FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas quarterback Casey Dick was part of an Alabama first Saturday that he could have done without.

In the storied history of Crimson Tide football that includes 12 national championships, 21 SEC titles and 92 All-America selections, never before had Alabama returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the same game.

Until Saturday.

That’s when Dick had passes in the first half intercepted and returned for touchdowns by Javier Arenas (63 yards ) and Justin Woodall (74 yards ) as the Tide rolled to a 49-14 victory over the Razorbacks.

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“It was a tough day,” Dick said, “especially we can’t give up 14 points off of two stupid throws that I make...”

Dick, a senior making his 25 th career start, took full blame for the interceptions and refused to blame pressure from Alabama’s defense.

“It’s all my fault,” Dick said. “Even if it’s moving out of the pocket, you can’t make throws or stupid mistakes like that. You’ve got to take the sack or throw the ball out of bounds.

“ If I just don’t throw the ball, then it’s probably a much different ballgame than what it was.”

Dick was intercepted a third time — by Marquis Johnson — on his first throw of the second half, a slant route to London Crawford. That set up Alabama at the Arkansas 34 and led to another easy touchdown and a 42-7 lead.

Carlton Salters was the intended receiver on Dick’s first interception. The second interception was so far off the mark that it was tough to determine the intended target.

“[Dick ] threw them both late, out into the flat, flat-footed,” Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino said of the interceptions returned for touchdowns. “They were plays that we put in probably the second day of spring practice, and he’s executed well up to this point.

“ I think some of [Alabama’s ] pass rush must have had an effect on him, because they were doing a good job of rushing the passer.”

Petrino said Dick could have had more interceptions.

“We had another couple on a crossing route... and we were lucky they just got tipped and didn’t get picked,” Petrino said.

Dick, who completed 20 of 39 passes for 190 yards and 1 touchdown, became the first Arkansas quarterback in 10 years to have two interceptions returned for touchdowns in the same game.

It also happened to Clint Stoerner when Michigan’s Ian Gold (46 yards ) and James Whitley (26 yards ) had interception returns for touchdowns in the Wolverines’ 45-31 victory over the Razorbacks on Jan. 1, 1999, in the Citrus Bowl at Orlando, Fla.

Dick came into Saturday’s game ranked second in the SEC and 28 th nationally in pass efficiency, having completed 47 of 75 passes for 641 yards and 4 touchdowns with 1 interception.

Those numbers were against Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe, not an SEC opponent, but Petrino said he was surprised by Dick’s struggles.

“He hasn’t shown that he would do that,” Petrino said. “He needs to come back from it. That’s why we kept him in there, kept him working trying to get back, get going.”

After his third interception, Dick played in four more series in the second half before being replaced by freshman Tyler Wilson with 12: 47 to play in the fourth quarter.

The Razorbacks couldn’t move the ball consistently and punted on each of the final four possessions with Dick at quarterback.

“You’re going to have a bad day at work,” Dick said.

Dick’s teammates said after the game they’re still confident in his ability to lead the offense.

“We all have confidence in Casey,” tight end D. J. Williams said. “We know he’s going to come through this, and put this game behind him, just like everybody else who didn’t have a great performance in this game.”

Center Jonathan Luigs said every player has had a tough game, but that a quarterback’s mistakes are more visible.

“I thought he did some good things, but on those certain plays he made bad mistakes, they capitalized on them,” Luigs said. “You’ve got to give credit to Alabama’s defense, but I know Casey, and he’ll be back and ready for Texas.”

The Razorbacks play at Texas next Saturday.

“At his position, you’ve got to have short-term memory,” Luigs said. “I’m sure he’ll think about it all day today and feel really bad, but then tomorrow he’ll come in and get in the film room and move on.”