Bama rolls over Arkansas

Posted 8:00AM on Sunday 29th September 2002 ( 22 years ago )

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) Alabama showed no ill effects from the absence of two senior leaders in its offense. Redshirt freshman Brodie Croyle stepped in at quarterback and junior transfer Shaud Williams took over in the backfield for fallen teammates as the Crimson Tide (4-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) dominated in a 30-12 victory over Arkansas on Saturday. Quarterback Tyler Watts sat on the bench with an injured left foot and a knee injury last week knocked leading rusher Ahmaad Galloway out for the season. In their places, Croyle threw for 285 yards, while Williams and Santonio Beard made it easy for the quarterback in his first start. Beard led the team with 134 yards on 21 carries. Williams scored an 80-yard touchdown on the game's first play and finished with 207 yards rushing and receiving. ``We knew we had to step up in the absence of Ahmaad,'' Williams said. ``You can't replace Ahmaad Galloway on the field. We just knew that we had to come out and establish the running game to take the pressure off Brodie.'' Croyle, Williams and Beard powered the Alabama offense to 552 yards, while the defense held Arkansas (2-1, 0-1) to 299 yards and just one touchdown. Quarterback Matt Jones threw his first two interceptions of the season and he was sacked twice. ``That first play really stung us,'' Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said. ``It just took the air out of me. I never would have dreamed that they would have two backs over 100 yards.'' Alabama dominated the Arkansas offense, which had scored 83 points in its first two games, by holding it to 299 total yards. The Razorbacks entered the contest averaging 446 yards a game. Alabama didn't need half the first quarter to gain 160 yards and take a 14-0 lead on Arkansas, which entered the game with the nation's No. 1 rushing defense. Croyle hadn't left any sweat on the ball when Alabama quieted 73,551 fans, the largest crowd to witness a sporting event in Arkansas. Williams took his handoff on the first offensive play six yards deep, hesitated, then sprinted through a large hole for an 80-yard touchdown. No one touched him until free safety Kenny Hamlin, who had been crowding the line, grabbed his jersey at the goal line. ``The first thing I saw was the students in the end zone,'' Williams said. ``When I broke the hole I knew I had a chance to break it. I saw the free safety and I had a couple of steps on him.'' Hamlin found himself out of position on Alabama's next scoring pass as well. Croyle drew Hamlin into the middle of the field with a look, then threw to uncovered split end Sam Collins on the right sideline. Collins walked into the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead as Hamlin tripped and fell trying to get back to Collins. On that drive, Croyle didn't look like a quarterback starting his first game. He completed all three passes for 65 yards after starting with a 2-yard scramble that ended with Arkansas cornerback Ahmad Carroll hitting him with a helmet-to-helmet tackle. ``I can't say enough about Brodie Croyle,'' Alabama coach Dennis Franchione said. ``He did a great job at the line of scrimmage and he handled the pressure very well.'' Down 17-0 after a 28-yard field goal by Brian Bostick, Arkansas fans started booing Nutt's play-calling early in the second quarter. But the crowd roared back after Jones directed a seven-play scoring drive capped by his 7-yard scramble to pull with 17-7 at the half. The teams traded field goals to start the second half. Arkansas closed to 17-10 with a 33-yard effort by Brennan O'Donohoe, which was set up by a 46-yard kickoff return by DeCori Birmingham. Williams made sure the Tide kept pace when he turned a 5-yard sideline route into a 75-yard play, making Arkansas' Tony Bua miss on the Alabama sideline. The Tide took a 20-10 lead on Bostick's 36-yard kick. Williams' play took the wind out of the Arkansas crowd for the final time. ``The whole time I was out there I could hear Ahmaad in ear telling me the things he always told me,'' Williams said. ``It was a real special game for us to come out and win this one for Ahmaad.'' Arkansas had the ball at the Alabama 20 early in the fourth quarter after a short kick by backup punter Michael Ziifle. But on the first play, middle linebacker Derrick Pope picked off Jones and returned it 61 yards to set up another field goal by Bostick. Alabama's defense continued its second-half domination with a sack by Todd Bates during another three-and-out series by Arkansas. Croyle put the game away with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Zach Fletcher, beating Hamlin again, for a 30-10 lead with 9:41 left in the game. ``We didn't come out and play today like we should have,'' Hamlin said. Ziifel stepped out of the end zone in the final minute to give Arkansas a safety.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/9/189551