LSU junior wide receiver Brandon LaFell sat in the Charles McClendon Indoor Practice Facility on Monday with a wide range of emotions going through his mind.On one hand, LaFell was pleased he has set career highs in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns this season, all while establishing himself as one of the team’s primary offensive leaders.But on the other hand, he feels “extreme disappointment,” as the Tigers are now 7-4 on the season and unranked going into Friday’s 1:30 p.m. matchup at Arkansas (4-7, 1-6) in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time since 2002.”We have a bull’s-eye on our backs,” he said. “But it isn’t hard to play with that if you take care of your business. We just didn’t do that this year. And it feels like a wasted season because we had our chances.”That “wasted season” will still culminate in a bowl berth. Several bowl projections have LSU pegged for the Chick-fil-A Bowl if the Tigers avenge last season’s 50-48 triple overtime loss to the Razorbacks.”Anybody that doesn’t have the desire to play ball as hard as they can this weekend, I feel like they should go home and enjoy their Thanksgiving break,” LaFell said. “We’ll be ready to play.”Since 2003, defending BCS national champions have lost three or more games the following season four times.Senior defensive end Kirston Pittman has been on both of LSU’s BCS National Championship teams and said losing seniors to the NFL and the strain of being the hunted each week takes its toll on defending national champions throughout the season.”We know everyone’s going to bring their A-game and their best game when they play you,” he said. “We’ve went out and played and competed the entire season. But when you’re LSU, you can’t just be pretty good when your opponent is trying to take you down.”The Razorbacks are one of the teams that has become accustomed to trying to upset the Tigers, and even with LSU struggling, Arkansas is a 10-point underdog heading into this game.Brothers Nathan Dick and Casey Dick have anchored the Razorbacks’ pass-heavy offense that ranks No. 2 in the SEC in passing yards under first-year coach Bobby Petrino.Freshman quarterback Nathan Dick made his first career start last weekend and completed 25-of-43 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns in Arkansas’s 31-28 loss at Mississippi State.Petrino said Nathan Dick’s play against the Bulldogs has likely earned him a second start Friday over his brother”He did a good job, he really did. Started out real fast,” Petrino said. “He really did what he was coached to do.”        LSU may also give a quarterback the first start of his career Friday. LSU true freshman Jordan Jefferson may start with redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee struggling and fighting an ankle injury.Jefferson filled in for Lee in last weekend’s loss against Ole Miss and completed 10-of-20 passes for 129 yards a touchdown and an interception.LaFell said if the true freshman is handed the football this week, the veteran players on the team will do all they can to ease Jefferson into his first significant road action.”We want to take all of the pressure off him and put it on all our shoulders, because we’ve been there before,” he said.LSU coach Les Miles said the Tigers’ coaching staff has seen incremental improvement in Jefferson — especially in the last two weeks — as his workload has increased with sophomore quarterback Andrew Hatch’s injury.”Two weeks is a long time for a true freshman,” he said. “He’s getting a little bit more 7-on-7, a little bit more snaps … Two weeks can really improve a guy.”Arkansas senior center Jonathan Luigs said he still views LSU as one of the best teams the Razorbacks will play this season despite the Tigers coming into this game having lost four of their last seven games.”Looking back at the time I’ve been at Arkansas, we’ve only been able to win one game against them,” he said. “Obviously, coming off a loss to Ole Miss, they’ll be hungry and trying to increase their bowl position. They’re right up there with all the other good ones we’ve faced.”—-Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]