No. 10 Arkansas v. No. 1 Alabama: 50 Cool And Must-Have Stats and Facts

1. Alabama is favored by 7 to 7.5 points while Sagarin’s Predictor rankings have Alabama as 11 point favorites.
2. The Razorbacks have played five No. 1 opponents in Fayetteville, Arkansas with a record of two wins and three losses.  Two of Arkansas’ losses were by a collective total of 2 points.
3. The official conference record between Alabama and Arkansas since 1992 has Alabama with 10 wins and Arkansas with 8.
4. In the last three years, Arkansas has faced two No. 1 opponents.  The Hogs lost to Florida 23-20 in 2009 at the Swamp. Arkansas beat eventual BCS Champion LSU 50-48 in 2007 at Baton Rouge.
5. Arkansas last beat a No. 1 opponent in Fayetteville when the Razorbacks beat Texas 42-11 in 1981.  The only more recent No. 1 opponent in Fayetteville was Florida in 1996.
6. The last three times Arkansas has faced a No. 1 SEC opponent, the games have been decided by a collective total of nine points.
7. Since the Razorbacks began SEC play in 1992, Arkansas has played 34 games decided by 3 points or fewer. Arkansas has played five of them with Alabama. Arkansas has won four of them.
8. The only time Arkansas has been ranked since it joined the SEC and played a No. 1 ranked SEC opponent was against Tennessee in 1998 which Arkansas lead in the fourth quarter before losing 28-24.
9. This will be Alabama’s first conference game in 2010.
10. In 2009 Arkansas scored an average of 29.25 points against all conference opponents while Alabama scored an average of 26 points per game in the regular season against conference opponents.
11. Alabama netted 134 yards rushing against Arkansas in 2009.  Last week, Georgia gained 139 yards rushing on Arkansas.
12. In 2004 after winning the BCS Championship earlier that year, Nick Saban’s LSU Tigers lost their first conference game at Auburn 10-9.
13. Bobby Petrino was  the head coach of two teams that each came within three points of going undefeated for the season.
14. Arkansas beat Georgia with a time of possession under twenty-six minutes. Arkansas averaged 1.19 points per minute of possession against Georgia.
15. Alabama ranks first in the SEC in Scoring Offense with 134 points and a 44.7 points per game average.  Arkansas ranks third with 106 points scored and a 35.3 point average.
16. Arkansas is one of two SEC teams to record safeties this year.  The other is LSU.
17. Alabama ranks second in the SEC in Rushing Offense having gained 752 yards at an average of 250.7 yards per game.  Arkansas is 12^th in the SEC having gained 348 yards at an average of 116 yards per game.
18. Arkansas ranks first in the SEC in passing offense having thrown for 1103 yards and 9 touchdowns with a 367 yard average.   Alabama ranks second having thrown for 874 yards and 7 touchdowns with a 291 yards per game average.
19. In total offense, Alabama ranks first in the SEC with 542 yards per game and 16 touchdowns while Arkansas ranks third with 483 yards per game average and 14 touchdowns.
20. In third down conversions, Alabama ranks fourth in the SEC having attempted 26 while making 12 for a 46 percent average.  Arkansas ranks sixth in the SEC having attempted 34 while making 15 for a 44 percent average.
21. In fourth down conversions, Arkansas has made 2 in 7 attempts while Alabama has made 1 out of 2 attempts.
22. In the red zone, Arkansas’ offense has scored all trips to the red zone and logged 9 touchdowns in the process.  Alabama has scored 13 times in 15 tries logging 10 touchdowns.
23. Arkansas has no rushers in the top 10 in the SEC while Alabama’s Trent Richardson ranks 7^th having rushed for 271 yards at an average of 90 yards per game.
24. Ryan Mallett has attempted 100 passes and completed 70 for 9 touchdowns at an average of 360 yards per game.  Greg McElroy has attempted 60 passes and completed 43 for six touchdowns and an average of 235 yards per game.
25. Ryan Mallett averages 359 yards per game in total offense while Greg McElroy averages 242.
26. Arkansas’ Joe Adams and Alabama’s Julio Jones have both caught 15 passes this year. Arkansas’ Greg Childs has caught more than both with 19 while Arkansas’ D.J. Williams has 14.
27. However, Greg Childs and Julio Jones are closely matched with 84 and 82 yards per game in receiving. Joe Adams eclipses them both with 114 yards per game while D.J. Williams logs 57 yards per game and ‘Bama’s Darius Hanks hits the board with 56 yards per game receiving.
28. Alabama’s Trent Richardson has gained 537 all purpose yards for an average of 179 yards per game while Arkansas’ Joe Adams has recorded 434 yards with a 144 yard per game average.
29. Defensively, Alabama ranks first in scoring defense in the SEC with 6 points per game allowed.  Arkansas is second with 11 points per game allowed.
30. Against the rush Arkansas’ defense ranks fifth in the SEC having allowed 2.8 yards per carry and an average of 111 yards per game.  Alabama is seventh allowing 3.8 yards per carry and 120 yards per game.
31. Against the pass Alabama ranks second in the SEC allowing 132 yards per game with average yards allowed per reception being 4.3.  Arkansas follows at third in the SEC allowing an average of 144 yards per game with a 7.2 yard per reception average.
32. In terms of total defense, Alabama and Arkansas are ranked first and second in the SEC allowing 253 and 255 yards per game respectively.
33. Alabama is +1 in turnover margin.  Arkansas is –3.
34. Arkansas and Alabama are tied for first in the SEC having allowed opponents to a total of 41 first downs whether by rush, pass or penalty.
35. Both Arkansas and Alabama have allowed opponents to convert 13 third down attempts.  Teams have tried 46 third down conversions against Alabama and 44 against Arkansas.
36. Likewise, Alabama and Arkansas have allowed 4 fourth down conversions with teams attempting 6 against Alabama and 5 against Arkansas.
37. Both Alabama and Arkansas have allowed 4 scores in the red zone on 6 and 4 attempts respectively.  Alabama has allowed 1 touchdown and Arkansas has allowed 3.
38. Arkansas ranks first in the SEC in total sacks with 12 for a total of 75 yards.  Alabama ranks last having recorded 2 sacks for 17 yards.
39. Alabama is the only SEC team to have returned a kickoff for a touchdown this year.
40. Alabama has returned 7 kickoffs for a 30-yard average per try while Arkansas has returned 8 for 18 yards per try.
41. However, Arkansas has kicked off 19 times with 6 touchbacks while Alabama has kicked off 23 times with 1 touchback.  After kickoffs from the 30 yard line, Arkansas’ opponents’ average start is their own 23.  For Alabama, it is the opponent’s 27.
42. Arkansas has punted 9 times with an average of 46 yards per kick.  Alabama has punted 14 times with an average of 39 yards per punt.
43. Arkansas’ Joe Adams has seven punt returns and averages 12 yards per return while Alabama’s team has returned 7 punts for 38 yards.
44. Arkansas has allowed 4 quarterback sacks while Alabama has allowed 5.
45. Arkansas’ 25 penalties have cost the Hogs 185 yards while Alabama has logged 15 penalties for 128 yards.
46. Arkansas’ opponents have been the most penalized against SEC schools having a total of 28 penalties for 184 yards.  Alabama’s opponents have been the least penalized with 12 penalties for 94 yards.
47. Arkansas is 2 for 2 in field goals while Alabama has hit 5 for 6.  Both schools have made all attempted PATs.
48. Ten years ago this week, the University of Arkansas turned on Razorback Stadium’s Saco Smartvision scoreboard, one of the largest in college football.  Emissions from the scoreboard received by the U.S. Air Force set off alerts at Langley Air Force Base which dispatched the Civil Air Patrol until it was determined that the scoreboard was the source of the transmission.
49. Video replays will be seen by probably the largest crowd in Reynolds Razorback Stadium history.  After numerous holding non-calls last week, a flagrant hit to Ryan Mallett after a play was whistled dead at the snap, and an SEC crew receiving an unprecedented suspension after the last contest between Arkansas and a No. 1 opponent, Razorback fans will have immediate replay of what happened on the field.  There is no telling what will happen if a bad official call decides a close game, and Birmingham, Alabama native Marc Curles is not welcome in Arkansas on Saturday, September 24, 2010.
50. The capacity of Reynolds Razorback Stadium is 72,000 screaming Razorback fans and one Russian boar hog, Tusk III.

Bonus —

51. Alabama’s worst SEC loss ever came at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in 1998 when the Hogs defeated them 42-6.  from SuperHog32 Thanks!