Ryan Mallett has three 400-yard passing games as quarterback of the Arkansas Razorbacks and five other 300-yard games, including last week’s 380-yard performance at Georgia.
Only once has Mallett failed to throw for 200 yards, and that occurred in last season’s 35-7 shellacking at Alabama. The No. 10 Razorbacks host the No. 1 Crimson Tide on Saturday.
“I don’t think we went in there with the mindset that we were going to win that game,” Mallett said this week. “We learned from that game, because when we went to Florida we showed a whole new attitude about how we needed to come out. That game really helped us grow, but they took it to us.”
Mallett completed just 12 of 35 passes for 160 yards in Tuscaloosa. The 6-foot-6 junior currently leads the nation with 360.3 passing yards per game and is fifth nationally in pass efficiency, a category topped by Tide counterpart Greg McElroy.
Alabama coach Nick Saban has been quick to point out that what happened last year has no bearing this week.
“I think we had a pretty good defensive team last year and made some plays in the game when we needed to make them,” Saban said. “It will be a totally different challenge. They’ve got nine starters back on offense, so they’re better in terms of their consistency and execution.”
Alabama lost nine defensive starters from last year yet is allowing 6.3 points per game. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino doesn’t see a drop-off.
“They stop the run with a seven-man front and can rush the passer,” Petrino said. “The linebackers will be the biggest that we face all year. Secondary-wise, they aren’t as experienced as they were last year but are long and tall and do a great job of covering.”
Said Mallett: “They played behind some great players last year that went to the national championship game, and I’m sure those guys taught them a lot of things before they left.”
Mallett insists he is better this season because he is more even-keeled, and he cited last week’s 31-24 win in Athens as an example. He believes the Razorbacks are improved on both sides of the ball and that the team overall is more mature.
Saturday’s showdown will be the first pairing of top-10 teams in Fayetteville since 1979.
“For a lot of teams I think this week would be a big distraction, but I think we’re mature enough to handle it,” Mallett said. “What it comes down to is playing a football game. All the other stuff doesn’t matter.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.