FAYETTEVILLE — Alabama has fared well against the kind of offense it expects to see Saturday from Arkansas.
In its last 10 games against Power Five teams that run pro-set offenses, Alabama has allowed an average of 277 yards and 12.8 points per game.
The Crimson Tide has struggled against spread offenses during the same span, allowing an average of 391 yards and 26.2 points per game since 2013.
Look no further than Alabama's two SEC games this season to see the differences against the offenses. Ole Miss had 433 yards and 43 points in an upset win at Bryant-Denny Stadium three weeks ago, but the Crimson Tide held Georgia to 299 yards and 10 points on the road last week.
Like Georgia, Arkansas runs an offense built around the run with the NCAA's eighth-leading rusher, Alex Collins, who has four 100-yard rushing performances this season. Alabama is the nation's ninth-best run defense, allowing only 84 yards per game.
"They have a defensive front that is comparable only to the NFL," Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said. "I think somebody told me at one point they had played 12 interior defensive linemen. I swear there's just a little machine that just creates them and they all walk outside. They all look the same and play the same, unfortunately.
"They have defensive backs that can run and they have linebackers that can smack you....You have to play your best game to beat them."
Alabama's front-seven has been a group opposing offenses have had difficulty with throughout Nick Saban's tenure as head coach. In the last three seasons, the Crimson Tide has allowed only two teams with pro-style sets to amass more than 300 yards of total offense.
Arkansas finds some hope in that it was one of those offenses, finishing with 335 yards in a 14-13 loss to Alabama last year in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks had a PAT attempt blocked and lost a fumble at the Crimson Tide 1-yard line in that game.
Most of Arkansas' starting offensive players had significant playing time against Alabama last year, including all of its starting offensive linemen.
"They're a big, physical team, but we're a big, physical offense as well," Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen said. "I'm excited to see what we can do against them. To win we're going to have to be balanced."
Allen said Arkansas will need to establish a play-action pass game against the Crimson Tide to limit the bodies at the line of scrimmage. Teams have had some success passing against Alabama, which ranks 38th nationally in passing yards allowed through five games.
Arkansas will be looking to snap Alabama's 17-game win streak over Power Five teams that run pro-set offenses. The Crimson Tide's last six losses has been to teams that run the spread.
"We have to execute on offense," Allen said. "We have to do the things we do well."