Alabama Football: Can Arkansas slow down the rolling Tide?

Is there such a thing as a trap game for Alabama football? If so, that just might be the situation facing Nick Saban this week.

The Crimson Tide are the talk of the college football world, as they have finally found a high-octane offense to match the incredibly tough defense they are so accustomed to around the defending national champions.

But now, Tua Tagovailoa and his assortment of receivers have made Alabama an aerial-attack that is ranked among the best in the country.

Tagovailoa, who came on last year to lead the Crimson Tide to the title, held off former starter Jalen Hurts in the preseason and has not looked back. He is 66-for-88 passing for 1,161 yards with 14 touchdowns, zero interceptions and just two sacks taken.

What makes the sophomore from Hawaii’s numbers even more special is the fact that he hasn’t even attempted a pass in the fourth quarter this year.

Tagovailoa was at his best two weeks ago in a win over Texas A&M, completing 22 of 30 for 387 yards and four touchdowns. He followed that up by going 8-for-8 for 128 yards and two scores in very limited action last Saturday vs. Louisiana.

Alabama is averaging 54 points and 553 yards of total offense per game, with the Tide defense allowing 13 points and 317 yards. To put it mildly, this will be the ultimate test for Arkansas and head coach Chad Morris.

The Razorbacks have lost four straight since a win over Eastern Illinois, including a 34-3 loss at Auburn two weeks ago. They were better in a seven-point defeat to Texas A&M last week.

Ty Storey has taken over the offense, completing 44 of 87 for 631 yards and four touchdowns. Devwah Whaley‘s condition has improved after missing last week, as he leads the team with 231 yards.

Former “Last Chance U” star Rakeem Boyd filled in a week ago, running for 47 yards. Boyd has 192 yards rushing on the season.

Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s conference contest between Alabama and Arkansas:

Date: Saturday, Oct. 6
Time: Noon ET
Location: Fayetteville, Ark.
Venue: Razorback Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN | Fubo TV

Keys to Victory

Where do you attack Alabama right now? What is a weak spot for the Crimson Tide? It’s difficult to find anything, but you can bet the Arkansas coaching staff has been putting in extra time in hopes of finding something.

If you were to question anything about Alabama right now it might be conditioning. The Tide haven’t been pushed this year, meaning several starters have yet to even play in the fourth quarter of a game. If you can keep it close, control the ball and put the pressure on, maybe a weak link will appear in the armor of Alabama.

Unfortunately, Arkansas hasn’t shown the ability to do that this year. The Razorbacks were pathetic in a 44-17 loss to North Texas and have scored just 20 points total in their two SEC games.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of OddsShark

Point Spread: Alabama -35
Over/Under: 58.5

Prediction

It’s going to be a very long weekend for Arkansas faithful. Right now, nothing can slow down Alabama accept the Crimson Tide themselves. So far, the only time they have done that is by taking the foot off the gas and letting the second- and third-stringers get some action.

Even at that point, though, you are dealing with four-star recruits. Look for the Tide to put another beating on the Razorbacks to make a statement.

Final Score: Alabama 55, Arkansas 7