Hogs get bad look at speed

FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas Coach Chad Morris said at his introductory news conference in December that the Razorbacks have made it a priority to recruit fast players on every level of the offense and defense.

If you don’t have speed then you’re chasing speed, Morris said that day.

The Razorbacks found out exactly what that meant in Saturday’s 65-31 loss to the No. 1 Crimson Tide.

Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy looked like the fastest player on the field as he caught 4 passes for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Jeudy beat man and zone schemes, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was on the money with almost all of his passes —deep, intermediate and short.

“I knew their team speed was really good,” said Morris, adding it became real when “you get them out on the field and see them in person and create the separation they can create and they get the ball in their hands and do things with it.

“Now again, Tua did a fantastic job. I mean, wow, he’s very effective and had time to throw the football and was very effective.”

Jeudy got half a step on Ryan Pulley on a crossing route, caught a pass in stride, shook Pulley’s tackle attempt and outran safety Santos Ramirez around the corner on a 60-yard touchdown that effectively sealed the outcome with 1:38 left in the first half.

Tight end Irv Smith caught a short drag in front of linebacker De’Jon Harris on the game’s first snap, beat him to the right edge and took advantage of some gluelike blocking from Alabama receivers to score a 76-yard touchdown.

Alabama defenders — including end Isaiah Buggs and big linebacker like Dylan Moses, as well as Deionte Thompson, Trevon Diggs and Xavier McKinney in the secondary — closed out on Arkansas ball carriers and made tackles on the flanks on several plays that looked promising for the Hogs.