Stars Mallett, Hightower hope for better outcome
It’s a day Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett and Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower would like to forget.
Alabama’s 35-7 victory over Arkansas last year was a portrait of an overwhelmed quarterback on the run and an injured linebacker on the sideline who couldn’t give chase. While Mallett had the worst game of his college career, Hightower had reason to fear for his career, tearing knee ligaments in the first quarter.
A year later — actually 364 days — Mallett and Hightower meet again in an SEC showdown, this time in Fayetteville, Ark. While Mallett is a Heisman Trophy candidate and the triggerman of a prolific offense for No. 10 Arkansas (3-0), Hightower has returned as the leader of No. 1 Alabama’s untested defense.
“It means a lot, especially with the injury last year, with them taking me out for the season,” Hightower told reporters.
The game also holds significance for the 6-foot-6 Mallett, who was harassed into a 12-for-35 performance for 160 yards a year ago in Tuscaloosa, Ala. It was the lowest completion percentage (34.3) and efficiency rating (76.4) in his two years at Arkansas.
This year, however, Mallett plays at home and faces a revamped Crimson Tide unit, with nine new starters.
“They played behind some great players last year when they went to the national championship game and I’m sure those guys have taught them a lot,” said Mallett, the nation’s passing leader with 1,081 yards. “They might be inexperienced, but I think they’ll have a pretty good understanding of what they’re trying to do.”
Alabama (3-0) boasts a defense that ranks No. 2 in pass efficiency (73.7) and points against (6.3). But the opposition (San Jose State, Penn State and Duke) has been less than formidable.
“They’re still big and physical and fast, and very well coached,” Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. “The linebackers will be the biggest linebackers we’ll play this year.”
One of those is Hightower, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound redshirt sophomore, who started as a true freshman in 2008. Hightower leads the Tide with 16 tackles.
The physical identity Hightower projects on the Alabama defense is matched on offense by 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, who rushed for 151 yards on nine punishing carries in his first game back from a knee injury last week against Duke.
One of the few things Arkansas did well against Alabama last year was halt Ingram, who had 50 yards on 17 carries.
