Alabama Crimson Tide dramatic win over Arkansas Razorbacks highlight Week 3

Monday, 17 September 2007

Alabama Crimson Tide dramatic win over Arkansas Razorbacks highlight Week 3 If I were forced to choose what I thought was the best college football game on Saturday my pick would have to be the Arkansas-Alabama game then go with Kentucky-Louisville as a close second. And that’s a matter of my slightly tilted opinion since I wasn’t able to watch Kentucky-Louisville but didn’t miss a down between the Razorbacks and Crimson Tide.

One could feel the electricity in Bryant-Denny Stadium on the Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa before kickoff even from the television. One friend who called in after the game reported it was the loudest he had ever heard it at Bryant-Denny and take my word for it; if you’ve never experienced a game there, it’s loud.

[photo caption: Arkansas' Darren McFadden rushes for 195 yards on 33 carries against Alabama Saturday night]

Alabama jumped out to an early lead taking advantage of some Arkansas butterflies and a turnover and turning it into a 21-0 lead. From early on it looked like the Hogs were going to have a classic melt-down but 10 quick points put up before half took some steam out of the Tide attack. Once the second half started the game went Arkansas’ way until the very end when Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson led a final drive completing 7-of-9 passes for 73 yards and a game winning touchdown pass. Wilson, of Hoover, Alabama, was 24 of 45 in the game for 327 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

Leading Heisman Trophy candidate Darren McFadden put up big numbers for Arkansas in the loss. McFadden gained 195 yards on 33 rushes in spite of going against a stacked Alabama defense the entire game. Trainers held McFadden out of the final two Arkansas drives due to a slight concussion. Had McFadden been able to play at the end, the final result would have probably been different.

Oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com had Alabama as a -3 ½ point favorite at the time of kickoff resulting in an Arkansas cover ATS + 3 ½. The 79 points scored flew OVER the 47 ½ total.

The Kentucky Wildcats became the champion of the Kentucky Commonwealth Saturday night when Cats quarterback Andre Woodson threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Steve Johnson with 28 seconds left and Kentucky shocked No. 9 Louisville 40-34. The win was Kentucky’s first victory over a top-ten ten in thirty years.

Woodson completed 30 of 44 passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns as he beat Louisville’s Heisman Trophy candidate Brian Brohm, a rival dating to high school, for the first time.

Brohm's last-second desperation attempt was deflected and caught by Harry Douglas at the 10, but time expired.

Kentucky jumped into the AP top-25 Sunday landing at No. 21 for its first ranking since the 1984 season.

Looking forward to week-4, Kentucky travels to Arkansas to face McFadden and the Hogs in a game to be televised by ESPN2. Online sportsbook BetUS.com is the first of the online sportsbook to come out with any line on the game installing Arkansas the favorite with a -6 ½ point chalk.

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