard to believe it took so long.
• Alabama’s defensive effort was the usual fare for Tide fans — not just that the defense is stout, but that Saban and Kirby Smart designed that defense specifically to swallow up offenses like Arkansas’. There was simply no way the Hogs were going to run against Alabama’s front, and Brandon Allen simply isn’t good enough to exploit whatever holes might exist in the Tide secondary. Had the Arkansas defense not set up its offense inside Alabama’s 20, it seems unlikely they’d have scored any points.
• I don’t have the energy to discuss placekicking any more. I just don’t.
REPORT CARD
Offense: (B) — To be fair, we should give some credit to Arkansas’ defense, which managed to pressure Coker without blitzing a great deal and control Alabama’s running game for most of three quarters. Bama gets credit for wearing down the Hogs in the fourth quarter — the Tide ran 79 plays (to Arkansas’ 57) and it showed at the end.
Defense: (A-) — The longest run for Arkansas all day was a 5-yarder by Alex Collins. No, really.
Special Teams: (C-) — Gets marks only because J.K. Scott averaged 50 yards per punt and at one point helped flip field position when it seemed to be working against the home team.
Coaching: (B) — Extra points for Saban referring to Arkansas’ “little fake punt thing” in his postgame presser.
GAME BALLS
• Derrick Henry: 27 carries, 101 yards, 1 TD
• Jake Coker: 24-33-2, 262 yards, 2 TDs, 7 carries, 36 yards
• Reggie Ragland: 7 tackles, 1 for loss
• Eddie Jackson: 1 interception, 20 yards on the return
INJURY UPDATE
Defensive leader Reggie Ragland left the game briefly after what appeared to be a hard lick to his left shoulder. He returned to the game and finished as one of Alabama’s leading tacklers; Saban was asked about him in the postgame and said nothing about any injury.
Will Heath is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football.
