After the Crimson Tide defeated Texas A&M, the defense felt like it needed to prove itself.
“We were very disappointed,” linebacker Rahsaan Evans said last week after the win. “To be honest, me personally, I was very disappointed with our team and how we played and myself. All we can do right now is go back to the drawing board.”
Alabama answered Evans’ challenge by dominating against the Razorbacks 41-9.
Led by Evans and linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton, the Crimson Tide made its way into the backfield a lot, as it combined for nine tackles for loss for a total loss of 42 yards. Evans came up with 3.5 tackles behind the line himself.
“We (Evans and Hamilton) just wanted to help our defense have success,” Evans said. “Pressuring the quarterback, making tackles, whatever we had to do, we just tried our best.”
Arkansas starting quarterback Austin Allen hurt his throwing shoulder last week against South Carolina, leaving redshirt freshman Cole Kelley to face Alabama’s ramped up defense.
At first glance, one might not see Kelley as the quarterback because of his size. The freshman stands at 6-7 and weighs 268 pounds.
“That’s the biggest quarterback I’ve ever seen in my life,” Hamilton said. “One time I was holding on to him and I’m like ‘Geez he’s still standing up.’ With a guy like that you have to get 11 hats to the ball or just gang tackle him.”
The defense was a problem for Kelley all night as it came up with five sacks for a total loss of 36 yards. Evans finished with two of the five. His first sack, which was also his first of the year, came on the first play of the second quarter.
“I thought it (pressure on Kelley) was a real key in the game,” head coach Nick Saban said. “With him being a young quarterback, we wanted to not just let him stand there and be able to pick out people. I think our guys did a pretty good job of affecting him.”
The Crimson Tide held the Razorbacks to just 27 rushing yards on 29 attempts, for an average of .9 yards an attempt. Alabama allowed only eight rushing yards in the first half on 11 carries.
“In the second half, I think they came out with the idea of we aren’t even going to try and run the ball on these guys; we are going to try and spread it out and throw it,” Saban said. “When they moved the ball, it was because we didn’t get off the field on third down.”
Ronnie Harrison led Alabama with 10 tackles, totaling six by himself.
Alabama has forced a turnover every game this season, and that streak continued early in the fourth quarter. Hootie Jones deflected Kelley’s pass, and with the ball hanging in the air, Mack Wilson made a diving catch for his second interception on the year.
Alabama looks to stay undefeated as it hosts Tennessee on Oct. 21.
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