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NCAA Football Alabama Crimson TideArkansas Razorbacks

Alabama vs. Arkansas: Game Preview With TV Schedule

By @Connormuldowney

Alabama

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Coming off their first defeat of the 2014 campaign, the Alabama Crimson Tide are looking much more human than they did just one week ago. The rest of the SEC finally caught notice of what the Crimson Tide’s weaknesses are and they now have an even bigger target on their backs. Alabama will look to push forward and make a run to the College Football Playoff.

The Arkansas Razorbacks have improved quite a bit this season compared to last year. Arkansas has already matched last year’s win total and second-year head coach Bret Bielema has the Razorbacks trending in the right direction, impressing folks after an overtime loss against Texas A&M just two weeks ago. Arkansas is just a couple years away from being great.

Losing at Ole Miss in week six had a lot to do with facing one of the best defenses in the nation and not being able to put up many points. Alabama was held under 30 points for the first time this season while the Rebels rolled the Tide, 23-17. Senior quarterback Blake Sims had his worst game of the season in week six, passing for just 228 yards and an interception on 19 of 31 completions. On the year, Sims has been solid, passing for 1,319 yards and eight touchdowns with just three interceptions while completing just over 70 percent of his passes. Sims has also rushed for 149 yards and three scores. The dual-threat QB has had some major help from one of the nation’s top receivers in Amari Cooper. The junior wide out has caught 52 passes for an unbelievable 746 yards and five touchdowns while the next closest receiver has been Kenyan Drake who has five catches for 159 yards and two scores. T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry lead the 22nd-ranked run game with a combined 764 yards and four touchdowns.

Arkansas’ offense has been quite bipolar this season as the pass offense ranks a lowly 111th in the country while the run offense ranks a solid seventh nationally. Combine those two marks and you have the seventh-best scoring offense in all of college football — interesting, right? Junior and second-year starting quarterback Brandon Allen has been average, at best, for the Razorbacks, passing for 751 yards and nine touchdowns with just one interception. Allen has yet to pass for over 200 yards in a single game this season, but has had two consecutive 199-yard performances with a combined three scores and no picks. Keon Hatcher has been Allen’s main target, catching 13 passes for 231 yards and two scores while AJ Derby is really the only other option, catching eight passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Arkansas has really been known for its run game as sophomore Alex Collins leads the way with an impressive 621 yards and six touchdowns on 7.2 yards per touch. Jonathan Williams is close behind with 486 yards and eight touchdowns on 7.4 yards per carry.

Defensively, the Razorbacks have been one of the worst teams in the SEC. Arkansas ranks just 72nd in the nation in points allowed per game while ranking near the bottom of the nation in total yards allowed per game with just over 403 per contest. Alabama is usually known for its defense and the 2014 version of the Crimson Tide are no different. Alabama ranks 12th in the nation in points allowed per game as well as third in the country in yards allowed per game, giving up about 265 per game. The Crimson Tide have been stellar against the run, allowing just about 60 yards per game on the ground.

Alabama will travel to Arkansas to take on the Razorbacks at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday, Oct. 11. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN.

PREDICTION: Alabama 28, Arkansas 17

Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at [email protected].

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