Alabama Trounces Arkansas: Three Thoughts the Day After

Some thought Las Vegas was a bit crazy putting Alabama as a twelve-point favorite. Who knew they were being conservative?

The Crimson Tide throttled Arkansas for the fifth straight year to open up their conference play. How did Alabama seem to have Arkansas' number yet again on Saturday?

Adjustments on Defense

After Alabama took an early 7-0 lead, Arkansas bounced back with a very effective twelve play, sixty-three yard touchdown drive to even the game and quiet a raucous Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Unfortunately for the Hogs, that would be the last time they drew even with Alabama. 

On that drive, it felt as if the Tide defense was just a step slow on a number of plays. Perhaps it was the speed of the opponent compared to the first three games, but after that scoring drive, Alabama put the Razorbacks in lockdown. 

Sure, tackling combined with an upfront push and constant vicious blows (many were questionable, but only one penalized) to Tyler Wilson really put the screws to Bobby Petrino's offensive plans.

The trend against opponents of higher quality is that if you want to score on this Alabama defense you had better do it early. Penn State had a nice opening drive to score three before Kirby Smart figured out how to put them away and the trend continued yesterday with the Hogs. 

Maze in Space

Prior to the game yesterday, one of the big keys I wrote about for Alabama to be successful was get the ball in the hands of Marquis Maze.

He had a pedestrian day catching the ball with five receptions for forty yards, but on special teams, he electrified the crowd with an astounding eighty-three yard punt return for a touchdown.

Maze has been a big spark on punt returns so far and it's only a matter of time before we start seeing teams trying to angle their punts away from him or just out of bounds all together.

Keep It Simple on the Goal Line

Amongst the razzle-dazzle of the field goal fake and Alabama big play prowess it was hard to find fault with the way the Tide offense played Saturday.

That is of course, if you ignore the second quarter goal line stand by Arkansas.

Trent Richardson had just made a nice run inside the five and stretched out to get Alabama to the half-yard line.

On first down, offensive coordinator Jim McElwain elected to try a quarterback sneak with AJ McCarron. Watching on television it appeared to me he made it in, but to the officials on the field, not so much.

One second down the Razorbacks stuffed Jalston Fowler for no gain.

Finally, on third down Alabama goes with Trent Richardson with a delay run, allowing Arkansas penetration and an easy stuff outside of the end zone.

My question is: Why not run Trent all three times?

You have one of the most powerful backs in the country. He can move piles and break tackles almost at will. 

Despite that mishap, it was an impressive win for Alabama. The talk before the game was that this was Petrino's most talented and deep team he's had at Arkansas. If that is the case, well, then he better head back to the drawing board.

Through four games, it appears that the 2011 edition of the Alabama Crimson Tide has the hunger and drive that so often eluded them one year ago.

That's good because they'll need that next week in Gainesville.