Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

We'll be posting throughout the Arkansas Razorbacks' battle with No. 1 Alabama from Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville (Sept. 25). He's that

Feel free to comment here, or email me at jharris@abpg.com or Chris Bahn on twitter at @cbahn (he'll be tweeting throughout the game) and we'll address your thoughts here as well.

And, if you're reading after the conclusion of the game, we've posted this in reverse chronological order. Start at the bottom and work your way back up and follow the game as we followed it. Let's get started:

6:57 p.m. (24-20 Bama, final): Pardon our absence. We had some sideline and locker room duties to attend to as time wound down. By now you already know Mallett and Arkansas couldn't get it done. Mallett was picked a second straight time in a pass that appeared to just be his attempt to throw the ball away and avoid a sack. Alabama was able to run out the clock and break Arkansas' hearts.

Alabama at the end looked like a team determined not to lose. As Chris Bahn said to me during the Hogs late meltdown and just before Mallett was picked the first time to set up the winning Bama score, when senior tackle Demarcus Love got a holding call at the worst possible time: It just didn't appear the Hogs were ready for prime time when prime time arrived.

5:43 p.m. -- Doesn't that just stab you right in the chest. Ryan Mallett tried to make too much out of a third-and-9 play deep in his end and threw into double coverage, Greg Childs being bracketed by defenders. Robert Lester, who has had his name called a few times today, was behind the high throw and made the pick, returning it close enough (12-yard line) for the Tide to push in an easy score from 1 yard by Mark Ingram.

Now, Ryan Mallett has to be the hero again like he was at Georgia. He's got 3:18 to do it.

In fact, we even told Steve Sullivant of KATV earlier this week that Mallett might be just the guy to duplicate the game-winning drive Jon Brittenum managed against Texas back in 1965. That final score: 27-24. That's what it would have to be again today for Arkansas to win.

5:31 p.m. (20-17) -- Arkansas got the sack it was looking for.

Tenarius Wright came off the Hogs' defensive left side almost unblocked and planted Greg McElroy on a third-down, forcing the Tide to settle for a field goal, cutting Arkansas's lead to 20-17. The Hogs have 6:01 to run off the clock to beat the No. 1 team in the country.

5:24 p.m. -- Alabama hasn't scored yet, but the Tide is putting together a clinical drive from its own 15, penalized by to the 7, all the way to Arkansas' 25 behind Greg McElroy's ability to avoid sacks and find safety valve receivers. Arkansas can't cover everyone. Ramon Broadway has done a decent job on Julio Jones, but the blend of the great running and McElroy's quick thinking is difficult for anyone to defend.

Arkansas will regret the lack of sacks, even though they've had defenders in place to get McElroy down. He's that good, too. But I've never seen the kind of quick juke moves that I just saw from tailback Trent Richardson. It's amazing a 220-pounder can change direction like that, with a tackler right in his grill.