Arkansas helped by element of suprise against 'Bama

By: Matt Watson

Posted: 9/12/07

Apparently, Alabama coach Nick Saban has Darren McFadden and the Arkansas offense all figured out.

"They're basically [starting] from a spread-out offense running a lot of wishbone principles in their zone options, creating a pitchman with somebody going in motion, running a misdirection zone read," Saban said at a Monday press conference.

Basically.

Saban did admit that some people have problems tackling the Razorback rushing tandem that gained about 2,700 yards together.

"It's really important to keep leverage on them, tackle well, and get a lot of people around the ball so we don't have a lot of one-on-one tackles," Saban said.

When asked about preparing for Arkansas and trying to simulate a player like McFadden in practice, he gave an obvious answer.

"If we could simulate [McFadden] in practice, we'd play the guy. I wish we had one," Saban said.

That's one option Saban won't have on Saturday.

To try to prepare for game speed, Alabama has put its fastest players from the scout team into the backfield, regardless of position.

"When they run the option," Saban said, "it's not as easy because the point of attack moves, from the dive to the guy carrying the ball to the pitch. Everybody's got to maintain responsibility."

To make matters worth for the Crimson Tide coaching staff, Arkansas has had an extra week to prepare coming off a bye week.

"We have a few more things," Arkansas offensive coordinator David Lee said. "That's what an open week gives you, a little bit more time to polish some things you haven't shown the week before."

The Razorbacks are one of five teams that have bye weeks before they play Alabama this year. Mississippi State is the only other SEC school with more than one team coming off a bye week.

Saban said that there are obvious advantages to having an additional week of practice, that the extra week allows you to make changes that can counter the other team's preparation.

"I think the big focus for our team is to improve, prepare well all week so that we have the best chance to execute the plan against a very good football team and some great football players," Saban said.

Whether it's the "Wildcat formation," the "WildHog" or just the "501," the Razorbacks have a lot of options coming out of the backfield.

After operating from a limited playbook before conference play against Troy and being idle last Saturday, the defensive-minded Saban doesn't have much film of Lee's offensive package to study, which he's been preparing since joining the Hogs' staff again in February.

If there's anything Saban does know for certain, it's that McFadden will touch the ball.

Lee told the Associated Press at the beginning of the year, "I'm not stupid here. I'm going to feed the studs."

In last year's match with Alabama, McFadden carried the ball 25 times for 112 yards and a touchdown, which is nothing for the Tide defense to be ashamed of.

"These two guys, Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, if they're not first round draft picks, I don't know who is-both of them," Saban said. "Both guys gained well over 1,000 yards last year. They're versatile. They're very dangerous on kickoff return as well. They've both been back there and they've both had big returns. It's going to be a real challenge to us from that standpoint."

For Lee, it's not his first look at a Saban-coached defense.

"I've gone against Nick Saban's system in pro football when he was with Miami," Lee said. "It's so sound, and he's got so many answers to everything you want to do."

Lee also coached against Saban when Lee was a quarterbacks coach at Arkansas and Saban was at LSU.

Lee credited the Crimson Tide coaching staff for the significant amount of improvement of the defense in one week between their opener against Western Carolina to their victory over Vanderbilt Saturday.

"I just hope they don't improve that much again against us," Lee said.

As if the chess match between two experienced coaching minds like Lee and Saban isn't enough, Alabama's long-standing tradition of smash-mouth defense and Arkansas' Heisman frontrunner in the backfield promise an entertaining game this weekend.

"I think that every game we play we find out about ourselves. We find out what we need to improve," Saban said. "This game will be no different than that. And this is going to be a totally different type of game relative to what this team does. So it'll be a real challenge for our players."