Alabama vs. Arkansas: Game Grades, Analysis for Tide

Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted three passes, and the Alabama Crimson Tide defense scored two more touchdowns as they improved to 6-0 with a 49-30 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Saturday night. Alabama gave up plenty of ground to Arkansas on offense, but the visitors used big plays to gain a lead that was never given up. The nation's top-ranked team finished with 517 yards of total offense.

Pass Offense

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Alabama only threw the ball 17 times on Saturday night, but it was efficient throughout the game. Quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 76 percent of his pass attempts for 253 yards and two touchdowns. The offensive line allowed just one hurry on the freshman all night, but Hurts threw his second interception of the season on the play. 

Hurts welcomed the return of junior wide receiver ArDarius Stewart, who finished with 120 receiving yards on five receptions. Damien Harris and Calvin Ridley each had touchdowns in the passing game. The Tide had five plays of 20 yards or more through the air.

Grade: A

Rush Offense

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Alabama's rush offense was back at what Tide fans are used to seeing. The Crimson Tide used four different running backs that averaged 9.4 yards per carry. Harris led the way with 122 yards on 13 carries, while Bo Scarbrough added 56 yards and a touchdown. Joshua Jacobs went out early with an injury after rushing for 57 yards on just three carries. Hurts scored the game's first two touchdowns on the ground and finished with 20 rushing yards.

Jacobs fumbled near the goal line on the Tide's opening drive, one of the few mistakes made by the Tide's rushing attack. Harris also fumbled later in the game, but Ridley recovered it. 

Grade: A

Pass Defense

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Fitzpatrick's three interceptions stand out in this game, but the Tide's secondary struggled throughout the night. Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen of threw for 400 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday night while connecting with nine different receivers. The Razorbacks seemed to be picking the Tide apart through the air. Fitzpatrick managed to save the visitors on multiple occasions, and his three takeaways ended up being the difference in the game. 

Alabama's defensive line was in the backfield most of the night, sacking Allen six times and forcing 12 quarterback hurries. Tim Williams was one of the stars of the night and returned an Allen fumble for a touchdown in the second quarter. 

Grade: C+

Rush Defense

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Just like any other Saturday, Alabama's defense came out prepared to stop the run. The Tide gave up just 73 rushing yards on 36 carries for the Razorbacks. Shaun Dion Hamilton and Ryan Anderson led the team with nine tackles each, combining for 3.5 tackles for a loss. It was again a case of bend but do not break for the Tide's defensive line. Arkansas had four carries go for 10 or more yards, but the Tide only allowed 20 total yards on the other 32 rushing attempts. 

Grade: A

Special Teams

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Alabama did not get a big game from its return unit this week, but everyone was solid throughout the night. The Crimson Tide got a 51.5 punt average from junior J.K. Scott. Adam Griffith was never called on to attempt a field goal, but he hit all seven of his extra points and had six touchbacks on his 10 kickoffs.

Hootie Jones forced a fumble on the Tide's first kickoff of the night, setting the offense up to take an early two-touchdown lead. There may not have been many big stars, but the special teams units had no major mistakes, and that was good enough for the night.

Grade: A-

Coaching

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Nick Saban seemed upset from the first kickoff to the final whistle, but the coach should still be happy with the result. The Crimson Tide made several mistakes but kept the game out of reach, giving little doubt the visitors would ever give up the lead.

Alabama accumulated 86 penalty yards on just seven penalties, many of them extending drives for Arkansas. The defense gave up eight third-down conversions to the Razorbacks and were constantly picked apart by offensive coordinator Dan Enos and the offensive scheme of Arkansas.

Grade: B

Caleb Turrentine is a contributor at Bleacher Report. He also works as a columnist and contributor at Touchdown Alabama Magazine. Follow him on Twitter, @CalebTurrentine.