Saban irked after Alabama defense surrenders 31 points to Arkansas

Alabama defeated Arkansas by 34 points Saturday, but 31 was the number head coach Nick Saban was fuming over postgame.

"I don't think that you really beat the other team when you give up 31 points, like we did today, at least on the defensive perspective," said Saban, whose top-ranked Crimson Tide blew out the Razorbacks 65-31 in Fayetteville, via ESPN's Mitch Sherman.

The defending national champions have looked as dominant as ever throughout the early portion of the season, yet Saban has found areas of his team to critique each week.

"We're going to play a lot better offensive teams," Saban said. "We're going to play a lot better offensive team this week - one of the best offensive teams in the country in Missouri. We just need a lot of guys to have a little more focus, a little discipline, a little more confidence in believing that they can do their job the way we want them to do it."

The 31-point "outburst" marked the most number of points Alabama has conceded this year. The Tide entered the affair allowing 13 points per game, good for the fifth-best scoring defense in the nation.

The last time Alabama allowed 31-plus points was in the national championship game against Clemson at the end of the 2016 season when they lost 35-31.