When the Alabama Crimson Tide faces the Arkansas Razorbacks two good quarterbacks will lead the fight. For Alabama Greg McElroy has won games. For Arkansas Ryan Mallett has made a big difference. So, what can we expect in this big SEC game?
“I think Ryan is asked to do a little bit more. From a repetition standpoint, he throws the ball upward of around 45 or 50 times a game,” McElroy told the AP. “He puts up huge numbers. Fortunately for me, I have a lot of weapons at my disposal. The fact that we do have such a capable running game means I am not asked to do as much.”
And what does Arkansas think of Greg McElroy? “He’s a winner. He’s a proven winner,” Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. “He knows how to take care of the ball. He knows how to make big plays. He executes their offense exactly the way they want him to.”
“The beauty of our offense is we have a ‘pick your poison’ mentality,” McElroy said. “If you want to stuff the box, we’re going to exploit you with the pass, and if you want to drop back in coverage, we’re going to try to burn you with the run. That’s the great thing about having talented players all around me. We’re able to use whatever is necessary to be successful.”
And what does Nick Saban have to say about McElroy? “I think he’s more comfortable in what he’s doing and what he’s expected to do,” Tide coach Nick Saban said. “Not that he wasn’t a very good player last year. He certainly was.
And what does Saban think of Arkansas? “I think Bobby (Petrino) does a great job with him in terms of game plan, schemes and getting him in the right things so this will be a real challenge for this team this year, but also an opportunity for them to learn, grow, develop and try to get better.” (read the AP preview story about the game below for more information on what to expect when the Alabama Crimson Tide faces the Arkansas Razorbacks.)