Position by position matchups

LITTLE ROCK — OFFENSE

Quarterback

Greg McElroy is perhaps the prototypical quarterback for this Alabama offense. He knows the schemes, he’s smart at the line and he’s technically sound. His 200.03 efficiency rating is tops in the country, and his 6 touchdowns to 1 interception is outstanding. Oh, and he hasn’t lost a football game as a starting quarterback in eight-plus seasons. McElroy has a dependable, if not great, arm, and he’s surrounded by tremendous personnel. Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett cleared a final hurdle last week in order to earn a 5-star rating on this scale by staying composed and pulling off huge plays in the clutch to orchestrate a road victory. Mallett has completed 70 of 100 passes, and he’s the national leader, by a wide margin, with 360 passing yards per game. He’s fifth in the NCAA with a 186.5 efficiency rating. Facing the Alabama defense, even with all its new starters, poses a big challenge. Mallett will have to be sharp at the line of scrimmage in pre-snap reads and his checks.

Running back

Alabama’s 1-2 punch of Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson is probably the best in the country. Both players fit the mold of the modern ace tailback, combining size, speed and power, and they both bounce off tacklers like Herschel Walker in the USFL. Ingram had 168 yards and 2 scores in his return from minor knee surgery last week. Richardson (39-271, 4 TDs) averages 6.9 yards per carry, while freshman Eddie Lacy (26-184, 3) is at 7.1 ypc. The Razorbacks took a step back without Dennis Johnson last week. Broderick Green (32-109, 1) is averaging 3.4 ypc. Ronnie Wingo Jr. (13-76, 1) didn’t turn upfield with authority last week, and Knile Davis (14-79, 1) finished with negative yardage at Georgia. Exploding through holes will be a focal point this week. The Hogs’ backs are very dangerous catching passes and in the open field.

Receivers

Three of the country’s finest wideouts are on display here, with Alabama’s Julio Jones and Arkansas’ Joe Adams and Greg Childs. Jones (15-248, 2 TDs) presents problems at 6-4, 222 pounds with his leaping ability and tackle-breaking acumen. Jones wasn’t 100 percent in last year’s game and still caught a TD pass on the Hogs. So did Marquis Maze (6-112, 1), a short and fast target. Darius Hanks (9-170, 1) is averaging 18.9 yards per catch. H-back Preston Dial (6-76, 2) is as dangerous on play-action as Arkansas’ tight ends. Adams (15-344, 2) might be the nation’s most slithery receiver in the open field, as evidenced by his 22.9 yards per catch. Childs (19-254, 3) had the game-winning catch-and-run at Georgia that combined anticipation and a tremendous cut. He scored on the Tide last season and, as always, is a matchup problem. Jarius Wright (4-87) and Cobi Hamilton (5-65, 1) have to pick it up. Tight end D.J. Williams (14-173) is back on his game this season, and he’s simply not going down on first contact. His work late in the Georgia game opened the Bulldogs up for Childs’ game-winner.

Line

You can’t average an SEC-best 542 yards total offense, 44.7 points and 8.6 yards per play, as Alabama does, without having an outstanding front. James Carpenter (6-5, 300 pounds) is a pillar at left tackle, while D.J. Fluker (6-6, 330) is a redshirt freshman who arrived with great hype. The interior blockers — center William Vlachos and guards Chance Warmack and Barrett Jones — average 6-3, 301 pounds. They’ve paved the way for 250.7 rushing yards per game and 6.8 yards per carry, but they face an improved Arkansas front. One sign of concern for the Tide is they’ve allowed 5 sacks. Arkansas’ pass protection has been terrific, with only 4 sacks allowed on about 115 passes called. Last week’s run blocking at Georgia was not up to snuff, with some whiffs and tackles for loss. The Hogs have not done as much rotating on their front as expected, with tackles DeMarcus Love and Ray Dominguez, guards Alvin Bailey and Wade Grayson, and center Travis Swanson playing the bulk of the reps last week. Their play is critical today.

DEFENSE

Line

Alabama’s base defense features a 3-man front, but it will crowd the line in all kinds of formations, with multiple pressure schemes. End Marcell Dareus (6-4, 306 pounds) is the ace of the front and he should be fresh with just one game played after his two-game suspension. Josh Chapman (5 tackles) is listed as the starter at nose guard, but the Tide will rotate with Nick Gentry (6) and Kerry Murphy (5) there. Damion Square (6) is the other starting end, while reserve Luther Davis (7) is the leading tackler on the front. Arkansas defensive ends Jake Bequette (9, 2 sacks) and Damario Ambrose (7, 2) have cranked it up to another level, along with Tenarius Wright (7, 0.5). Colton Miles-Nash (3) has earned some quality snaps, while Chris Smith pulled a DNP at Georgia. Alfred Davis (10, 1.5 TFL) has been big at nose guard, with freshman Byran Jones (9) getting his career off to a strong start. D.D. Jones (8, 2 hurries) and Lavunce Askew (6, 1.5 TFL) have played well at tackle, and Pat Jones might get some snaps this week.

Linebackers

Get a load of the size of ’Bama’s starters: Dont’a Hightower (6-4, 258), Courtney Upshaw (6-2, 263), Chavis Williams (6-4, 240) and Jerrell Harris (6-3, 231). Hightower (16 tackles) has plenty of motivation after his knee injury against the Hogs last year. Backup C.J. Mosley (13) has a team-high 6 passes broken up. Harris (13) tops the Tide with 10 unassisted tackles. Alabama does an admirable job of rotating in a bunch of talent here. The Razorbacks might be suited at matching their backs and tight ends against this unit to see how well they run. Widely seen as the biggest question on the Arkansas defense, the linebackers have held up well. Jerry Franklin (23 tackles, 3.5 TFL) in the middle is well on his way to leading the team for a thirdconsecutive year in tackles. Anthony Leon (19, 2.5 sacks) has settled down after his big debut at linebacker, and had some issues with his keys at Georgia last week. Jerico Nelson (15, 2 TFL) will have to play heavy this week, and watch out for Freddy Burton (2) and Jermaine Love (6) getting more action.

Secondary

Junior strong safety Mark Barron (12, 1 int., 1 forced fumble) is the lone returning starter and he’s a physical force and a potential All-American. Free safety Robert Lester (10), a sophomore, has two interceptions and a sack. Junior college transfer DeQuan Menzie (10, 1 PBU) starts at one corner, and Dre Kirkpatrick (10, 1 INT, 2 PBU), the No. 4 recruit in the nation by ESPNU150 in 2009, is the other. Kirkpatrick is 6-3 and Menzie 6-1. Reserve Phelon Jones (7, 1 PBU), who played one season at LSU before transferring, was the nation’s No. 13 cornerback by Scout. com in 2006. Backup DeMarcus Milliner (5), a true freshman, was rated the No. 1 cornerback nationally by Scout and No. 2 by Rivals and ESPNU. Arkansas safeties Tramain Thomas (12, 1 INT, 1 PBU), Rudell Crim (13, 1 INT), Elton Ford (9, 1 PBU) and Andru Stewart (9) must play with discipline to prevent play-action disasters like last season. Cornerbacks Ramon Broadway (11, 4 PBU), Isaac Madison (11, 1 PBU) and Darius Winston (2, 1 PBU) dodged the A.J. Green test last week but they get the Julio Jones exam today.

Special teams

Alabama had significant turnover here, and some freshmen will be in the road glare for the first time, like punter Cody Mandell, whose 39.2-yard average is 10th in the SEC. Alabama’s net punting of 35.4 yards ranks 11th. The kicking duties will go to either freshman Cade Foster (4 of 5 FGs, long of 44) or sophomore Jeremy Shelley (1 of 1, 31). Tailback Trent Richardson turned a muffed kickoff return into a touchdown last week at Duke, and his 41.2-yard average would easily lead the SEC if he had enough returns to qualify. Marquis Maze (11.3 yard average) has been a more effective punt returner than Julio Jones so far. The Tide’s kickoff coverage ranks 9th in the league, compared to Arkansas’ 2nd. Sophomore Dylan Breeding, from the Tide’s back yard of Hoover, was a weapon last week, and his average (46.8) is second in the SEC. The team’s net punting (35.9) is 9th. Joe Adams had a 62-yard touchdown return nullified by an illegal block last week, but he seems on the brink of something big and his 12.9-yard average is 2nd in the league. Freshman Maudrecus Humphrey, also from Hoover, ran tentative in his kick return role last week, and slowed when he brought a second arm to the ball. Alex Tejada’s touchback ratio slowed last week, with just one at Georgia.

Intangibles

Alabama enters with an aura of invincibility that it has quite frankly earned. Alabama is taught that an anxious opponent is one that can be dominated. That said, there are areas that are untested yet — the secondary, special teams and parts of the O-line come to mind — and the 2010 Tide have not yet been in a truly hostile arena as they will be today. How Alabama reacts to early game adversity would be an interesting view. The Razorbacks will have a Red Out crowd behind them, and they’re in the national spotlight they’ve been seeking since last year’s trips to Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Gainesville, Fla. The Razorbacks have handled the pressure and intensity of big games quite well since last year’s shaky performance at Alabama. That would clearly apply to today’s proceedings.