Ken Rogers
09/17 at 10:40 PM

Like any good Saturday monster matinee, you have to have stars.

Alabama’s SEC opener against Arkansas in Fayetteville delivers with the SEC’s version of Godzilla vs. King Kong — the Tide’s Terrence Cody vs. the Razorbacks’ Jonathan Luigs.

Luigs, a senior, won the Rimington Trophy last season as the nation’s best center. The 6-foot-4, 314-pounder was runner-up for the award in 2006.

Lining up across from Luigs is junior nose tackle Cody, a 6-5, 365-pounder who has helped Alabama become the nation’s top-ranked rushing defense in the season’s first three weeks (42.7 yards per game).

Get your popcorn early. The Cody-Luigs battle may go a long way toward deciding the outcome of the game. Other players are eager to see what happens.

“I think it’s going to be a good matchup,” Alabama safety Rashad Johnson said. “I think he’s one of the top rated centers in the Southeast. He’s definitely going to have his hands full, but he’s a great player. They’re going to be battling the entire game. It’s going to be good to watch on film when we get back on Monday.”

Arkansas quarterback Casey Dick said he’s never had a 365-pound defensive lineman chasing him.

“He’s a big guy,” Dick said. “Tries to clog it up there in the middle. We’ll try to see if we can move him out of the way.”

Cody and Luigs have been circling each other this week, studying the other on film. Both have been impressed with the other, but both are confident in their own ability, too.

“He’s good. He doesn’t move like a 370-pounder,” Luigs said of Cody.

“He’s pretty agile for his size. I’ll definitely have my hands full.”

Luigs said Cody allows other players on defense to excel.

“That big plugger up front really can occupy two guys and free up some ’backers,” the center said. “I think that’s his goal. They’ve got ends that come off the ball and really try to close it down and don’t let anything outside. We’re going to have to have all 11 executing on one play.”

Cody, for his part, accepts the challenge of going against Luigs.

“I’m looking forward to that. That’s going to be a good matchup,” Cody said. “He’s good, I’m good, that’ll be the matchup of the day.”

The nose tackle said Luigs is the quickest center he’s seen in three games.

“He snaps and he’s outta the gates,” Cody said. “That’s what I’m going to work on this week, get my footwork, get ready for that.”

It would be a shock to Alabama if Luigs tries to block Cody by himself. Lorenzo Washington said it may start that way, but it won’t last long.

“I’ve seen people try to single-block him,” Washington said. “But the next play, they’re doubling, tripling, cutting him. I don’t know how many times they do it, but I hope they will single block him.”

Cody’s eyes lit up when asked about that prospect.

“If they do, it might be a mistake,” the nose tackle said.

Cody said he should be prepared, because going against senior center Antoine Caldwell in practice is a daily war.

“I think the best O-lineman I ever went against is Antoine Caldwell,” he said. “I’ll tell on Saturday if he is.”

Going against Caldwell “made me smarter on the line, and made me quicker off the ball and stuff,” Cody added. “Trying to anticipate what he’s going to do.”

Caldwell said he’s seen Luigs on film and agreed that the center is one of the best he’s seen. But Caldwell and guard Mike Johnson, who frequently double-team Cody, said Luigs will be tired on Sunday.

“It’s going to be tough, but at least they’ve got a little film on him now,” Caldwell said of the Razorbacks. “Clemson didn’t have that luxury. I’d probably just say, take a lot of Advil the night before.”

Mike Johnson said he didn’t think Luigs would make it tough on Cody.

“We have a great center, too. Their center is obviously very talented. We respect his ability and all that,” Johnson said. “But we know what TC can do. He hasn’t had much problem yet, and hopefully he can continue to keep making plays.”

Most of all, Cody feels challenged this week. His practice intensity has been impressive.

“Cody almost threw me backwards today,” Mike Johnson said. “He’s a unique player in the way you have to block him. He’s a guy you almost have to gameplan against if you’re going to be successful up the middle.”

Johnson said practicing against the stingy Alabama defensive has helped the offensive line.

“(Arkansas has) good players like that up the middle as well,” the guard said. “Any time we have to anchor down on a guy like that, we’re getting better. And I hope we’re getting them better in the same way.”

Arkansas tight end Andrew Davie said the Crimson Tide’s rushing defense is not a surprise.

“It’s Alabama, guys,” Davie said simply. “These guys are bred for this stuff. We’ve got to run the ball to be successful. We’ve got to come out and pound away with them, air it out a little bit and see how things turn out.”

Cody likes the sound of that.

“I take a lot of pride in stopping the run,” Cody said. “If you’re able to run the ball on me, on the defense, you must have a good O-line or calling good plays. But that’s the main thing I like, is to stop the run.”