LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- With No. 1 Alabama coming for a visit next week, No. 20 Arkansas couldn't afford a letdown on Saturday against FCS opponent Alcorn State.

Take away a lackluster second quarter and it was mission accomplished for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas used a balanced attack to pile up 559 total yards and jumped out to a big lead early, easing past the Braves 52-10 on Saturday at War Memorial Stadium.

The Razorbacks (4-1, 0-1 in the Southeastern Conference) opened a quick 24-0 lead and then overcame a sluggish second quarter to pull away in the second half, improving to 4-1 for the first time since 2011.

"We started fast but hit a lull in the second quarter," Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said. "In the middle of the second quarter we had some of our players that did some things out of their character.

"We have to tackle better on defense, and offensively, we have to be able to convert better and move the chains."

Arkansas junior quarterback Austin Allen completed 13 of 18 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns, and the Razorbacks had 353 yards rushing.

Freshman Devwah Whaley rushed nine times for 135 yards and sophomore Rawleigh Williams III had 126 yards on 13 carries.

Alcorn State (1-3, 1-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) trailed 24-7 at the half and moved the ball to the Arkansas 33 on its opening drive of the second half.

That's when a tipped pass fell into the hands of Arkansas junior defensive back Henre' Tolliver, who ran untouched 70 yards for a touchdown.

That score gave the Razorbacks a 31-7 lead and all the momentum they would need the rest of the way.

"Arkansas is a tough team, probably one of the toughest-minded teams you'll ever face," first-year Alcorn State coach Fred McNair said. "They did some great things on offense and have a lot of speed on defense."

The Braves pulled to within 38-10 on a 43-yard field goal by senior Haiden McCraney with 3:40 left in the third quarter to cap a six-play, 49-yard drive.

Arkansas made it 45-10 on its next drive on a 10-yard pass from Allen to redshirt freshman receiver La'Michael Pettway with 13:49 left in the game.

On its next possession, the Razorbacks drove 95 yards in seven plays and got the final touchdown on a five-yard run by freshman running back T.J. Hammonds.

The Razorbacks dominated the first quarter, but Alcorn State's defense shut down Arkansas and used a productive offense in the second quarter to pull within 24-7 at the half.

Arkansas outgained the Braves 321-147 in total offense in the first half, but Alcorn State kept things fairly close after redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Johnson scored on a 12-yard keeper with 10:44 left in the half.

Alcorn State had first-and-goal on the Arkansas one-yard line right before halftime, but Arkansas recovered a fumble to maintain the 17-point lead.

Johnson completed 13 of 19 passes for 158 yards.

"They're a good team," Bielema said of the Braves. "They have good players that did cause some matchup issues for us."

Arkansas dominated the first quarter, scoring on its first four possessions and jumping out to a 24-0 lead.

"It was fun to watch early," Bielema said.

After taking a 3-0 lead on a 25-yard field goal by sophomore Cole Hedlund, Arkansas needed only one play on its next possession when Allen found junior Jared Cornelius for a 29-yard score with 9:12 left in the first quarter.

That lead grew to 17-0 on the first play of the Razorbacks' next possession, when Whaley found a seam and ran untouched 75 yards for a score with 7:22 left in the quarter.

After Alcorn State's fourth punt of the quarter, the Razorbacks pushed their lead to 24-0 with a seven-play, 82-yard drive, capped by a 35-yard scoring pass from Allen to Cornelius with 17 seconds left in the quarter.

NOTES: Arkansas starting senior wide receiver Keon Hatcher didn't play in Saturday's game because a sore hamstring. ... Arkansas coach Bret Bielema improved to 40-4 against nonconference opponents during the regular season over his 10-year head coaching career. ... Saturday's game was the first meeting between Arkansas and Alcorn State. The Braves are two-time defending SWAC champions and were picked to win the East Division in the preseason. ... Saturday's game was played at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, three hours from the Razorbacks' Fayetteville campus. The team plays at least one home game per season in Little Rock. Arkansas is 167-67-4 all-time in Little Rock.