TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- Long before Alabama's Trent Richardson took a screen pass 61 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, Alabama had all it needed to beat the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Touchdowns on a trick play, an interception and a punt return were more than enough to hold off the Hogs in a game that wasn't as close as the 38-14 final score.
Alabama simply dominated. They were the best Saturday and maybe every Saturday for weeks to come.
The Crimson Tide were better than the Hogs on offense, defense and special teams.
They controlled the line of scrimmage and the Razorbacks from start to finish.
Yes, the Razorbacks played hard and never gave up, but without a semblance of a running game they were as predictable as Saturday's weather forecast.
It was almost as if the Crimson Tide were eavesdropping in the huddle; oh yeah, the Hogs didn't huddle much and Bama, which practices against the no huddle every day, was ready for anything and everything.
Bobby Petrino was so desperate for some yards on the ground he called a reverse to Joe Adams from his 20. Without so much as a blink, Alabama smothered the play for a loss of 7 yards.
At the half, the Hogs had minus-6 yards rushing and 89 yards total. Bama had 96 yards rushing and 114 through the air.
That's balance, which obviously you can't have if you don't have a running game.
A little of the blame falls on Ronnie Wingo, who had a 26-yard touchdown run called back because an offensive lineman held, and some on the offensive line. Credit Alabama's D the most.
It didn't help the Hogs that starting defensive end Jake Bequette was out with a hamstring injury and that in the first series. they lost the other starting defensive end
Tank Wright (and we won't even bring up running back Knile Davis), but that didn't cost them the game.
What hurt the Hogs most was Alabama.
This Crimson Tide defense looked better than the one two years ago when Alabama won here 35-7.
That year, Alabama went undefeated and won the BCS national championship. Mark Ingram won the Heisman Trophy that year, too.
Click here for linkLike that, "What hurt the Hogs most was Alabama." So much for the Petrino-Saban chess match.
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