Arkansas 7, (3) Alabama 35

1234T
ARK (1-2)00707
#3ALA (4-0)01414735

Final

3:30 PM ET, September 26, 2009
Bryant-Denny Stadium
TUSCALOOSA, AL

Alabama rolls Arkansas as McElroy passes for career-high 291 yards, 3 TDs

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Top 25 Overview
It was over when... Alabama scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to give the Tide a three-touchdown lead heading into the final quarter of play.
Gameball goes to... Greg McElroy. Bama's quarterback went 17-of-24 for 291 yards and three touchdowns, including a 50-yard pass and an 80-yard pass for scores.
Stat of the game... 11. Arkansas was charged with 11 penalties for 98 yards on the night, compared to Alabama with six flags for 60 yards.
Team Stat Comparison
 
1st Downs1418
Total Yards254425
Passing191291
Rushing63134
Penalties11-987-60
3rd Down Conversions2-146-15
4th Down Conversions1-30-1
Turnovers10
Possession26:2433:36
Air/Ground Leaders
Arkansas Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Mallett12/3516011
Wilson4/63100
Alabama Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
McElroy17/2429130
Arkansas Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Smith1261018
Wingo Jr.41209
Alabama Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Richardson965152
Ingram1750114
Arkansas Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Adams681025
Childs460120
Alabama Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Maze288180
Jones265150
Scoring Summary
SECOND QUARTERARKALA
TD09:30Trent Richardson 52 Yd Run (Leigh Tiffin Kick) 07
TD06:55Julio Jones 50 Yd Pass From Greg McElroy (Leigh Tiffin Kick) 014
THIRD QUARTERARKALA
TD10:45Greg Childs 18 Yd Pass From Ryan Mallett (Alex Tejada Kick) 714
TD10:25Marquis Maze 80 Yd Pass From Greg McElroy (Leigh Tiffin Kick) 721
TD05:53Mark Ingram 14 Yd Pass From Greg McElroy (Leigh Tiffin Kick) 728
FOURTH QUARTERARKALA
TD13:12Mark Ingram 2 Yd Run (Leigh Tiffin Kick) 735
Associated Press

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Huge plays, nifty tricks and plenty of passing.

Greg McElroy and No. 3 Alabama borrowed a page from Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino's playbook -- and a few from Georgia's, too -- with stellar results in Saturday's 35-7 romp over the Razorbacks.

Fast Facts

• Alabama won its 18th straight SEC opener as Greg McElroy threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns. He also utilized nine different receivers.

• Arkansas' Ryan Mallett, who led the nation in passing efficiency entering this game, went just 12-for-35 for 160 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

• Alabama's defense held Arkansas to 254 total yards. The Crimson Tide entered the game ranked second nationally in rushing defense and held the Razorbacks to just 63 yards on the ground.

• Alabama has won three straight and 12 of the last 20 meetings with Arkansas.

-- ESPN Stats & Information

The Crimson Tide defense prevented Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks from turning the game into another high-scoring affair.

McElroy passed for a career-high 291 yards and three touchdowns and the Tide (4-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) picked on the Razorbacks' beleaguered defense with three plays of 50-plus yards, including an 80-yarder to Marquis Maze that was one of the longest pass plays in school history.

"We saw that Georgia made explosive plays," said McElroy, referring to the Razorbacks' 52-41 loss a week earlier. "We actually put in a few plays that Georgia ran. The deep ball to Maze was a play Georgia ran. We saw what we could exploit."

Low: Bama's D Is For Real

Alabama's defense looks the part, plays the part and sounds the part. It's the real thing and only going to get better, writes Chris Low. Blog
• SEC blog

Alabama also blocked a punt in winning its 18th consecutive league opener dating to its 1992 national championship season.

A relentless defense hounded Mallett and the nation's No. 2 offense. Mallett was 12-for-35 for 161 yards for Arkansas (1-2, 0-2) and threw his first interception.

Trent Richardson broke four tackles for a 52-yard touchdown run, Julio Jones caught a 50-yard TD pass on a trick play and McElroy hit Maze for the even longer play.

The Tide managed to avoid the troubles of its two top 10 SEC West rivals. No. 4 Mississippi lost to South Carolina and No. 7 LSU barely escaped Mississippi State with a victory.

Bama, meanwhile, coasted to another easy win, dominating its last three games by a collective 100 points. But star linebacker Dont'a Hightower left with a knee injury late in the first quarter and coach Nick Saban said "the initial prognosis is not good." Hightower will be evaluated on Sunday.

"I hate to see any player get hurt, ever, but that one there is a good one," Saban said.

Arkansas scored on its opening drive of the second half to cut the deficit to 14-7 on Mallett's 18-yard touchdown pass to Greg Childs, but the momentum was short-lived.

McElroy hit a streaking Maze down the right sideline on the next play to halt that comeback for the school's sixth-longest pass play and the nation's No. 3 defense didn't allow any more chances. McElroy was 17-of-24 passing and Alabama rolled up 425 total yards.

Petrino's Arkansas offense managed just 254 yards after coming in averaging 538 a game and scoring 41 even in defeat against Georgia. Alabama had eight tackles for loss.

"I just thought we didn't play the way we're capable of playing," Petrino said. "That's on me. I didn't get them to believe we could come in here and win the game."

The nation's most efficient passer, Mallett didn't get much time to uncork his powerful arm. He was sacked three times -- twice on corner blitzes by Javier Arenas.

"We were trying to make the quarterback as uncomfortable as possible," Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus said.

Mallett was also intercepted when a pass bounced off his receiver into the hands of Justin Woodall in the fourth quarter.

"They didn't confuse us, but they brought pressure," Mallett said. "They brought some pressures that we hadn't seen."

Alabama was the one producing the big plays Mallett and the Razorbacks had been piling up.

"It hurts when you look up and see the ball is thrown over your head and it goes for a touchdown," Arkansas defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard said. "It hits you in your stomach and the thing is, there is nothing you can do about it."

Richardson broke a scoreless tie when he shed two tacklers behind the line, shook off a couple more, then sprinted down the right sideline for the long touchdown midway through the second quarter.

Then Jones, who sat out last weekend's game against North Texas with a bruised right knee, caught his first touchdown pass in 12 games. Mark Ingram took the snap out of the Wildcat formation and handed it to Terry Grant, who pitched back to McElroy. Jones was so wide open downfield he had to turn around and wait for the ball.

"We knew he was going to be very open," McElroy said. "It was a pivotal moment in the game."

College Football Scores

Other Scores:

Thursday, September 24th
4 Mississippi 10 Final
South Carolina 16
Saturday, September 26th
1 Florida 41 Final
Kentucky 7
UTEP 7 Final
2 Texas 64
Arkansas 7 Final
3 Alabama 35
Iowa 21 Final
5 Penn State 10
6 California 3 Final
Oregon 42
7 LSU 30 Final
Mississippi State 26
8 Boise State 49 Final
Bowling Green 14
9 Miami (FL) 7 Final
11 Virginia Tech 31
Washington State 6 Final
12 USC 27
Illinois 0 Final
13 Ohio State 30
Fresno State 20 Final
14 Cincinnati 28
15 TCU 14 Final
Clemson 10
Grambling State 6 Final
16 Oklahoma State 56
Texas Tech 28 Final
17 Houston 29
South Florida 17 Final
18 Florida State 7
Colorado State 23 Final
19 Brigham Young 42
Southern Miss 28 Final
20 Kansas 35
Arizona State 17 Final
21 Georgia 20
22 North Carolina 7 Final
Georgia Tech 24
Indiana 33 Final
23 Michigan 36
24 Washington 14 Final
Stanford 34
Louisiana-Lafayette 0 Final
25 Nebraska 55