ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Razorbacks fall to Alabama, 24-20
The 10th-ranked University of Arkansas football team fell to top-ranked Alabama Saturday by a score of 24-20 in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Also:
- ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats (PDF), Post-game Press Conference (Video), Post-game Notes, Post-game Quotes
- ESPN.com: Alabama needs late rally to pick off Arkansas, No. 1 Bama Survives No. 10 Arkansas (Video), Forde: Mark Ingram, Bama stiff-arm Arkansas, Low: Alabama shows poise of a champion
- RBN: Arkansas vs. Alabama Photos
- SI.com: Mandel: Alabama survives Arkansas thanks to physical brand of football
- AOL FanHouse: Travis: Alabama Outlasts Arkansas, Adds to Razorback Pain
- Chris Bahn: Mallett Legend, Arkansas Title Hopes Fall Short Against Crimson Tide, Two-Minute Drill
- Jim Harris: Beating No. 1 Alabama Takes Everything, and Hogs Didn’t Have It
- Robbie Neiswanger: Missed Opportunity: Arkansas Falls To Alabama
- Scott Faldon: Alabama Finishes Strong in Fourth Quarter
- Dennis Byrd: ‘Bama Backs Record Big Day
- Harry King: Bama wins, somehow
- Matt Jones: Alabama the Better Closer
- ArkansasOnline.com Focus: Arkansas vs. Alabama Photos
Thoughts: Tough game to lose. I was hoping for better running but guess it is not to be. I suppose the old addage of “live by the pass, die by the pass” is appropriate for this game. It was obvious that our over-hyped RBs are not in the class as Ingram and Richardson. We unfortuntely are getting very few yards after the first hit. Alabama defense put our RBs down at the spot where contact was first made…over and over they did that. Even our big backs generally hit the ground immediately, whereas their RBs ran through us. Many times, holes big enough to run a car through. It bacame obvious to me that our RBs and QB was out played. Guess these coaches will never develop this first class QB to quit knocking receivers down and to not throw into spaces where so many D-Backs are located. Good game…just tough to lose. Good timing for an open date. Hogs should regroup and have a good season, even potentially great depending upon developing a running game and better QB decisions.
This is Mallett’s team. They lost on his three interceptions. That is the way it should be.
You have to score more than 20. Bobby went into a bit of a shell when he had MO in the 3rd quarter.
How long before Petrino sneaks out of town like he did in Atlanta???
Not concerned about Petrino leaving town but I have a suggestion for where you can go…
Get a life Anonymous (coward). I agree with Owassohog. While you're at it, get a life as well.
I wasn't pickin' on Bobby, just sayin'. I hope he retires here. We are blessed to have him.
Embarrased!!! I am a Tide fan and even though we Came back and won the truth is we just survived! This was an embarassment! We Are the #1 team In the nation and have the Heisman winner and played Like a high school team! Arkansas should have won. If we play like this next 2 road games well get our butts handed to us.
I hope so. Two losses would suit us just fine.
This could've been a different game if not for too many dropped passes. It's hard to get much done when you're starting every drive 2nd and long. Our lack of a running game hurt us terribly. Overall, I am pleased with our performance. The defense has come a long way since last year.
Well, a "moral" victory means squat… There is no column in the stats for almost … close …shouldda, couldda, wouldda… Only W's and L's. Mental toughness lacks with this team and it starts w/ the coaches. Ark really did nothing to stop Bama… Bama stops itself with poor throws and penaties. Even with 2nd or 3rd and long. No problem, they get a 1st. Ark is a spurt team sporatic… Has yet to play to win the whole game – 4 quarter … Doesn't made stops when they have to … Can't put teams away with a tough running game and surprisingly did not make clutch throws and catches. It's amazing how the adverage teams in the past were league tops in rushing and this ranked team produces junior-high numbers rushing. It has to be the approach, the imphasis placed on it and that falls on the coaches. Surely, with same attention to detail given to the passing game would produce improvement. Now, Ark did not play that bad but it falls way short a championship caliber team and even if Ark wins out, it is only 2nd best or it must depend on another team to win or lose and has no control of its own destiny. Champions cut their own path through the thicked …Period. The great thing about this game is you get to strap -up again next week or next. So shake it off and get ready to show yourselves and the football world that all this hype is not just that … hype. WPS/GH!
Now you know how Georgia felt last week. they should have beat Arkansas and lost it at the end! then your QB today makes the bonehead play of the year in the SEC by throwing a pick instead of out of bounds at the end ! ha! ha!
maybe the Hogs can get in the Humanitarian bowl in Boise !
See comment above!
Hey, Anonymous
I hope your team gets in the toilet bowl, if they're good enough!
Arkansas has a pretty good team this year and they failed to take advantage of a great opportunity in a down year for the SEC. Go back and look at the "Game Predictions" thread. Some of these people should have their heads examined.
The truth is that Arkansas beat three unranked teams and made Georgia look like a good team last week. Mallet is a great QB when playing outmatched teams. He has not performed against good teams and this was just another example.
I'd say it was a bit presumptious to be talking about what to do about students tearing down the goal posts. The fact that this is the biggest game in Fayetteville in 30 years should tell you where you program is and always has been.
Nearly 400 yards of passing is not a "good" game. Maybe you should have your head examined!! BTW you're not good at your football history. Arkansas has had many great teams and seasons. Do you get your information from the cracker jack box? Just wondering.
Yeah, the Mallet interceptions were bad, especially that last one on a 2nd and 1 with plenty of time left. I mean c'mon! Run it or fall on it if no one's open, don't loft it up in desperation like its 4 and forever with :03 left. And there's also the sense of Mallet's unfocused nature to finish. I'm thinking of that drive in the first half where we're in the red zone and he forces it to a guy not open covered soundly by two Bama defenders. It's like a guy trying to make the highlight reels at the expense of his team. The other interception in the 2nd half was the same way, guy's not open over the middle well covered by two defenders and he tries to thread the needle to be heroic and it pretty much costs us the game. I mean we were leading at that point for heaven's sake. The point is to win the game, not try to gamble on some outrageous throw to make yourself look good. That really felt selfish.
But to me the biggest mistake was really our defensive game plan. Almost the whole game we were lined up in a three man front against 7 hulks. It was like we were defending for a passing offense. Mclroy could have read a book back there with all the time we gave him. The one time I saw us blitz we actually stopped a crucial third down when Bama was deep in our territory that forced a field goal. Instead for most of the game he gashed us to death, which in turn only opened up everything for already the best running game in college football. Looked like we were in a "prevent" defense for most of the game. Instead we should have been pressuring, playing for the ball like some fighting Razorbacks. If we had played defense like that, I think we could have made a lot more stops and possibly won going away.
This, and a few other sites, need some sort of filter for these times of comments. Gesh people! The sky is not falling. We should of won, yes, but Alabama is a great team with some big time players on it. It's not like we are 0-4. Pick your head up and stop calling for the coaches and players head. 11-1 will be a GREAT season. Stop your whinning!
Well said, last week Ryan Mallett was the greatest QB ever, today he makes a couple of bone head plays and we're ready to run him out of town. The fact that we lost has very little to do with our QB play. Lets try to get a pass rush and run the ball a little.
I agree Mallet's a great QB when he's not pressured. But that was three bone head mistakes, not two. And the last on a 2nd and 1 with the game winning drive on the line. C'mon! That's not champion play. Those other two reeked of ego, those guys weren't even close to being open. At least with Mclroy's interceptions, our guys made a play on the ball. Also, I don't see how he's going to be a great NFL QB with so little mobility. You think Bama can bring pressure? What are NFL defense's going to do to him?
But I do agree with you on one point: If our defense would have focused on pressuring Mclroy more, I think we'd had a better chance of winning. But its over. We'll move on. If Ryan can learn from this and mature from it, I like our chances for the rest of the year. Still, even if Bama loses one, and we run the tables, they'll still go to the championship game. So it was a missed opportunity on a couple of levels.
I don't know about a filter, but most of the people on here have never commented on this site before and they certainly don't sound like Razorback fans. It was a tough game, tougher than most expected. We take stock of where we are and move on. We are close, but not there.
thats exactly what I was thinking as well carolina hog
Ditto!
Most of the comments act like they did not even watch the game. Mallets last interception was on 2nd and 9 after Williams had moved prior to first down. Doesn't matter except the comment is that Mallet is trying to make himself look good. I guess so if throwing the ball away makes you look good. Or maybe the commenter is correct falling down for a 6 yard loss would have been a good idea. He made the right decision with the wrong execution. Two other times he made the wrong decision with bad execution. Pick the right time to accuse him. Fact is the whole team was deflated in the last qtr. They knew Alabama was stronger, and couild not stop them. Alabama got better in the second half we did not on either side of the ball.
I am sick of the Bama fans and some of the media that predict a blowout then when their team gets outplayed for the majority of the game give no credit to Arkansas, saying they played horribly, etc….well the facts are Bama is nowhere near as good as they are hyped to be..they are not much better than the Georgia team we faced last weekend that is 0-3 in the SEC..they have some losses coming in SEC play this year and will soon be an afterthought in the national title race…Facts are Arkansas and Alabama are both ranked about 15 spots too high at this point in the season…
Scott,
I agreed with everything you said, right up until you said "Facts are, Arkansas and Alabama are both ranked about 15 spots too high at this point in the season". Seriously?
People always make bone-headed comments after a loss, usually alcahol related/induced.
Everyone pretty much knew going into this game we weren't on the same level of play as Alabama. We are getting there, but it's going to take a couple of more seasons of great recruiting and coaching to get there.
Most fans don't want to here it, but that's just the way it is.
Overall, I'm very proud of this team. You don't put yourself in the national spotlight without doing things the right way. Look what we were doing two seasons ago. Arkansas wasn't even an after-thought to Alabama, even on the road.
It wasn't mean't to happen this season. We already knew that, so let's stop acting like it's the end of the world.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the season. Being humbled by the best in our own house will serve us well from here on out.
We gave it our best, played a very good game and came up short. Nothing to be ashamed about.
Couldn't agree more Gonzo. There is a lot of football to be played, and Arkansas proved that they can play with the best in the country. We all expected this game to be tough, and having it slip away from us is disappointing.
This team, as well as it's fans, should be proud of what has been accomplished so far and build upon it. We will learn to finish games, I'm sure of that.
It's hard to look at the big picture after a loss like this, but in reality the Hogs proved they are a national force and will be feared by many teams. Pretty good position to be in if you ask me.
our fans.. last week ryan mallett is a hero this week he choked and cost us the SEC we have to calm down and realize that alabama was a superior team like some other level headed comments that I've read we aren't quite there yet. Look where we were two years ago and look where we are now, not a single person should be criticizing coaching. thats the only reason we are as good as we are. We still have a while to go but dominating the number one team in the nation of 3/4 of the game is pretty darn good. we have 8 games left its not the end of the world and we'll be even better in a few years and can wup some alabama tail then so cheer up true hog fans!! the season isnt over yet!
That sucks. I guess yall have no hope to win the west now after that loss. On a different note when Mallett leaves next year yall wont have a chance either…
I'm glad all these Bama fans find it nessesary to weigh in after such a close game, in which i'm quite sure were convinced wouldn't be that close at all.
The West is not out of Hogs reach this year. I see Alabama losing a game. However, it will be tough unless we can develop a consistent running game to go with out mostly good passing attack. The coaches are trying to get there and will get there since recruiting is getting better and better. Realize that the players Alabam signed were top 5 rated, whereas our players were rated much lower (if that really counts and I believe it counts for something). So, coaches are getting there…just takes time. a minority of fans are always impatient…yes and lots of that is alcohol-brain talking…but when they keep it up it hurts the CURRENT players and sometimes even affects recruiting. The coaches are winners. So, keep your powder dry. As soon as they add more good defenders and a great O-line, team will shine. Again, keep your powder dry. Rome was not built in a day.
Match ups in football is very important and affect much. See what happened in Austin. Can't wait to see the match up with TAM.
Aside comment: Saw some of Michael Dyer's play and he does look good in major college and will likely be a force for AU down the road. He has no legs to tackle!