FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Alabama’s defense scored for the sixth and seventh times this season and forced a season-high five turnovers Saturday night.
But it was a balanced, quick-strike, big-play offense that paved the way for the Crimson Tide.
Top-ranked Alabama recorded five scoring drives of 1:48 or quicker and finished with 517 total yards in a 49-30 victory over No. 16 Arkansas at Reynolds Razorbacks Stadium.
Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC) scored 35 points in the first half and finished with five offensive scoring drives of five plays or fewer, winning its 18th consecutive game and 10th in a row against the Razorbacks (4-2, 0-2).
The Crimson Tide’s starting offense went three-and-out only once.
Alabama freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 13 of 17 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for two more scores. Junior receiver ArDarius Stewart, who missed the past two Alabama games with a knee sprain, returned in a big way, catching five passes for 120 yards. Sophomore running back Damien Harris had 122 yards on 13 carries for Alabama
The loss spoiled a big night for Arkansas junior quarterback Austin Allen, who completed 25 of 48 yards for 400 yards and three touchdowns, but was intercepted three times. Allen was also sacked five times and Alabama held the Razorbacks to 73 yards rushing.
Any last hopes of an upset by the Razorbacks were squashed early in the fourth quarter with Alabama’s second defensive score.
The Razorbacks trailed 42-24 and were inside the Alabama 15 when Crimson Tide sophomore defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted Allen deep in the end zone and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown with 10:18 left.
The Crimson Tide’s final interception pushed the lead to 49-24.
A 3-yard scoring run from Arkansas sophomore running back Rawleigh Williams III set the final score.
Alabama led 35-17 at the half and didn’t take long to add to that in the third quarter.
After each team traded turnovers to open the second half, Alabama pushed the lead to 42-17 on a 4-yard pass from Hurts to sophomore receiver Calvin Ridley.
The Razorbacks pulled within 42-24 when Allen found senior receiver Keon Hatcher in the back of the end zone for a 10-yard score with 3:57 left in the third quarter.
Arkansas pulled within 14-7 and had the ball when Alabama does what it does best — score on defense — and take back the momentum.
The Razorbacks had just forced the Crimson Tide to punt for the first time in the game when junior defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand stripped Allen of the ball and senior linebacker Tim Williams scooped it up and scored from 23 yards.
That score with 12:55 left in the first half — Alabama’s sixth defensive touchdown of the year — pushed the lead to 21-7.
Arkansas went three-and-out on its ensuing possession and Alabama’s quick-strike offense scored again. This time, Hurts found Harris out of the backfield wide open for a 56-yard score with 8:53 left in the half, pushing Alabama’s lead to 28-7.
The Razorbacks pulled within 28-10 on a 25-yard field goal from senior Adam McFain to complete a 13-play, 68-yard drive. The field goal came after it appeared Arkansas scored a touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Allen to Drew Morgan, but a holding penalty negated the touchdown.
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema vehemently argued that call during the timeout and received an unsportsmanlike penalty, giving Alabama good field position on its next drive.
Four plays later, Alabama made it 35-10 on a 21-yard run from sophomore running back Bo Scarbrough with 1:25 left in the half.
The Razorbacks stayed within striking distance thanks to a quick scoring drive to close out the first half, completed when Allen found Hatcher in the middle of the end zone for a 16-yard score with 29 seconds left. The score capped a four-play, 79-yard drive set up on a 57-yard completion from Allen to junior receiver Jared Cornelius.
Alabama led 14-7 after one quarter, and it could have been by more.
Freshman running back Joshua Jacobs fumbled at the Arkansas 1 on Alabama’s first possession, but the Tide’s offense quickly regrouped.
Alabama used scoring drives of three plays (that took 46 seconds) and five plays (that took 2:02) to grab an early 14-0 lead.
Allen found Jeremy Sprinkle wide open for a 24-yard score with 1:54 left in the first quarter for Arkansas’ first points, capping a nine-play, 75-yard drive and making it 14-7.
Alabama outgained Arkansas 396-244 in total yards in the first half, including 214-43 on the ground.
Allen was 12 of 22 for 201 yards in the first half. Hurts was 11 of 13 for 182 yards.
NOTES: Arkansas sophomore LB Dre Greenlaw left the game in the first quarter with a right foot contusion. … Alabama junior receiver ArDarius Stewart returned Saturday after missing two games when he suffered a knee sprain against Ole Miss on Sept. 17. … Both teams entered Saturday’s game ranked for the first time since 2011. … Arkansas junior OF Frank Ragnow started despite missing practice this week after the death of his father. … Alabama and Arkansas first played in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1962. The Crimson Tide won 10-3 en route to the program’s sixth national title. … Saturday’s game was the 22nd for Arkansas against a team ranked No. 1. Three of the Razorbacks’ last five games against a No. 1-ranked team have been against Alabama.