Game To Watch: #21 Arkansas at #2 Alabama: November 20, 2021

Arkansas will travel to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama on Saturday at 12:00 EST. The Razorbacks are 7 – 3, but only 3 – 3 in conference play, they beat LSU 16 – 13 last week to even out their conference record. The Crimson Tide had an easy win over New Mexico State 59 – 3 that pushed them to 9 – 1 overall and 5 – 1 in conference play. Alabama probably cannot afford another loss if they are going to make the College Football Playoff and Arkansas will look to play the role of spoiler this week.

Recent History

Alabama is 21 – 8 against Arkansas and holds a 13 game winning streak in the series, which would be 14 if the 2007 win had not been vacated. The Razorbacks last win was a 24 – 23 game they won at home in 2006. The Crimson Tide have dominated the series of late winning 10 of the 13 games in their current winning streak by three scores or more.

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What To Watch For…

Can Arkansas Disrupt Bryce Young and the Alabama Offense?

Bryce Young has been very efficient at quarterback this year, completing 71 percent of his passes, averaging 9.3 yards per pass attempt and throwing 33 touchdowns against 3 interceptions. He has been the leader for an offense that averages 44.6 points per game, and has been able to make-up for any deficiencies that have popped up this year. As a result, Alabama has scored 30 points or more in every game this year except one, a 20 point game against LSU. In that game the TIgers were able to get in the backfield and disrupt the Alabama running game and sack Young four times. Arkansas has a solid defense and will look to slow down the Crimson Tide offense. The Razorbacks have been good against the pass, allowing just 6.8 yards per attempt, but they have also been solid against the run, giving up just under 4 yards per carry. If they can be disruptive and get Alabama in bad situations, they can force Alabama into mistakes and hold Young and the Alabama offense in check.

Will Arkansas’ Running Attack Succeed Against Alabama?

Arkansas has an effective running game that does not rely on a single player to carry the load. The Razorbacks distribute carries to several young running backs and keep the quarterback involved as a run threat as well. It’s an effective strategy, the running backs remain fresh and all bring a different skill set to the offense, attacking the defense in different ways and wearing down the opponent. The Razorbacks have three running backs that have totaled over 450 yards rushing this season and all three have averaged over five yards per carry. Add in the fact that quarterback KJ Jefferson has also rushed for 474 yards at 4.4 yards per carry and it’s easy to see the diversity of Arkansas’ running attack. Alabama’s run defense ranks second in the conference, behind Georgia. The Crimson Tide have held opponents to 2.6 yards per carry and 83.5 yards per game. They have a deep and talented front seven that creates penetration and is effective against most running attacks. Arkansas’ offense is built around the strength of their running game, they will have to be effective running it to move the ball against the Alabama defense.

Will Treylon Burks Get Loose For Big Plays?

While Arkansas’ offense is built around the running game they do feature one of the best receivers in college football as well. Treylon Burks is clearly the teams top target in the passing game, coming into the game with 51 catches for 796 yards and 8 touchdowns. Burks is an athletic mismatch for most defensive backs with his combination of size, power and speed. If KJ Jefferson can get the ball to Burks downfield it will not only lead to big plays, but the threat will loosen up Alabama’s run defense for the Arkansas offense. Alabama’s pass defense is not a weakness by any stretch, but it’s not as strong as the run defense. The Crimson Tide rank sixth in the SEC in passing yards against but are third in yards per attempt allowed. Arkansas will not likely score a lot being one dimensional so they will need to get Burks favorable match-ups against the Alabama secondary to see if he can make some big plays that spark the offense.

Prediction

Arkansas is a tough football team that will be ready to play early and will attempt to control the line of scrimmage. The Razorbacks will throw some different looks at Bryce Young to confuse the young quarterback early and build some momentum. The Arkansas defense will keep the game close for a while, but Alabama has enough offensive weapons to pull away for the win. Alabama 38 – Arkansas 24.

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