FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas' road game at Alabama on Saturday will mark the 12th time in the past 15 years the Razorbacks have played the No. 1 team in The Associated Press poll.
It will be the fourth consecutive season for Arkansas to go against the No. 1 Crimson Tide, which beat the Razorbacks 49-30 in 2016, 41-9 in 2017 and 65-31 in 2018.
Since joining the SEC for the 1992 season, Arkansas has played 14 games against No. 1 teams, including one in nonconference play at Southern California when the Trojans won 70-17 in 2005.
Arkansas is 4-20 all-time against No. 1 teams, and has lost eight in a row since beating top-ranked LSU 50-48 in triple overtime in Tiger Stadium in 2007 in what turned out to be Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt's final game.
In addition to beating LSU in 2007, the Razorbacks beat Texas in 1964, 1965 and 1981 when the Longhorns were ranked No. 1.
The Razorbacks are 0-7 all-time against No. 1 Alabama teams, beginning with a 10-3 loss in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1961, when they played the Crimson Tide for the first time.
Arkansas' first game against a No. 1 team was in 1957 when Texas A&M beat the Razorbacks 7-6 in Fayetteville.
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Tube talk
The SEC announced Monday that the Mississippi State at Arkansas game Nov. 2 will kick off at 3 p.m. and be broadcast on the SEC Network.
Arkansas holds a 16-12-1 edge in the series, though the Bulldogs have won six of the past seven games. The teams have played five games in Fayetteville, with Arkansas holding a 3-2 lead in those games.
Long drive
The Razorbacks conducted a 16-play, 77-yard drive against Auburn last week that stands as their longest in terms of play count this season.
The marathon series came on Arkansas' first possession of the second half, and it took up exactly half of the third quarter at a clock-eating 7:30. The march started at the Arkansas 13 and ended at the Auburn 10, resulting in Connor Limpert's 28-yard field goal for the Razorbacks' first points of the game.
The drive drew Arkansas within 17-3 after the Hogs held Auburn to one field goal on its previous five possessions.
The drive was the third longest of the season in distance, trailing a pair of 80-yard touchdown drives against San Jose State. It was the longest in elapsed time, easily surpassing a series that took 5:57, also against San Jose State, that resulted in a loss of downs.
Left side
Arkansas had two backup offensive linemen -- junior Myron Cunningham and redshirt sophomore Kirby Adcock -- working with the first team for the second half against Auburn.
Cunningham replaced senior Colton Jackson (back) at tackle, and Adcock replaced senior Austin Capps (concussion) at guard.
Cunningham started the first three games at right guard before true freshman Ricky Stromberg moved into a starting spot there. Cunningham also started two games at left tackle when Jackson was sidelined by concussions.
"Myron played better," Arkansas Coach Morris said. "He was a little bit more consistent at left tackle."
Morris said playing against Auburn's defensive line was a challenge for Adcock.
"Obviously, when you're going against what he was lined up against, it was pretty rough sledding in there," Morris said. "But I think he did a good job considering all the circumstances that were coming at him."
Morris said Jackson and Capps will be evaluated this week to determine whether they'll play against Alabama.
Cunningham, 6-6, played left tackle at Iowa Central Community College before transferring to Arkansas.
"We've been trying to play him at guard to get what we felt like was our best guys on the field, at times, especially when we didn't know how good Ricky could be as a freshman," offensive coordinator Joe Craddock said. "But moving Myron back to his natural position, you definitely saw what he was all about. He did some good things in there."
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O'Grady OK
Tight end Cheyenne O'Grady wasn't able to do interviews after the Auburn game because he was hit in the throat.
"He's having a hard time talking a little bit," Coach Chad Morris said. "But he'll be fine."
Thanks, bro
Senior defensive end Gabe Richardson normally wears No. 6, but he switched to No. 5 for the Auburn game in honor of injured teammate Dorian Gerald.
Gerald, who also plays defensive end, suffered a season-ending neck injury in the opener against Portland State. He's eligible to redshirt and has said he plans to be back next season as a fifth-year senior.
"Bro, you don't how much it meant to me that you wanted to wear my jersey to honor me not finishing the year!" Gerald posted on his Twitter account along with a photo of himself on the sideline standing next to Richardson. "I shed real tears. Love ya."
Home Alabama
Arkansas offensive coordinator Joe Craddock, a native of Chelsea, Ala., will be in home territory when the Razorbacks travel to Alabama.
"I actually grew up about 15 minutes from where we're staying," Craddock said of the team hotel in Birmingham. "It will feel good to maybe see some old friends and some old family members I haven't seen in a while."
Chelsea is about 70 miles from the Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa.
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Song for Tua
Alabama defensive end Raekwon Davis wrote a simple ditty and was recorded "playing" it while strumming and tapping on a ukulele in a video posted to social media Monday.
"I hope you recover fast. I hope you recover fast. I hope you recover fast, One-Three," Davis sang, referencing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's No. 13 jersey.
Tagovailoa underwent ankle surgery Monday after being injured in the Tide's 35-13 victory over Tennessee. He won't play against the Razorbacks.
Sports on 10/22/2019