10 Things To Know: Hogs vs. Tide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Arkansas will play its second consecutive Southeastern Conference game away from home Saturday when they head to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 1 Alabama. It will be the fourth time in the last three seasons the Razorbacks have played SEC road games in back-to-back weeks.

Kickoff on Saturday is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ESPN with Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) and Maria Taylor (reporter) on the call.

Here’s 10 things to know heading into Saturday:

1. The Razorbacks will face the No. 1 team in the Associated Press poll for the 23rd time in program history. Three of the Razorbacks’ last five showdowns against the No. 1 team in the nation have been against Alabama. The Hogs’ last win vs. a top-ranked team came at LSU in 2007, when they beat the Tigers 50-48 in three overtimes.

2. Alabama leads the all-time series with Arkansas, 19-8. The Crimson Tide won 49-30 last year in Fayetteville. The Hogs’ 30 points scored in that game are the most Alabama has allowed in its last 10 SEC games. Arkansas is one of only three schools to score 30-plus points or gain 400-plus yards of total offense against Alabama in the Tide’s last 21 games, joining Ole Miss, who gained 522 yards in a 48-43 loss on Sept. 17 and Clemson, who totaled 511 yards in a 35-31 win in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

3. Jonathan Nance recorded season highs in catches (8) and receiving yards (116) and caught a 34-yard touchdown pass at South Carolina last Saturday. It was his second 100-yard receiving performance of the season, while the TD reception upped his total to an SEC-tying best 5. Through five games, Nance ranks among the top five in the SEC in touchdown receptions (5, T-1st) receiving yards (374, 5th), receiving yards per game (74.8, 4th), 20+ yard catches (7, T-4th), 30+ yard catches (5, T-2nd) and 40+ yard catches (3, T-5th). Nance’s 34-yard touchdown reception from Cole Kelley in the fourth quarter at South Carolina extended his streak of games with a receiving touchdown to four, the longest active streak in the SEC. Four of Nance’s five touchdowns this season have been over 30 yards (49, 44, 34 and 31 yards).

4. Arkansas is tied for fifth nationally (2nd in SEC) in red-zone touchdown percentage (85.0%). In the past three games, the Hogs have scored a touchdown in the red zone in 11 of their last 12 trips.

5. Graduate transfer running back David Williams leads the Razorbacks and ranks tied for No. 5 in the SEC in total touchdowns (6). That’s one more TD than he had in his previous three years combined while at South Carolina. His six total touchdowns are the most by an Arkansas running back or wide receiver after the first five games of a season since Jonathan Williams found the end zone eight times in such games in 2014.

6. Arkansas has recorded 400+ yards of total offense in three of its five games this season. Since 2000, the Hogs have totaled 400+ yards an SEC-best 112 times. Arkansas has had 33 such games under Bret Bielema, including 23 since 2015 to rank tied for second in the conference during that span.

7. Arkansas has scored 40+ points in three of five games this season. The Razorbacks are one of 23 FBS teams and four SEC teams to score 40+ points in 60 percent of their games this season. Since 2015, Arkansas has topped the 40-point plateau 13 times, good for second-most in the SEC. The Hogs are 11-2 in such games during that span.

8. Austin Allen has thrown a touchdown pass in 10 straight games, the longest active streak in the SEC. Since the start of the 2016 season, Allen has thrown multiple TD passes in 11 games, which is the active lead in the SEC.

9. Backup quarterback Cole Kelley entered the game at South Carolina with 12:47 left in the fourth quarter. He completed 8 of 13 attempts for 140 yards against one interception, including a 34-yard TD strike to Nance. He also rushed twice for 23 yards and a pair of first downs.

10. After being named the highest-graded center a year ago by Pro Football Focus, senior Frank Ragnow boasts the top grade once again at 93.1 overall through six weeks. Ragnow will make his 32nd consecutive start on the offensive line at No. 1 Alabama. Dating back to 2015, Ragnow’s stretch of 31 consecutive starts (17 at center and 14 at right guard) is the longest active streak on the team).