Alabama Football: The Tide vs. the Arkansas Razorbacks History

Alabama football and the Arkansas Razorbacks have an unusual history. Despite relative proximity, the two schools only played twice before the Hogs joined the SEC in 1992.

Alabama football and the Arkansas Razorbacks have only competed in 27 games. The first two of them were momentous as parts of Paul Bryant’s first and last national championships.

The overall record is 20 wins for Alabama football and seven wins for the Hogs. The series has had two overtime games, both won by the Razorbacks in 2003 and 2006. Alabama football has won the last 10 contests. The best run for Arkansas was 1995-2006 when the Razorbacks won seven of the twelve games.

Coaching Connections

There are several coaching ties between the two states and two schools. Bryant, as almost all Crimson Tide fans know, was born in Moro Bottom, near Fordyce, Arkansas. Larry Lacewell who was a graduate assistant for Bryant at Alabama in 1959 and also Bryant’s good friend, was also born in Fordyce. Lacewell is the winningest head coach in Arkansas State football history. Lacewell coached the Red Wolves against the Tide in 1982.

Birmingham native, Jack Crowe was head coach for the Hogs in 1990-1992. When Crowe was fired one game into the 1992 season, Joe Kines was the interim coach for the rest of the season. Kines spent six years as an Alabama football assistant in two stints. He is perhaps most known for his one-game interim head coach career at Alabama. After Mike Shula was fired, Kines led the Tide in the 2006 Independence Bowl. His half-time interview is well remembered.

The other Hogs and Tide coaching connection is Danny Ford. Ford was an offensive lineman for Bryant from 1966-1970. He was a Tide assistant coach in 1971. Ford became Clemson’s head coach in 1978 and led the Tigers to the 1981 national championship. Ford was the head coach of the Razorbacks from 1993-1997. He led the Hogs to two victories over Alabama.

The Sugar Bowls and two National Championships

The two Sugar Bowl wins earned Paul Bryant and Alabama football one national championship and cemented the lasting legacy of a second national championship team.

1962 Sugar Bowl

Beating Frank Broyles’ 1961 Arkansas team gave Paul Bryant his first, Alabama football, undefeated season. The AP National Championship had already been awarded to the Tide before the bowl game. The 1961 team did not let, as Saban says, external conditions affect them.

The Sugar Bowl was more than icing on the national championship cake. The Tide wanted that undefeated season. The 1961 defense was so suffocating they only surrendered 25 points in eleven games. Bryant complimented his team in one of the legendary quotes about Alabama football,

"they played like it was a sin to give up a point."

Arkansas was the Southwest Conference Champion in 1961 and played the Tide tough. The final score was Alabama 10 – Arkansas 3.

1980 Sugar Bowl

Alabama went into the 1980 Sugar Bowl not having lost since September 23, 1978. The Tide entered the bowl game ranked No. 2 in the nation.

The powerful Alabama football wishbone was too much for Lou Holtz’ Hogs with the Tide winning 24-9. Earlier that day, No. 1 ranked Ohio State lost to USC in the Rose Bowl. Alabama finished No. 1 in the polls and claimed its second back-to-back national championships in the Bryant era. It was the Crimson Tide’s 11th and Paul Bryant’s 6th national championship.

Next: The Tide can win it all in 2017

On Saturday night, Bret Bielema will be hoping to not go 0-for-Bama as the Hogs head coach. Technically a Tide win will be the fifth consecutive Bielma loss at the hands of Alabama football.