Ken Rogers
09/20 at 06:27 PM

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A game that was supposed to be won in the trenches was no contest because Alabama crushed Arkansas, 49-14, in open space.

The Crimson Tide showed an explosiveness it hadn’t displayed, scoring four touchdowns on plays of 60 yards or more. Two of those came on interception returns as Alabama disrupted Bobby Petrino’s spread attack.

Tide coach Nick Saban did say the game was won up front, by Alabama controlling both lines of scrimmage. But the quick-strike capability of the Crimson Tide was unveiled in the team’s SEC opener.

* Glen Coffee rushed for 162 yards on 10 carries — including an 87-yard run midway through the first quarter.

* Javier Arenas returned an interception 63 yards for a touchdown.

* Justin Woodall took a pick back 74 yards for a score.

* Roy Upchurch swept right end for 62 yards and a touchdown.

In between those lightning strikes, the hits kept on coming.  Julio Jones caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from John Parker Wilson, which vaulted Wilson past Brodie Croyle with his 42nd career touchdown strike.

Coffee also scored on a 31-yard gallop to the end zone. And freshman Mark Ingram scored on a 1-yard run.

In all, Alabama gained 328 yards on the ground.

Wilson completed 6 of 14 passes for just 74 yards and the touchdown to Jones. He also had a 26-yard completion to Earl Alexander that set up the first touchdown.

Still, Saban said the passing game needed work.

“We’ve got the ability to throw the ball more effectively,” the coach said. “… We’re just going to have to keep working on it so that people can’t load it up on us so that we can’t run.”

Arkansas’ noisy home crowd didn’t have much to cheer about after the first quarter. Alabama got a break when a running-into-the-punter penalty kept alive its opening drive.

“The last thing I told them was not to rough (the punter),” a disappointed Petrino said after the game.

Alabama made the Razorbacks pay when Mark Ingram scored from a yard out to complete a 10-play, 71-yard drive.

Arkansas punted to Alabama on its next possession, and the fireworks began. On first down, Coffee took a simple handoff toward the middle of the line, made a sharp cut to his left and outran everybody to the end zone.

“Our offensive line is one of the best in the country. I’m just glad we run behind that athletic front,” Coffee said. “That big run happened because the receivers blocked downfield and the O-line took care of the line up front.”

Still, he couldn’t help but smile after the game after showing his take-it-to-the-house ability.

“I’m tired of everybody talking about my speed and everything,” Coffee said, still smiling. “I mean, the hole was there. ... It was definitely something I set out to prove this year, to show that I could do more things than just pound the ball and grind it out.”

Late in the first quarter, Javier Arenas — who didn’t have to prove anything in the explosive department — made his first interception and returned it for the score.

Arenas was asked which was better, a punt return for a touchdown or an interception return. He said he had to work harder for the interception.

“I can catch the ball and make people miss,” Arenas said. “But I have to be a productive DB and do what I have to do before the ball is thrown, make the play and then make something happen after I catch the ball.”

He had only one man to beat on the return — quarterback Casey Dick. One could imagine his teammates if he didn’t get around the quarterback.

“I was tired. He had an angle on me, too. Not to knock him, but he doesn’t have great speed, but I was that tired,” Arenas said. “As I got closer to the end zone, I realized my chances of scoring and I said, ‘There ain’t no way I’m going to let him make the tackle.’”

He didn’t. Dick nearly rolled both ankles grasping for Arenas, but couldn’t make the stop. That made it 21-0 in the first quarter and really put the Razorbacks in a different mode.

Arkansas wasn’t crushed, just rattled. The Razorbacks actually had more yards at halftime — 234 to 226 — yet trailed, 35-7.

That was due to Woodall’s pick-six of another Dick pass and a goal-line stand by the Alabama defense that pretty much sealed the outcome before halftime.

Dick finished 20-for-39 passing for 190 yards and a touchdown — but was picked off three times.

“We can’t give up 14 points on two stupid throws,” Dick said. “It’s my fault. I have to look at the film and get better. When you make bad throws like that, you just feel horrible.”

A turnover and a one-play touchdown to start the second half prevented any momentum for a comeback.

“I didn’t like the way we finished the game,” Petrino said. “I’m not happy with the way we came out of the locker room at halftime.”