The running keys
Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram and teammate Trent Richardson came in heralded as the top running back tandem in the country, but it was Ingram who did the heavy lifting for the Crimson Tide on Saturday. Ingram, who missed the first two games recovering from knee surgery, recorded 157 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns. Richardson added 85 on eight carries.
Arkansas managed 64 yards rushing on 20 attempts, led by Knile Davis’ 42 yards on six carries. The Razorbacks managed only 13 yards on seven rushes in the second half.
The top-ranked Crimson Tide went into Saturday’s matchup against No. 10 Arkansas averaging 250.7 yards per game rushing against the Razorbacks 116. Saturday, Alabama ended with 227 yards.
Arkansas is averaging just under 60 yards rushing against SEC opponents.
Arkansas vs. No. 1
In six games against top-ranked opponents at Fayetteville, Saturday was the fourth time the Razorbacks have come up short. Overall, the 24-20 Alabama victory dropped Arkansas to 4-12 against teams ranked No. 1.
Arkansas added to an eight-game losing streak in games in which both teams were ranked in the Top 10. The last victory in a battle between Top-10 teams came in 1979 when No. 10 Arkansas beat No. 2 Texas, 17-14. In 1982, No. 9 Arkansas tied No. 2 SMU, 17-17.
The last victory against a No. 1 team in Fayetteville was in 1981 when Arkansas knocked off Texas, 42-11.
Record attendance
Saturday’s attendance of 76,808 was a school and Reynolds Razorback Stadium record, eclipsing the mark of 76,728 when Arkansas played Tennessee on Nov. 11, 2006. Arkansas defeated the Volunteers 31-14. Just as the Alabama game, the 2006 SEC matchup was nationally televised and marked the only time ESPN’s College Gameday was broadcast live from Fayetteville.
Thousands who couldn’t get tickets camped out on the hill outside the stadium’s northeast corner and under and around tailgating tents on every side of the stadium.
Fans seeking tickets outside the stadium were working more than two hours before kickoff, holding up two or four fingers. One lady improvised, holding a paper plate attached to a coat hanger. She held up her message, “Need two tickets.” One fan held up money with his two fingers.
First trailer
Arkansas’ quick touchdown Saturday to put the Razorbacks up 7-0 only 50 seconds into the game marked the first time this season that the Crimson Tide had played from behind. Alabama trailed most of the day Saturday, but took the lead for the first time with 3:18 to play.
Coming into Saturday’s game, the Tide defeated all three nonconference opponents by lopsided margins: 48-3 over San Jose State, 24-3 over Penn State and 62-13 over Duke. Top-ranked Alabama came into Fayetteville riding a 27-game regular season winning streak, dating back to a 24-7 loss to Auburn on Nov. 24, 2007. The Tide lost the SEC championship game to Florida in 2008 and the Allstate Sugar Bowl to Utah in 2009.
Childs injury
After coming down awkward on the sideline following a 31-yard reception in the second quarter, wide receiver Greg Childs limped to the locker room. The reception gave Arkansas a first-and-goal at the 6. Childs left with 12:43 left in the half, then came running back out at the 11:39 mark, missing only two plays. Ryan Mallett threw an interception in the end zone on the ensuing play for the touchback to end the drive.
Childs re-entered the game on Arkansas’ next possession, catching a 7-yard pass from Mallett.
On the attendance list
In addition to the ESPN radio and CBS TV representatives at Saturday’s game, many others with national affiliations were there. More than 300 media credentials were issued.
CBS College Sports Network hosted its national pre-game show from the UA campus. Other national media credentials were provided to Sporting News, ESPN the Magazine, ESPN.com, FoxSports.com, AOL.com, the New York Times, and Sports Illustrated. Regional media at the game included the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the Kansas City Star and the Dallas Morning News.
Bowl representatives from the Cotton Bowl and Florida Citrus Bowl had credentials, in addition to representatives of the Heisman Trophy, the Davey O’Brien Award and the Thorpe Award.
Blimp day
Circling Reynolds Razorback Stadium Saturday was the famous Goodyear blimp. Before the game, the blimp’s electronic message board was sending blinking “Support our troops,” and gave the Goodyear website (goodyear.com) as a place to make a donation.
Even the smoke was red
Following the national anthem, members of the Silver Wing parachute team from Fort Benning, Ga., flew into Reynolds Razorback Stadium as part of the pregame activities, trailing red smoke behind them as they landed near midfield. The first jumper got his smoke trailer stuck under him on landing, leaving a red diagonal strip from about the 36 to the 30 on the south end of the field.
Workers went out after the game to scrub the surface but didn’t immediately have any success. A second crew went out about dusk, armed with a pump sprayer and a power scrubber in an attempt to remove the red dye.
No New uniforms
The pre-game hype included a lot of speculation about the uniforms the Arkansas Razorbacks would wear for the nationally televised CBS game against Alabama.
But, the Razorbacks stuck with the home gear they wore against Tennessee Tech and Louisiana-Monroe, the Nike white pants and red jerseys.
Last week, the Razorbacks broke out their new Nike road uniforms at Georgia. The all-white pants sported a red Hog on the hip and the word Razorbacks in red down the outside of each leg.
White jerseys featured red shoulders and a white Hog on each sleeve. And, of course, the Nike swoosh.
Oden, Stadther still not on field
Sophomore Anthony Oden of Indianapolis, who missed the season opener and last week’s game at Georgia, was out again Saturday against Alabama. Oden reportedly has mononucleosis and it’s not known when or if he will return.
For four straight weeks, defensive tackle Zach Stadther has been missing in action, leading to a lot of speculation about the reason for his absence, but no official word. Stadther, of North Little Rock, has been on the team roster but not on the field.
Dennis Johnson back … sort of
Running back Dennis Johnson, who suffered a bowel injury in the Louisiana-Monroe game on Sept. 11 in Little Rock that required surgery, returned to the sideline Saturday, but was not in uniform. He sported red shin-length shorts, his No. 33 jersey, and a white baseball cap. He stood in the middle of the field during pre-game warm-ups, talking to head coach Bobby Petrino and watching various drills.
Johnson walked around the practice field on Wednesday and is cleared to return to classes starting Monday. There has been no word whether the injury will be season-ending for the junior from Texarkana, Ark., or whether he will seek a medical redshirt if that is the case.
Holding against Bama
Alabama just doesn’t hold. But, with its No. 1 ranking on the line Saturday, an early fourth-quarter holding call went against the Tide’s D.J. Fluker. It was the first holding call against the Crimson Tide in 15 quarters.
— Dennis Byrd • Arkansas News Bureau
