Live Updates: Alabama 24, Arkansas 21; Final
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 11-ranked Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC) will host Arkansas (2-4, 0-3) in its 2023 Homecoming game this morning. The Crimson Tide and Razorbacks will face off at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and the SEC West matchup will kick off at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN.
Alabama and Arkansas today will meet for the 34th time, as the Crimson Tide leads the all-time series, 26-7, and has won 16 straight games over the Razorbacks. That streak includes last season’s 49-26 win for Alabama on Oct. 1 in Fayetteville, Ark., along with the Crimson Tide’s 42-35 victory in a shootout with the Hogs on Nov. 20, 2021, in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban is 19-2 for his career against Arkansas and a perfect 16-0 while at the Capstone. Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman is 0-3 against the Tide.
Game links: WATCH | LISTEN | STATS
Follow live updates and analysis in the space below by refreshing this page, and join the game discussion in the following thread on the BamaOnLine Round Table board HERE.
PREGAME
— James Burnip is in uniform and is currently holding for Will Reichard as specialists begin warming up. Nick Saban on CTSN: “We’ll have to make a decision on James in pregame. … We’ll see how much it affects him. But we have a lot of confidence in Will.”
— True freshman WR Jaren Hamilton has changed numbers, moving on from No. 16 to No. 23.
— Jaeden Roberts is warming up with the first-team OL at right guard. Darrian Dalcourt and Terrence Ferguson are both in uniform and working as the second-team guards.
— No Malachi Moore (ankle) in nickel drills to wrap up warmups. Terrion Arnold was at Star with Trey Amos coming on to play cornerback.
FIRST QUARTER
— Alabama wins the toss and elects to defer to the second half. Arkansas will receive the opening kickoff.
— Terrion Arnold starts the game at Star with Trey Amos at CB. So no Malachi Moore, who is dressed out.
— Tyrone Broden drops a third-down pass from KJ Jefferson, and Arkansas goes three-and-out to open the game.
— Jaeden Roberts gets his second consecutive start at right guard.
— Jalen Milroe is stopped short of the sticks, and Alabama will punt from its own 16-yard line. James Burnip trots out to punt it.
— KJ Jefferson hits Ty Washington on third down to move the Hogs into Alabama territory (on the Tide 40).
FIELD GOAL: Arkansas 3, Alabama 0 (9:15)
— Cam Little boots a 55-yarder through the uprights.
— Jase McClellan rumbles ahead to move the chains on 2nd and 15. It was Alabama’s first first down.
— Arkansas is back in Tide territory after a 21-yard KJ Jefferson pass to Andrew Armstrong. One play later, Trez Marshall records the first sack of the game for Alabama.
FIELD GOAL: Arkansas 6, Alabama 0 (2:05)
— Cam Little makes his second FG of the day (49 yards).
TOUCHDOWN: Alabama 7, Arkansas 6 (0:58)
— Jalen Milroe finds a wide-open Kobe Prentice for a 79-yard score to take the early lead.
— Will Reichard’s first PAT gives him 481 career points, moving him out of a tie with Auburn’s Daniel Carlson to become the SEC’s all-time points leader. He is now 50 points from the all-time NCAA mark.
SECOND QUARTER
— Jalen Milroe dials up a deep shot toward Jermaine Burton, who hauls it in for a 44-yard gain along the Alabama sideline. The Crimson Tide is down to the Arkansas 37.
— Jalen Milroe hits Ja’Corey Brooks for a 25-yard pickup on 3rd and 16 to move Alabama into the red zone.
TOUCHDOWN: Alabama 14, Arkansas 6 (8:52)
— Jalen Milroe keeps it for the 1-yard rushing score.
— Jah-Marien Latham sacks KJ Jefferson for an 11-yard loss to bring up 4th and 17 for Arkansas, who will punt from its own 16.
— Prior to the sack, Alabama gave a different look in the secondary with Terrion Arnold staying at CB, Caleb Downs moving down to Star and Kristian Story playing safety.
— Justice Haynes in at running back to start Alabama’s fifth series.
— Jam Miller getting some 2Q carries, picks up the first on a 16-yard run.
TOUCHDOWN: Alabama 21, Arkansas 6 (4:41)
— Jalen Milroe looks Amari Niblack’s way for 29 yards.
— Back-to-back carries for freshman running back Justice Haynes, who moves the chains on a 10-yard run.
— Jalen Milroe is sacked for the fourth time in the first half, and Alabama will punt from its own 39 with 0:57 left to play until halftime.
THIRD QUARTER
— A couple of nice runs (12, 15 yards) for Jase McClellan to open the 2H.
— Alabama’s first drive out of halftime ends with James Burnip booting a punt out of bounds at the Arkansas 11.
— Defense forces a three-and-out to open the 3Q. Hogs punt from their own 19, and it rolls out of bounds at the Crimson Tide 11 (70 yards).
— Roydell Williams with the longest run of the game (35 yards), and the Crimson Tide is inside the red zone.
— CJ Dippre was slow to get up and needed help getting into the tent.
FIELD GOAL: Alabama 24, Arkansas 6 (7:47)
— Will Reichard boots a 30-yarder through the uprights.
— Terrion Arnold is credited with the sack of KJ Jefferson. That marks the first sack of Arnold’s UA career.
— Quandarrius Robinson with a nice game so far. After the TFL, he’s tied for the team lead with 5 tackles.
— Jalen Hale can’t hang onto a third-down pass from Jalen Milroe, and Alabama will punt from its own 32.
— Alabama gets a stop on third down, but Jaylen Key is flagged for a facemask, giving Arkansas a fresh set of downs. That was only UA’s second penalty of the game and the Hogs’ fourth first down.
— KJ Jefferson escapes the rush and runs for a 22-yard gain down to the Alabama 25. That play almost doubled Arkansas’ rushing total.
— Caleb Downs is penalized for pass interference on a throw to the end zone. Arkansas will now face 1st and Goal at Alabama’s 5-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN: Alabama 24, Arkansas 13 (0:33)
— KJ Jefferson hits Isaiah Sategna for a 5-yard score.
FOURTH QUARTER
— On second down, Jalen Milroe is sacked for the fifth time, and then his third-down pass for Kobe Prentice sails high (looked like he expected Prentice to keep running rather than break into a post). Alabama punts for the sixth time.
— Tim Smith was down on the field but was able to walk off under his own power after trainers checked him out. He’s heading to the tent.
— Tim Smith didn’t spend long in the medical tent and is now riding a stationary bike on the UA sideline.
— Terrion Arnold can’t bring down KJ Jefferson, who shakes off the would-be sack and completes a pass for a 25-yard gain to the UA 13.
TOUCHDOWN: Alabama 24, Arkansas 21 (10:59)
— KJ Jefferson hits Rashod Dubinion for a 14-yard score. The 2-point conversion is good.
— Malik Benson drops a third-down pass from Milroe, and Alabama will punt from its own 25-yard line.
— Arkansas is flagged for holding on the punt return. That will back the Hogs up to their own 8-yard line.
— Trezmen Marshall stayed down on the field after a second-down stop but walked off under his own power.
— On 3rd and 6, Arkansas RB AJ Green runs up the gut for 19 yards.
— Pass rush gets home to sack KJ Jefferson for an 11-yard loss, and Arkansas will punt from its own 35 with 5:30 left to play in the game.
— Jalen Milroe scrambles to pick up the first down. After moving the sticks, Ja’Corey Brooks is flagged for a false start. Alabama has it at its own 41 with under 3:00 to go.
— Jalen Milroe lofts it over the middle to Amari Niblack for a huge first down to the Arkansas 43-yard line. Hogs call their second timeout with 2:26 left to play in the game.
— Jase McClellan picks up five yards to move the sticks, and that’ll do it.
Not a member, Alabama fans? Join BOL today!
Have you subscribed to BamaOnLine.com yet? You can sign up for ONE MONTH of premium access to our Alabama coverage for just $1! Be able to read all of BOL’s premium articles and nuggets covering Alabama sports and recruiting and also join thousands of other Crimson Tide fans around the globe on the BOL Round Table message board! CLICK HERE!
