Arkansas suffered its first loss last week to BYU 38-31. The Razorbacks went into halftime with a 24-21 lead, but a score in the fourth quarter gave the Cougars the lead for good. Why is this good for the Tigers? They will catch the Razorbacks while they’re down.
Along with its first loss, Arkansas is facing adversity among its roster. Starting running back, Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, suffered an injury in the team’s season opener.
According to Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, it was expected he’d only be out for a week or two. On Monday, however, Pittman announced that Sanders would be unavailable for the contest against LSU.
“No, I mean really no is the answer,” Pittman said in a press conference Monday afternoon. “We’re going to have him out there a little bit today and kind of see where he’s at, but to be honest with you, the answer is probably no at this point.”
Arkansas runs more of a balanced attack compared to Mississippi State, which was more run-heavy. To make up for the loss of Sanders, the Razorbacks come in with primarily a two-running-back system.
AJ Green and Rashod Dubinion get the bulk of the carries for Arkansas. Against BYU, Dubinion finished with 13 carries for 47 yards. Green found the end zone twice on nine carries for 86 yards. The Razorbacks seem to utilize a run game similar to LSU, where they use one running back primarily in the red zone.
In this case, it seems to be Green, but he also broke loose for a 55-yard touchdown for the first score of the game against BYU. Green’s two touchdowns were his first two of the season, but Arkansas could be more inclined to use him after a stellar performance.
However, it’s safe to say Arkansas centers their offense around quarterback, KJ Jefferson. Jefferson has been a true dual-threat quarterback so far this season.
In Arkansas’ first three games, Jefferson completed 55 of his 77 passing attempts for 629 yards and six touchdowns. He’s also run the ball 31 times for 80 yards and a score, which is a team high.
Opposing defenses have had more luck stopping Jefferson’s run game than they have his pass game. Against BYU, he ran the ball 13 times for just 21 yards with 19 of those coming on one play. Ultimately, Jefferson hasn’t had as much luck running for large gains as his running backs.
Jefferson has had much more success throwing the ball. Against BYU, Jefferson threw to nine different players at least once. In addition, his running backs have been able to go out and catch passes.
Andrew Armstrong led the team with nine receptions for 98 yards but was kept out of the end zone. Instead, Luke Hasz caught a touchdown on his four receptions, 78 receiving yard performance.
Armstrong is Jefferson’s No. 1 target, but he primarily looks to four receivers, including Armstrong and Hasz. Isaac Teslaa has 10 receptions on the season for 143 yards and a touchdown. Jaedon Wilson has seven receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown.
Overall, Arkansas’ attack is as balanced as they come. No phase of their game dominates the other. When it comes to consistency, the Razorbacks’ passing game is more reliable for them.
When LSU lost to Florida State, the Seminoles had a lot of success in throwing the ball to where they didn’t have to run the ball a ton. Against Grambling and Mississippi State, LSU’s pass defense was much more successful. On Saturday in Starkville, LSU held Mississippi State quarterback, Will Rogers, to just 11 completions on 28 attempts for 103 yards and no touchdowns.
In order to win, the Tigers must come in with the same pass defense. With a strong pass defense, LSU can lean on what it’s been good at, which is run defense. Limiting Jefferson in the pocket and forcing him to make tough passes will throw the Razorbacks off-balance, and they’d be forced to rely on a more inconsistent run game.
