subject: Alabama Football Tickets - No. 3 Tide Defeats Arkansas 35-7 [print this page] Greg McElroy passed for a career-high 291 yards and three touchdowns and No. 3 Alabama cruised past Arkansas 35-7. Get Alabama Football tickets and see McElroy throw a TD pass. The Crimson Tide (4-0, 1-0) put pressure on Ryan Mallett as he went for 12-for-35 for 161 yards for Arkansas (1-2, 0-2) and threw his first interception of the season.
Trent Richardson broke four tackles for a 52-yard touchdown run; McElroy connected with Julio Jones for a 50-yard TD pass, and also hooked up with Marquis Maze for an 80-yard score. Bama coasted to another easy win, dominating its last three games by a collective 100 points. The Razorbacks scored on its opening drive of the second half to cut the deficit to 14-7, but Alabama's defense made sure it was the only points scored on them in the contest.
McElroy threw a pass to Maze, who was streaking down the sidelines for the school's six-longest pass play. The quarterback was 17-of-24 passing and the Tide rolled up 425 total yards. Arkansas' offense accumulated just 244 yards after coming into the game averaging 538. The Razorbacks scored 41 points in week 3's victory against Georgia. The nation's most efficient passer, Mallett did not get much time to throw to his wide receivers. Bama had eight tackles for losses and sacked Mallett three times, twice on corner blitzes by Javier Arenas. Mallett was also picked for the first time this season after his pass bounced off his receiver and went into the hands of Justin Woodall in the fourth quarter.
The only time Mallett had time in the pocket came on the opening drive in the third quarter. He went 3-for-3, capped by an 18-yard touchdown pass to Greg Childs. After that drive, Alabama was the team producing the big plays. Richardson broke a scoreless tie when his fancy foot work helped him slip by two tacklers and shake off a couple more before sprinting down the sideline for a 52-yard TD in the second quarter. Jones, who was sidelined in week 3 due to a bruised knee, caught a 50-yard pass for his first touchdown in 12 games. Mark Ingram took the snap out of the wildcat formation and handed the ball to Terry Grant, who pitched it back to McElroy.
Jones was so wide open downfield he had to turn around and wait for the ball. Once it was in his hands, he darted straight ahead and into the end zone. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino had some trickery plays in the first half; however, it did not lead to points. Ronnie Wingo ran for a first down on fourth-and-5 on a fake punt from his own 25.
Besides the Razorbacks' only touchdown, Wingo's first down run was the highlight of the game for Arkansas. Ingram was held to 50 yards on 17 carries, but was able to pull in a 14-yard touchdown TD pass for the Tide. Early in the fourth quarter, Ingram scored his first touchdown of the game from the 2-yard line. The explosive running back capped a 99-yard drive with that touchdown.
