10 Things to Know – Alabama

Riding a three-game win streak, No. 21 Arkansas (7-3, 3-3 SEC) travels to Tuscaloosa for a 2:30 p.m. CT kick on CBS against No. 2 Alabama (9-1, 5-1 SEC) on Saturday, Nov. 20.

10 Things to Know – Alabama

1. – Arkansas won its third game in a row by claiming a 16-13 road overtime win over LSU, the Razorbacks’ first in the series since 2015. Playing its first overtime game since 2017 against Texas A&M, Arkansas improved its all-time record in OT to 13-7. The last time the Hogs picked up an overtime win was in double overtime, 41-38, at TCU in 2016. It was the school’s first overtime win against LSU since a 50-48 triple-overtime triumph in 2007 that saw Darren McFadden rush for 206 yards and three touchdowns.

2. – Behind an attacking defense, Arkansas limited the Tigers to just 13 points, their fewest at home since Florida limited LSU to 10 points in 2016. It was the first time an Arkansas team held LSU to 13 or fewer points in Baton Rouge since Nov. 29, 1906, when the then-called Cardinals tied 6-6. Arkansas last held LSU to 13 or fewer points in 2014, a 17-0 win in Fayetteville.

3. – The Arkansas rushing attack is one of the best in the country this season, averaging 233.5 yards per game on the ground to rank second in the SEC and sixth-best nationally. Four ball carriers who have each totaled over 400 rushing yards this year in running back Trelon Smith (513), quarterback KJ Jefferson (474) and running backs Raheim Sanders (460) and Dominique Johnson (456). Arkansas and Ole Miss are the only two teams in FBS that feature four 400-yard rushers this year. The last time the Hogs had four 400-yard rushers was 1975, Frank Broyles’ second to last season as head coach. Running backs Ike Forte (983), Jerry Eckwood (792) and Rolland Fuchs (618) and quarterback Scott Bull (533) led the way for a team that rushed for 320.3 yards per game, the single-season school record.

4. – Quarterback KJ Jefferson has thrown for 1,990 yards and ranks seventh in the SEC with 17 passing touchdowns. The redshirt sophomore is third in the SEC in average yards per completion (13.5) and fifth in yards per pass attempt (8.8). Jefferson has thrown a touchdown pass in five straight games, totaling 11 over that span with just one interception. He is one of nine quarterbacks in FBS to total at least 1,900 passing yards and 450 rushing yards this season.

5. – Wide receiver Treylon Burks leads the team in nearly every major receiving category, pacing the team in receptions (51), receiving yards (796), receiving touchdowns (8), and receiving yards per game (79.6). He ranks second in the SEC in receiving touchdowns and third in receiving touchdowns. After posting 820 receiving yards in 2020, Burks is only four yards away from his second consecutive 800+ yard receiving season. Anthony Lucas was the last Hog to record back-to-back 800+ yard receiving seasons in 1999 (822) and 1998 (1,004). The junior has produced 2,091 career receiving yards, the eighth-most in program history.

6. – Arkansas is back inside the AP Poll top 25 for the sixth time this season after a four-week hiatus. With their No. 21 ranking, the Hogs have been ranked 423 times in program history since the poll began in 1936, the 21st most among all programs. The Week 12 appearance is the latest Arkansas has been ranked since 2011’s final poll. The Hogs also earned a program-best No. 21 in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s rankings.

7. – After making 13 tackles last week at LSU, linebacker Bumper Pool leads the team recording 100 stops. The senior ranks second in the SEC and 11th nationally averaging 10.0 tackles per game. Over the last three seasons (2019-21) his 295 tackles are second-most in FBS during that span, trailing only Troy’s Carlton Martial (343). The Lucas, Texas product has recorded 324 career tackles and is 11 away from tying Bert Zinamon (1980-83) for 10th most in a career in program history.

8. – Rookie kicker Cam Little continued to impress by drilling three field goals, including the walk-off game-winning 37-yard field goal in overtime, at LSU. He earned SEC Specialist of the Week for the first time in his career after garnering SEC Freshman of the Week recognition two times earlier in the year. Little is 17-of-21 on field goals this year, the most makes of any FBS freshman kicker. His 17 makes are tied for eighth-most in a single-season in school history with Alex Tejada (2007), Todd Latourette (1998) and Todd Wright (1992).

9. – Second-year head coach Sam Pittman is one of just 14 SEC coaches in history to take over a team with a losing record and lead it to a top 10 spot in the AP Poll in their first two seasons. The Razorbacks were ranked eighth in the fifth release of this year’s AP Poll. Pittman and Houston Nutt (1998) are the only Razorback head coaches to accomplish the feat. Pittman’s SEC-only record is 6-10 through 16 games, in the four seasons prior to his arrival, Arkansas was 4-28 (32 games) in conference play.

10. – The Razorbacks are 8-23 all-time against Alabama and are looking for their first win in the series since a 24-23 double-overtime win in 2006. Arkansas hasn’t won in Tuscaloosa since 2003, also in double-overtime, 34-31. Alabama has been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll in each of the last five meetings against the Hogs. In 2015 No. 8 Alabama defeated Arkansas, 27-14.