FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas' inability to generate a push at the line of scrimmage and establish a way to sustain drives proved costly in its 27-14 loss to No. 8 Alabama on Saturday.
Outside of a couple of big gainers -- passes of 15 yards to Jojo Robinson and 21 yards to Jeremy Sprinkle, Arkansas struggled to generate yards on first down, which set up difficult down-and-distance situations.
The Razorbacks averaged 2.9 yards per play on first down.
"We couldn't get any success on first down, and for us offensively, when that happens, it makes it a really tough row to hoe," Coach Bret Bielema said.
Arkansas' average first-down gain after the game's opening play -- Robinson's 15-yard reception from Allen over the middle -- was 2.2 yards per play. Arkansas went with five wideouts on the first play but never went back to that empty backfield look.
On review
Booth reviews resulted in overturned calls twice in the second half of the Arkansas-Alabama game.
First, officials dismissed a 15-yard roughing-the-punter penalty on Jeremy Sprinkle that would have given Alabama a new set of downs at the Arkansas 33 on the first possession of the second half. Replay official Steve Landis overturned the call when replays showed the ball deflected slightly off Sprinkle's fingers, which made legal any contact he had with punter J.K. Scott after that.
A booth review occurred after officials ruled Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen had scrambled for a first down on a third-and-9 snap, spotting the ball at the Alabama 44 on a third-quarter play that ended with linebacker Reggie Ragland wrenching the ball free from Allen and out of bounds. Arkansas maintained possession, but the replay official judged that the ball had been pried free 2 yards earlier, leaving the Razorbacks with a fourth and 1.
Arkansas tried to draw Alabama offsides, but Allen couldn't get the Crimson Tide to jump and the Razorbacks had to punt away after a delay-of-game penalty.
Scramble score
Arkansas' biggest play came late in the game when quarterback Brandon Allen was forced out of the pocket and found Dominique Reed for a 54-yard touchdown pass.
Allen was flushed right, signaled downfield to Reed, then delivered a strike to the 6-3 junior at the Alabama 27 with defensive back Marlon Humphrey on his hip.
Reed pivoted past Humphrey, juked cornerback Eddie Jackson at the 15, withstood a forceful punch at the ball from Humphrey at the 7, then was corralled at the 2. But with teammate Drew Morgan pushing him toward the end zone and a couple of Alabama defenders trying to keep him out, Reed covered the final yard when Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans crashed into the play and knocked everybody into the end zone.
Hard Hogs
The Crimson Tide talked late Saturday about how they were prepared for a rugged evening with the Razorbacks.
"They're a strong, physical team, and any time you've got to do that against a team like that, you've got to be grown men and physical, so my team did that, and I'm very proud of them," said Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland, who had eight tackles, a sack and a key forced fumble in the third quarter.
Center Ryan Kelly said the victory was a character-building moment for the Tide.
"Looking at last year, and the Arkansas game, I think it turned the year around for us," Kelly said. "I think we're headed on the right path right now."
Coker recovery
Alabama quarterback Jake Coker finished strong after throwing two interceptions in the first half while completing 15 of 21 passes for 126 yards. Coker completed 9 of 12 passes for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns in the second half.
"I feel like I put us in a lot of bad positions,"Coker told ESPN. "That was really all my fault."
Alabama Coach Nick Saban said Coker's 81-yard touchdown throw to Calvin Ridley was "a big play that kind of got the momentum of the game back in our favor."
Coker said the double-move route Ridley used on Santos Ramirez was a play the Tide had practiced all week.
"We were hoping the safety would bite down on that read route and he did," Coker told ESPN. "Calvin stuck it and kept it high. He ran a real good route and made a great catch."
Collins cooled
Tailback Alex Collins has had three of his least productive games against Alabama.
Collins rushed 12 times for 26 yards Saturday, giving him 116 yards on 36 carries, an average of 3.2 yards per carry, with no touchdowns, in three games against Alabama. His longest carry on Saturday was a 5-yard carry over the left side late in the third quarter.
By contrast, Collins has 398 career rushing yards against Texas A&M, an average of 133 yards per game.
The Razorbacks' longest rush was an 8-yard scramble by quarterback Brandon Allen.
Hunting Hunter
Tight end Hunter Henry had one reception for 18 yards to extend his streak to 16 games with at least one catch. Henry was targeted at least two more times.
Henry (21-286-1) has 7 catches for 95 yards in the past 7 games as his production has slowed in conference play.
Ramirez's read
Defensive back Santos Ramirez, locked up in man coverage against Alabama freshman Calvin Ridley on a first-down play from the Crimson Tide 19, turned to cover Ridley's cut toward the middle of the field. But Ridley bent the route back down the middle and the mi-read allowed Jake Coker to lay in a deep pass to Ridley for an 81-yard touchdown late in the third quarter.
"I think Santos just lost his eyes for a moment," Bret Bielema said. "It's something that's easily coachable and very correctable, especially when you've got a kid of the caliber that Santos is. I think he'll take that as one of the greatest teaching moments of his career."
Worth noting
• Alabama improved to 4-8 under Nick Saban in games in which it trailed at halftime, and two of those victories coming against Arkansas. The Crimson Tide rallied from a 17-7 deficit to beat Arkansas 24-20 in 2010.
• Brandon Allen ranks second among active SEC quarterback with 44 career touchdown passes.
• Tight end Jeremy Sprinkle had a career-high four receptions and he totaled 41 yards.
• The Razorbacks posted 56 unassisted tackles among their 70 stops.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Defense
LB Brooks Ellis
• Ellis, a junior from Fayetteville, was credited with a career-high 15 tackles, 13 unassisted. Ellis was also credited with 2.5 tackles for 4 yards in losses.
Offense
WR Dominique Reed
• Reed, a junior from Camden, caught 3 passes for 77 yards, both career bests for the junior-college transfer. Reed ran the final 27 yards on his 54-yard touchdown pass play in the fourth quarter.
Sports on 10/12/2015