In a game where not much went wrong offensively for Alabama, Jalen Hurts and Damien Harris combined for 375 yards of offense as the Crimson Tide pummeled the Arkansas Razorbacks 49-30 in their first true road test of the season.
Here’s are the three big takeaways from Saturday night’s matchup.
1. The defense for the Tide is good, not great. Alabama did a great job of making Arkansas one-dimensional with under 75 rushing yards allowed and two yards per rush, but the passing yards given up to Austin Allen has to be disappointing for Nick Saban. With quarterbacks like Joshua Dobbs and Trevor Knight next on the docket, the secondary needs to make corrections or it’ll put a lot of pressure on its true freshman quarterback.
2. Harris is the next great Alabama running back. Against a Razorback team that prides itself on its toughness, seeing Harris go off for 122 yards on 13 carries ought to be an encouraging sign for Alabama fans. The light load for him on Saturday is a big deal, because the team will need him at full strength when it squares off against arguably two of the top three teams in the SEC this season in Tennessee and Texas A&M.
3. Hurts came of age in a tough road environment. Just how efficient was Alabama on the night? IT ONLY HAD EIGHT THIRD DOWNS ON OFFENSE. Hurts combines efficiency (13-of-17 passing) and explosiveness (14.9 yards per attempt) in an offense that has a plethora of weapons with ArDarius Stewart, Calvin Ridley, and O.J. Howard. If he can maintain his steady play, it’ll be hard for any team to stop this Alabama offense.
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