The LSU Tigers will try to move past their embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide when they host the Arkansas Razorbacks this Saturday.
Arkansas comes into Death Valley fresh off a 53-52 overtime victory against Ole Miss. In one of the most bizarre games this season, the Razorbacks knocked the Rebels out of the top 25 and crushed their chances of making an appearance in the SEC Championship.
Many experts predicted the Razorbacks to finish within third place in the West during SEC Media Days. Since then, Arkansas’ season has taken a downward spiral. But the Razorbacks have now won three straight and do not show signs of slowing down. With a record of 5-4, Arkansas needs just one more win to become bowl eligible.
What better way is there to secure that sixth win than to take down the Tigers and shatter their hopes of a possible College Football Playoff run?
SEC writers Hunter Lovell and Grant Baker gave their analyses on the game plans of both teams.
LSU Offense
Hunter Lovell: The Tigers should be able to move the ball much better against this Arkansas defense than they did against Alabama. The Razorbacks’ passing defense is horrible, ranking 114th in the FBS. This unit has given up 2,552 passing yards and a 67.1 completion percentage through nine games. If there’s a game where Cam Cameron wants to work on spreading the field against his opponent, this is the time. The offensive line can redeem itself by doing a better job of protecting Brandon Harris and not allowing holes to get clogged so easily. Harris will be able to stick to the game plan and find his receivers on their routes. Arkansas will be closing in on the run, so a bootleg or play-action would be devastating. The key to beating the Razorbacks is torching their secondary repeatedly. This team has only held one opponent under 200 passing yards and that was UTEP in the season opener. With receivers like Malachi Dupre, Travin Dural and Tyron Johnson, there is no reason why Harris should not have a field day.
Tiger fans won’t be too excited to hear the news that Arkansas ranks 28th in the FBS in rushing defense. In fact, the defense only gives up four yards per carry. This season, the Razorbacks have allowed 1,165 yards on the ground. But the good news is that they have given up 21 rushing touchdowns, albeit most of these have come in the red zone. If Leonard Fournette wants to stake his claim for a chance at the Heisman, this would be the game to do it. Harris is playing against a dreadful secondary which should open up a strong running game if the offense chooses to spread the field. Derrick Henry only rushed for 95 yards against the Razorbacks, so Fournette will be looking to blow up the stat sheet to close the gap in the race.
Most importantly, this offense will want to collect itself and return to playing smart football. The Tigers have some areas of improvement that must be fixed before postseason play rolls around. Making sure Fournette wins the Heisman is not LSU’s top priority. The Tigers must do what it takes to generate the most offensive success they can achieve.
Arkansas Offense
Grant Baker: Since Bret Bielema arrived at Arkansas, his teams have been known for running the ball on offense and playing physical defense, winning low-scoring games and limiting possessions. However, in Arkansas’s last 3 games, the Razorbacks have averaged 56.67 PPG, and have not scored less than 53 points in any of those games. This explosion of offense has led to much appraisal of offensive coordinator Dan Enos, who is in his first year at Arkansas after leaving the head coach position at Central Michigan.
Not only is it notable how much Arkansas is scoring, it is the manner in which those points are scored that is more impressive. In his last 3 games, quarterback Brandon Allen has thrown for 313.3 YPG, 12 touchdowns, and only 1 interception.
Arkansas Defense
GB: This Arkansas defense is not one to be overlooked. Arkansas brings back 8 starters from the defense that shut out LSU last season. While it is true that the passing defense has been atrocious, Arkansas is a respectable 28th in rushing defense. Arkansas’s defense has also been maligned for its inability to pressure the quarterback, but against Ole Miss Arkansas was very successful in rushing Chad Kelly and forcing him out of the pocket.
LSU Defense
HL: The LSU defense will have its hands full on Saturday when Brandon Allen and company roll into town. Allen is second in the SEC in passing yards, racking up 2,476 yards through the air this season. He’s thrown for 21 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Allen is coming off his best performance of the year against Ole Miss, where he went 33-of-45 for 442 yards and six touchdowns. The Tigers’ secondary will be tested repeatedly. Allen is proven to be an effective passer and can connect on the deep ball. His top three receivers’ longest catches have been over 50 yards. His favorite target, Drew Morgan, has three games of 100+ receiving yards and has recorded nine touchdowns on the year.
There’s no doubt Tre’Davious White, Kevin Toliver, Jamal Adams and Jalen Mills make up one of the most complete secondaries in the country when they are healthy. They have not faced an elite SEC quarterback since Dak Prescott in the season opener. With Mills continuing to get stronger each week, this unit can cover the field well. If they can avoid getting beat downfield, then Allen will have to turn to shorter passes or a reliable running back in Alex Collins.
Collins was predicted to split carries with Jonathan Williams this year. Together, they made up the best rushing duo in the SEC in 2014. But a preseason injury sidelined Williams for the season, leaving Collins a heavy workload. He’s done a fantastic job, breaking the 1,000-yard barrier in a win over Ole Miss. He’s only rushed for under 100 yards in two games. The LSU defensive front had held its ground impressively through the first seven games of the year until it met a monster named Derrick Henry. Assuming the defensive line can regroup, the Tigers should handle Collins much better than they did Henry.
Predictions
GB: I really, really want to pick Arkansas to win this game. At the same time, I’d like to keep any and all credibility I currently possess. I’m getting flashbacks of the 2007 game when Arkansas won in 3 overtimes in Death Valley, but instead of Arkansas, I’ll say LSU wins 38-35 in overtime.
HL: I think we’ll see a much more determined LSU football team after last week. The Tigers will want to be more physical with the Razorbacks to be able to prove that they are a championship-caliber team. The offense will get things clicking early as Harris takes advantage of a weak Arkansas secondary. This will open up some space for Fournette, who gets back over the 100-yard mark for the 13th time in his career. The Arkansas offense will keep pace, though. Allen will opt to throw at Toliver for the majority of the game and the freshman will get beat a couple times. With a close game heading into the fourth quarter, the Tigers will do just enough to pull away. LSU 38, Arkansas 31.
