LSU football will hold onto the Golden Boot for yet another year, after taking down Arkansas 34-31 in Death Valley.
This game meant a little more, though, as this is the second game that LSU’s Greg Brooks Jr. has not been apart of. The safety has been recovering from surgery after what his family has called a ‘large brain tumor’ was removed. Each team wore No. 3 stickers on the backs of their helmets in support of the Tiger. 
“He’s one of our captains,” head coach Brian Kelly said in regards to Brooks Jr.  following the win. “He’s somebody that our players love. He’s in their thoughts, he’s in their prayers. I want to thank Sam Pittman and the Arkansas administration for agreeing to wear the No. 3 on their helmet.” 

Even though the Tigers managed to pull away with the win, continuous mistakes amongst the offense meant that they wouldn’t take the lead until after halftime. 

The Razorbacks traveled from Arkansas with obviously one thing in mind; vengeance. Last season, LSU beat Arkansas in Fayetteville, 13-10 with a last minute field goal. This game had the same outcome.  

The Razorbacks played with a purpose, which was seen especially in the first half of the game. Quarterback KJ Jefferson found his receiving room with ease, and LSU’s quarterback, Jayden Daniels, did not.

“He was out of rhythm,” Kelly said in regards to Daniels’ first half performance. “If you watch him a little bit, his drop was a little bit off. He was rushing into his throws.”  

Jefferson had thrown 15 completions in his 20 attempts by halftime while Daniels had only tallied 9 completions of his 16 attempts. 

Arkansas made its mark first, adding three points to the scoreboard with a 23-yard field goal. It added three more with yet another field goal in the second quarter. LSU later collected a field goal of its own with four minutes left of the second quarter. 

The momentum shifted with less than a minute left of the first half. 

Arkansas receiver Tyrone Broden scored on a short 19-yard touchdown on a pass from Jefferson. This time, however, LSU responded quickly. In fact, there was  less than 30 seconds to go until a half-time show from the Tiger Marching Band.

Daniels made a connection with wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who received a 49-yard long pass and ultimately found himself in the end zone. Though LSU still trailed, the Tigers had found what they were missing beforehand. 

Half-time came and went, and whatever Kelly said to his in the locker room during that time seemed to work. 

The Tigers, more specifically Thomas Jr., found the end zone yet again and took the lead just one minute into the third quarter. LSU scored once more towards the end of the third quarter, when Malik Nabers scored on an eight-yard touchdown. 

This game truly wasn’t won until the last minute, as both teams responded with aggression, over and over again. Penalties, however, seemed to be Arkansas’ achilles heel. The Razorbacks ultimately went down with 11 penalties total. LSU’s win, however, came down to field goal, made within the very last minute of the fourth quarter. 

“It’s just one of those games where we were the last ones to have the football,” Kelly said. “I wasn’t interested in letting Arkansas have another chance. These are the games that you got to find a way to win.” 

Though it took some time for LSU’s offense to find its groove, it did ultimately put together a more solid performance than that of Arkansas. The Tigers totalled 509 yards, 320 of which were passing yards. The Razorbacks collected 426 yards, 289 of which were passing yards. 

Thomas Jr. and Nabers had the most impact offensively, each accounting for two touchdowns. LSU scored four total. 

“I feel like when they double Malik, it opens things up,” Thomas Jr. said in regards to their impact on the offense. “More one-on-ones for me through the air. We just have to go out there and win our one-on ones when given changes to go ahead and make the play.” 

The defensive room for LSU put forth a somewhat strong performance. Like the offense, it became much more of a unit in the second half. It collected 80 tackles total.

Freshman Whit Weeks, a linebacker, continued to put together a strong defensive performance. Weeks, safety Major Burns, linebacker Greg Penn III and safety Andre’ Sam headlined LSU’s defensive performance. Sam made a notable contribution early, intercepting one of Jefferson’s passes in the first quarter. 

“We need him out there,” Kelly said in regards to Sam. “I don’t think he takes a play off. He’s in a rotation of one. It’s Andre’ [Sam] and Andre’ [Sam].” 

LSU sleeps peacefully tonight after a tough night fighting for the Golden Boot. That rest is short-lived however, as the team begins preparing for its next road game. The Tigers will take on the University of Mississippi in Oxford on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. CT.

Though their game against the Razorbacks was a hard fought battle, the Tigers will now be heading to Rebel territory with a 2-0 record in conference play.