PosterChild
New Member
- Messages
- 2,028
- Reaction score
- 0
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/artic...9/1011/dateline&cachetime=3&template=dateline
TUSCALOOSA | After shouldering the offensive load the entire game for his 16th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks, junior running back Darren McFadden had to watch in agony from the sideline as the Alabama Crimson Tide rallied for a wild 41-38 victory on Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
McFadden, a Heisman Trophy candidate, shredded the Alabama defense for 195 yards and two touchdowns, but lowered his head and walked quietly off the field after his defense allowed the Crimson Tide to score a game-winning touchdown with just eight seconds remaining.
The stunning last-minute drive by Alabama erased a huge comeback by the Razorbacks, who turned a 31-10 third-quarter deficit into 38-31 lead with 8:08 remaining in the game.
“It hurts,” said McFadden, who sustained a slight concussion late in the fourth quarter.
After Alabama pulled to within 38-34 on a field goal by Leigh Tiffin, McFadden’s concussion prevented him from returning. Without the physical presence of McFadden, the Crimson Tide forced a punt to set up its game-winning 73-yard drive.
“We’ve got to learn how to finish the game,” McFadden said. “My head was spinning there at the end. At the end was something out of my control.”
After falling behind 31-10 in the third quarter, the Razorbacks turned to the legs of McFadden and Felix Jones, who rushed for 96 yards, to start their comeback. Jones had a 36-yard run during one touchdown drive.
Two Alabama turnovers also sparked two more scoring strikes by Arkansas.
During the drives, McFadden and Jones powered their way through the heart of the Crimson Tide defense. On several plays, McFadden had to be gang tackled and even then the pile moved forward.
“We showed a lot of heart and character,” Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said. “Boy I tell you. I really thought this was our game. I could of sworn that in the fourth quarter, with the turnovers our defense gave us, I felt like we had them very, very tired. We should have won the ballgame. No doubt about it. They were very fortunate.
“We made too many mistakes. But we’ll learn from that and go forward.”
On the final Arkansas scoring drive that gave the Razorbacks their 38-31 lead, McFadden had a 20-yard run and Jones added a 32-yard run. Behind their running back tandem, the Razorbacks raced 64 yards on six plays to score the go-ahead touchdown.
“All of our backs showed a lot of heart and character,” Nutt said. “They played their guts out. Darren McFadden played extremely hard. He earned every yard he got tonight. He earned every one of them.
“I just thought that on the last touchdown drive we were going to win the ballgame because of the effort. I felt like we had them a little gassed.”
The Razorbacks used their physical style to punish the Crimson Tide for 28 points in the second half, before Alabama rallied with 10 points in the final five minutes.
“I want [the players] to hurt tonight,” Nutt admitted. “I want them to be sick about it. That’s the only way it can be, but tomorrow that’s what you have Sundays for. In a win you don’t want to get too high. We should have been singing tonight but we didn’t so in the loss you’re going to learn from your mistakes.”
Reach Michael Southern at Michael.southern@tuscaloosanews.com.
TUSCALOOSA | After shouldering the offensive load the entire game for his 16th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks, junior running back Darren McFadden had to watch in agony from the sideline as the Alabama Crimson Tide rallied for a wild 41-38 victory on Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
McFadden, a Heisman Trophy candidate, shredded the Alabama defense for 195 yards and two touchdowns, but lowered his head and walked quietly off the field after his defense allowed the Crimson Tide to score a game-winning touchdown with just eight seconds remaining.
The stunning last-minute drive by Alabama erased a huge comeback by the Razorbacks, who turned a 31-10 third-quarter deficit into 38-31 lead with 8:08 remaining in the game.
“It hurts,” said McFadden, who sustained a slight concussion late in the fourth quarter.
After Alabama pulled to within 38-34 on a field goal by Leigh Tiffin, McFadden’s concussion prevented him from returning. Without the physical presence of McFadden, the Crimson Tide forced a punt to set up its game-winning 73-yard drive.
“We’ve got to learn how to finish the game,” McFadden said. “My head was spinning there at the end. At the end was something out of my control.”
After falling behind 31-10 in the third quarter, the Razorbacks turned to the legs of McFadden and Felix Jones, who rushed for 96 yards, to start their comeback. Jones had a 36-yard run during one touchdown drive.
Two Alabama turnovers also sparked two more scoring strikes by Arkansas.
During the drives, McFadden and Jones powered their way through the heart of the Crimson Tide defense. On several plays, McFadden had to be gang tackled and even then the pile moved forward.
“We showed a lot of heart and character,” Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said. “Boy I tell you. I really thought this was our game. I could of sworn that in the fourth quarter, with the turnovers our defense gave us, I felt like we had them very, very tired. We should have won the ballgame. No doubt about it. They were very fortunate.
“We made too many mistakes. But we’ll learn from that and go forward.”
On the final Arkansas scoring drive that gave the Razorbacks their 38-31 lead, McFadden had a 20-yard run and Jones added a 32-yard run. Behind their running back tandem, the Razorbacks raced 64 yards on six plays to score the go-ahead touchdown.
“All of our backs showed a lot of heart and character,” Nutt said. “They played their guts out. Darren McFadden played extremely hard. He earned every yard he got tonight. He earned every one of them.
“I just thought that on the last touchdown drive we were going to win the ballgame because of the effort. I felt like we had them a little gassed.”
The Razorbacks used their physical style to punish the Crimson Tide for 28 points in the second half, before Alabama rallied with 10 points in the final five minutes.
“I want [the players] to hurt tonight,” Nutt admitted. “I want them to be sick about it. That’s the only way it can be, but tomorrow that’s what you have Sundays for. In a win you don’t want to get too high. We should have been singing tonight but we didn’t so in the loss you’re going to learn from your mistakes.”
Reach Michael Southern at Michael.southern@tuscaloosanews.com.