Alabama quarterback Bryce Young on Saturday lit up the Arkansas defense for 559 yards, breaking the school’s single-game passing record that had stood for more than half a century.
Young set the record when he connected with Slade Bolden for a 27-yard reception early in the fourth quarter to reach 488 yards for the game. The previous mark was held by Scott Hunter, who threw for 484 yards against Auburn in 1969.
Young’s 559 yards are also the second-most in SEC history behind Mississippi State’s K.J. Costello, who threw for 623 yards against LSU in 2020.
Young finished 31-of-40 with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for two scores as the Crimson Tide won 42-35.
“He made really good decisions about who to throw the ball to, and I mean, he had at least four drops and he had a couple a couple overthrows,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “But the guy had a fantastic game. He really did a good job sort of taking what they gave him.”
Three of Young’s touchdown passes went to Jameson Williams, including a 79-yard strike in double coverage. The two also connected for a 32-yard score and 40-yard score. Williams finished with eight catches for 190 yards.
“When you have a dynamic playmaker like that you just have to put the ball in the air and let him run under it,” Young said.
With the win, Alabama clinched the SEC West to set up a showdown with Georgia in the SEC championship game.
Saban credited his players for their resiliency against a tough schedule.
“It’s been difficult to play in the West. This year was very difficult,” he said. “We won some close games. We won a close game today, which the resiliency of the players contributes to that. Their competitive spirit and how much it means to them contributes to that. But we do need to fix some of the things that we’re not getting correct on the field.”
Young, a sophomore in his first season as a starter, has thrown for 3,586 yards, 38 touchdowns and three interceptions this season.