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Despite suffering through a rib injury for the past three weeks, senior quarterback Feleipe Franks took the final start of the 2020 regular season for the Razorbacks. Franks was available but Grant Morgan, Julius Coates, Myles Slusher, Hudson Henry, Noah Gatlin and Ricky Stromberg were all sidelined for the game.
True freshman Nick Turner made his first career start in place of Greg Brooks Jr, Hayden Henry started for Morgan (rotating with Andrew Parker) and Ladarrius Bishop started opposite Montaric Brown, replacing walk-on Hudson Clark.
Starting from their 25, Franks found Mike Woods for a pick up of 16 yards but the drive stalled as the former Gator was sacked on 3rd down. Butkus Award semifinalist, Bama linebacker Christian Harris was injured on the first play and ruled questionable to return.
A 34-yard punt by Reid Bauer and nice return by DeVonta Smith put Alabama near field goal range already to start their first drive of the game in Fayetteville. Heisman candidate Mac Jones completed one 10-yard 3rd down conversion but Jalen Catalon and Joe Foucha got the next third down stop, limiting Alabama to a 45-yard field goal.
With a 3-point deficit, Franks completed passes to Treylon Burks and Trelon Smith to get down to the redzone. A holding call by Alabama gave the Hogs 1st and goal at the 8 but Dalton Wagner committed a false start, backing them up. Burks caught a pass for a 5-yard gain but Franks is sacked on 2nd down and has no good options on 3rd down. Hogs finish the drive with Matthew Phillips’ first career field goal, good from 26, making it 3-3.
Alabama’s second drive of the game stalled at the Razorback 43 despite an offsides call on defensive lineman Eric Gregory. Najee Harris slipped on a cut on 3rd and short and Jones’ 4th down attempt was a bad ball, turning it over on downs.
Presumably planned, Sam Pittman gave the third series to redshirt freshman quarterback KJ Jefferson. False start penalties by Ty Clary and Beaux Limmer, coupled with an incompletion meant for Burks, killed the drive.
Bauer’s second punt was caught by Smith at the Alabama 16 (42 yards) but Smith found a cut that left him space to take it to the house untouched for six. The punt returned for a touchdown is the first since the Hogs’ infamous fail versus North Texas.
It was all downhill from there. Franks got sacked on back to back plays in the final drive of the 1st quarter and the Hogs gave the ball back to Alabama around midfield.
The Tide drove down for a Harris score in eight plays making it 17-3 early in the second quarter. On the opening play of the next drive, Franks is sacked for nine yards and fumbles the ball, leading to a Bama recovery at the 5. Harris scored his second touchdown of the game just 20 seconds after his first, making it 24-3 Tide.
KJ Jefferson took over for the rest of the second quarter but didn’t complete a single pass. The Razorbacks were out-gained 167 yards to -2 in the second. Alabama, with drives of eight and 13 plays, scored two more rushing touchdowns, this time by Brian Robinson Jr.
Alabama led Arkansas 38-3 at the half. Jones went 17-22 for 156 passing yards with Harris and Robinson combining for 70 rushing yards. The Tide defense notched five first half sacks. Arkansas completed just four passes in the first half.
Getting the ball to start the second half, Jones drove the Tide down to the Arkansas 9-yard line. Scrambling, Jones throws a pick to Jalen Catalon, his fourth of the season, but it’s negated by a late targeting call on Hayden Henry. Alabama scored on the next play giving them a 45-3 lead.
Jefferson took the Hogs’ 6th sack of the game on the next drive before Arkansas and Alabama exchanged punts. The Tide sat Mac Jones, Najee Harris, DeVonta Smith and other starters with five minutes left to play in the third quarter.
Jefferson completed his first of six pass attempts, an 18 yard gain for Woods, but fumbled on a run the next play and went down holding his left knee.
The third quarter ended with former 5-star quarterback Bryce Young leading the Saban’s squad into Arkansas territory. Down in the redzone, Alabama freshman running back Roydell Williams fumbled the football and it was recovered by Joe Foucha.
The Razorbacks put Franks back in the game after Jefferson’s injury. The Hogs picked up two first downs with Smith's legs but stalled on 3rd and 2 as Franks took the seventh sack of the day. However, a roughing the kicker call on Alabama gave Arkansas a new set of downs past midfield. Alabama linebacker Shane Lee forced a fumble by Smith on third down.
The Tide went three and out, punting the ball back to Arkansas with 5:35 left on the clock. Franks got a first down on an 11-yard run then found Blake Kern for a gain of eight. On 3rd and 2, Franks picked up the yardage on the ground. The Hogs try a trick play but Burks' 45+ yard attempt to Smith is picked off by Malachi Moore and freshman running back Jase McClellan took the ensuing play 80 yards to make it 52-3 Alabama with 1:51 left.
Final play of the game was a 17-yard run by TJ Hammonds.
The Razorback quarterbacks went 7 of 19 for 108 passing yards. The Hogs took eight sacks and had eight penalties.
