Alabama-Arkansas: Defense vs. Offense, the Best Team Should Win

A meeting of teams at the cross roads.

That's what this game has been about for the past 10 years. An early season confrontation that sets the tone for the remaining games. The 2009 gridiron matchup of Alabama and Arkansas will be no different.

2009 Arkansas Razorbacks

The offensive-minded Razorbacks have developed the identity of a pass-happy offense that scores at will. The Hogs defense, as a participant, hopes to slow down the opponent just enough for the offense to reload.

The offense is led by redshirt sophomore QB Ryan Mallett. Mallett is a Texarkana native who returned to the southland after a one-year stint at the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, he played 10 games as a true freshman in 2007, completing 61 of 141 pass attempts (43 percent) for seven TDs against five INTs. His longest completion was for 97 yards.

In just two games as an Arkansas Razorback, he has nearly eclipsed his Big 10 season total for yards and touchdowns. He has yet to throw an interception in 61 pass attempts. Mallett stands 6'7" and weighs 240 lbs.

Ryan Mallett is the identity of the Arkansas offense.

From a scoring standpoint, the Hogs have totaled 10 touchdowns; eight scores through the air and two on the ground. The potent passing attack has accounted for 79 percent of the total offensive output on the year, accumulating 855 yards in just two games (427.5 yd avg).

The Arkansas receiving corps has more talent than a Cirque de Soleil ensemble and their efforts on the field have landed the Razorbacks first in the SEC and second nationally for total offense.

Jarius Wright leads the high powered passing attack with 10 receptions for 247 yards. Greg Childs (9 rec, 190, yd), Joe Adams (7 rec, 125 yd), and DJ Williams (6 rec,78 yd) have all made significant contributions and all have scored touchdowns in the first two games. Freshman Cobi Hamilton has added to the totals with five receptions for 65 yards and one TD.

QB Ryan Mallett has also been effective using check downs to the running backs and tight ends, completing 12 passes for 106 yards to outlet receivers.

The ground attack has a presence, but up to this point is not a main feature of the offensive scheme. In fact, it is more of an afterthought.

In two games, the horses have grazed for only 221 total yards (110.5 yd avg), 144 yards of that total coming against the lowly Missouri State Bears.

Against Georgia, 24 rushing plays yielded a paltry 77 yards. The bulk of the carries and yardage were accumulated by senior tailback, Michael Smith (8 carries, 59 yd).

Interestingly, this under-utilization of the rushing game is not because the cupboard is bare. The Razorbacks have a stable more full than ever before, but their playmakers have yet to be utilized as a unit in comparison to previous Arkansas teams.

Against the Missouri State Bears, the rushing attack was more effective and versatile, with carries being distributed to Michael Smith (4 carries, 43 yards), true freshman Ronnie Wingo (8 carries, 50 yards), and redshirt sophomore Broderick Green (10 carries, 30 yards).

Forty-two percent of the offensive plays were handed over to the rushing unit in the home opener, including contributions from Knile Davis, D'Anthony Curtis, Brandon Barnett, and Dennis Johnson.

The recent tandem of McFadden and Jones make it hard to forget how dynamic and overpowering the running game can be in an epic SEC battle. Arkansas must put more reliance on the running game if it hopes to be effective against the upcoming SEC schedule.

The Arkansas defense is young, inexperienced, and lacks depth. The unit performed well against Missouri State but was an almost non-factor in the UGA barn burner. Only one or two stops of the Georgia offense in the second half would have produced a win for the Hogs on their home turf.

Time after time, Georgia receivers found uncovered ground and raced for 10 to 20 yards after the catch. In the end, the defense gave up 375 passing yards on a night where Joe Cox completed only 18 of 26 pass attempts (more than 20 yd per catch).

Moreover, the Razorbacks D allowed the Georgia running game to add balance to the team's offensive attack, which in the end proved to be the difference in the game.

Defensive leader Jerry Franklin made things worse when a mental lapse (similar to the lapse by McClain in the Alabama opener) in combination with an uncharacteristically bad attitude, caused him to be ejected from the game early in the second quarter.

Immediately after the ejection of the middle linebacker, UGA running back Richard Samuels blew through a gaping hole and quickly scored on an 80-yard burst.

In addition, though the Razorbacks tried to diminish the effectiveness of the sensational sophomore AJ Green with double team coverage, the WR still had seven receptions for 137 yards and two TD.

2009 Alabama Crimson Tide

The Alabama Crimson Tide presents a balanced offensive attack and a tenacious, pressuring defense.

In the first three games of the year, the Men in Crimson and White have netted 803 yards rushing and 734 yards passing in 218 plays from scrimmage.

The defense held the No. 7 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies to 155 yards of total offense,; the FIU Golden Panthers to 214 yards; and the North Texas Mean Green Eagles to 187 total yards.

Prior to the season start, sports writers and coaches alike looked at the Alabama offense as a talented but limited unit.

The highly touted Julio Jones garnered most of the attention along with running back Mark Ingram. In fact, there were concerns just prior to the season opener that these two playmakers would not be available because of an off-season fishing trip sponsored by an Auburn alumnus.

The fish tale was only a distraction, as was the media attention to the two stars. Saban and his coaching staff were busying themselves since the end of the Utah State game in order to develop a more diverse offense that uses the skills of all the players available on their team.

Without question Ingram is a star, but he does not shine alone. When senior Roy Upchurch entered the opening game against the Hokies he ignited a spark in the offense that fueled the unit for the remainder of the game.

Though he did have a costly fumble in the game, Upchurch ran for 90 yards in only seven plays, running with toughness and courage against a stout and stingy Virginia Tech defense. His energetic style and enthusiasm got the Tide rolling and they never slowed down from that point on to the end of the fourth quarter.

The Hokies defense double teamed Julio Jones and pressured QB Greg McElroy in the first two frames of the contest. Jones ended the game with four receptions for 44 yards.

But the story of the night was the contributions from fellow receivers Darius Hanks (three receptions, 55 yards), Marquis Maze (two receptions, 57 yards), and tight end Colin Peek (two receptions, 37 yards).

Following the opening win over Virginia Tech, QB McElroy has been quick to read the defense and has been an effective distributor of the pigskin.

Against FIU he found nine different receivers, completing 18 of 24 attempts for 241 yards in the game. The aerial attack was balanced by 275 yards rushing in an effort put forth by five different running backs. The unexpected leader in the game was true freshman Trent Richardson (15 carries, 118 yards).

Last week against North Texas, with his high school coach Todd Dodge on the sidelines for the Mean Green, McElroy completed 13 of 15 passes for 176 yd, two TDs, and put the Crimson Tide ahead at the half 30-0. In the second half, backup Star Jackson completed nine of 13 attempts for 87 yards.

Most impressively, McElroy and Jackson excelled at the helm with star Julio Jones sidelined by a bruised patella. Together, they completed passes to 11 different targets during the onslaught that overpowered the Mean Green secondary.

Once again, the rushing attack provided balance for the arial attack, adding another 260 yards on 45 carries.

On the other side of the ball, the defense of the Crimson Tide has steadily improved, though the challenge was most formidable in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic. In that game, the 'Bama defense held the talented Hokies to 64 yards rushing and 91 yards passing.

The weakness in the Thin Red Line has proven to be in special teams and the Bama secondary.

Dyrell Roberts (VT) and TY Hilton (FIU) have both been credited with kickoff returns for touchdowns against the Crimson Tide. Roberts returned the ball 98 yards in the season opener and Hilton scampered 96 yards for a score in Week Two at Bryant-Denny.

While pass coverage is generally very good during the game, in each of the three early season contests the secondary has let down its collective guard to allow a score by the opposition.

Nevertheless, accumulating yardage against the Tide has proven to be a difficult task. The Golden Panthers had one net rushing yard against the Tide defense while the Mean Green netted 61 yards on 26 carries. In contrast, FIU had 213 yards passing and North Texas passed for 126 yards.

The outcome of this game is not predetermined.

The Arkansas Razorbacks will present an offense with more power and more playmakers than the Men in Crimson have seen up to this point in the season. On the other hand, the Razorbacks are in for the fight of their lives with the Alabama defense.

Mallett will have to display a new feature of his game in the contest against the Tide. For two games, Mallett has been able to sit in the pocket and pick apart Bear and Dawg secondaries, because his line has provided protection against average pressure.

The Crimson Tide will force Mallet to move from a position of comfort, or the pocket will collapse around him, taking him to the turf. The 3-4 defense of Saban has been more effective this year than in seasons past. It has applied relentless pressure on the opposition QB in all three games.

Mallett will have success against the Tide secondary, but not in the same way he has had in the opening frames of the 2009 season. "They’re a good offense and they score a lot of points,” Tide junior linebacker Rolando McClain said, “but they haven’t played us.”

I suspect that Bobby Petrino has held back the running game to be unleashed in a contest such as this, where offensive balance will be necessary to win. Look for the Hog running backs to get more carries than were necessary in the Georgia game.

Likewise, the Crimson Tide has yet to let the reigns go on the passing attack, generally with more method than madness, mixed with a very effective, powerful running game. McElroy will get a chance to throw downfield more often than in the first three contests, testing the young and inexperienced Razorbacks secondary.

But once again, to the winner go the spoils. At this point, both teams have an SEC West Division Title in their sights. After this conflict on the turf in Tuscaloosa, the winner will have cleared a path for success in the West.

The loser will not quickly recover as their season aspirations will evaporate before the eyes of the 92,000-plus on hand to view this battle on the gridiron.