Ad Disclosure
Rapid Reaction: Bryce Young’s record day helps Alabama beat Arkansas, clinch SEC West
Published:
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.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
