GAME PREVIEW: Arkansas game offers a chance to make a statement {by JessN}

BamaNation · September 20th, 2006, 05:09 PM

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GAME PREVIEW:
Arkansas game offers a chance to make a statement
September 20, 2006
by Jess Nicholas

Just how good Alabama is or isn’t will probably be answered definitively this week as the Crimson Tide takes its first road trip.

That the road trip will take Alabama to Fayetteville, Ark., is even more pertinent. Alabama has not had great luck inside the state of Arkansas, at least not consistently. The Crimson Tide won there in 2002 in Brodie Croyle’s first career start, largely the result of a backbreaking opening run from tailback Shaud Williams. By the time Arkansas knew what hit them, the game was largely in the bag.

The 2004 Crimson Tide was in a favorable position overall when another quarterback, current backup Marc Guillon, was making his first start in relief of Croyle, who tore an ACL the week prior in a blowout win over Western Carolina. But Guillon’s first start went quite roughly, and after a similar performance the following week at home against South Carolina, he was yanked in favor of Spencer Pennington for the remainder of the season.

The 2006 game will mark current starter John Parker Wilson’s first start on the road. It will also mark the first time in 2006 that Alabama is expected to operate from its base 4-3 defense, after three weeks of defending one-back spread attacks from Hawaii, Vanderbilt and Louisiana-Monroe.

Arkansas, as of Sunday night, was an early betting favorite – curious, since the Razorbacks have been blown out once already (by Southern California) and needed a great deal of luck to defeat Vanderbilt on the road. But with Alabama having to overcome hiccups of its own on its way to a couple of close victories, the Crimson Tide aren’t anyone’s sportsbook darlings at the moment.

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Bama/Ark Stats comparison

ncbama · September 20th, 2006, 08:29 PM

I am amazed at your knowledge of the opposing team(s), and you always have some last minute wrinkles on the Tide. You must do an incredible amount of research. Thanks for your insights. I hope you are right on this one.