Arkansas' Shot to Knock Off Alabama Ends With Another Agonizing Loss
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Saturday was a microcosm of Arkansas’ season.
Start the game with confidence. Play well enough to win. Make a mistake. Lose momentum. Game over.
The script played out that way against Alabama in a 24-21 loss.
Midway through the fourth quarter, running back Rashod Dubinion had nothing but green grass in front of him near midfield. Instead of breaking loose for a big play, he slipped for a just a two-yard gain.
“I believe he would have gotten down there to where we could have kicked a field goal, but we couldn’t do it,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said.
Instead, Arkansas had to punt, and never got close again.
Arkansas has lost five games this season, four of them by seven points or less. It was a tough pill to swallow for Pittman, whose Razorbacks were a three-touchdown underdog against Alabama.
“Jalen Milroe threw the ball really well, and their defense was really good,” Pittman said. “We knew going into the game they were good. Coming into this venue we knew it would be a tough task, but we wanted to be in it in the fourth quarter with an opportunity to win and we were.”
It was another close loss to Alabama for a Razorbacks team that hasn't beaten the Crimson Tide since 2006. The last time Arkansas was at Bryant-Denny Stadium, it lost by a touchdown.
“Even though we didn’t play the entire game well offensively, we showed some sparks that led us forward,” Pittman said.
For most of the opening quarter Arkansas’ offense moved the ball well and booted a couple of field goals, including one from 55 yards, and held the Crimson Tide offense in check.
Everything changed when Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe hit a wide-open Kobe Prentice for a 79-yard touchdown on third-and-14.
The touchdown had a two-prong effect; it deflated Arkansas and woke up the Crimson Tide, which scored 17 more points to take the 24-6 lead.
The Razorbacks turned up the heat in the second half, with Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson doing the damage with his legs to move the chains and set up two touchdowns. He also broke loose from Alabama defender Terrion Arnold, who had Jefferson for a sack in the fourth quarter.
“He finally had some big success on the run,” Pittman said. “That kind of motivated him. He was dead to rights on that (sack), but he got out of it and we were able to score later on in the drive.”
