OLIVER TWIST
After a three-sack performance and numerous pressures against the Razorbacks on Saturday, LSU senior defensive end Melvin Oliver was named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Lineman of the Week.
Oliver posted team-highs with nine tackles and three sacks, including two in the fourth quarter to prevent the Razorbacks from driving for the potential winning points.
    Oliver’s three sacks were the second-most in a single game in school history.
    Senior Kyle Williams said he believes Oliver’s switch from right defensive end last season to left defensive end this season made a difference.
    ”It’s more of his natural position,” Williams said. “It enables him to move a little bit better over there and I think he likes it more. He’s been a steady guy for us this year and came up big for us on Saturday.”
    Oliver has eight sacks on the season and 19 career sacks, which place him fifth in school history.
 
DROPS
    While the play-by-play transcript of LSU’s 19-17 win over Arkansas listed only two dropped passes, the Tigers appeared to let at least a handful slip through their fingers.
    LSU coach Les Miles said the focal point is players not dropping game-winning passes. He also said the the Tigers cannot afford to drop passes against a quality opponent.
    ”At times, I think our guys are not as focused on that game as they should be,” Miles said. “I think we can look forward to a better performance in the championship.”
    Sophomore quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who threw two interceptions against Arkansas, said he does not say much when a teammate drops a pass because everyone makes mistakes.
    ”You can’t say too much because you never know when you might screw up,” Russell said during a press conference Monday. “It’s not about pointing fingers. You always try to keep them up, because if you say something to them it might bring them down more than they are.”
 
STREAKING
     Several LSU players extended current streaks in the Tigers’ win over Arkansas, which was the team’s ninth consecutive win.
     Senior offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth set a school record of 50 for most consecutive starts. Whitworth is the only Tiger to ever start or play in 50 games.
     Sophomore quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who is 14-1 as the Tigers’ starter, has thrown at least one touchdown in nine straight games.
     Junior receiver Craig “Buster” Davis has caught at least one pass in the last 21 games he has played.
     As a team, the Tigers have yet to allow a touchdown in the first quarter in eight straight games and have held opponents under 20 points for nine straight games.
     LSU is bowl eligible for the sixth staight season and has won at least eight games for six consecutive seasons.
 
POLL POSITIONING
     Although standings in the Bowl Championship Series make little difference for LSU unless No. 1 USC or No. 2 Texas lose this weekend, the Tigers made a marginal improvement in their BCS standing after beating the Razorbacks.
     Penn State remained at No. 3 with a rating of 0.8890 for the second consecutive week. LSU stayed at No. 4, but their BCS standing improved from 0.8372 to 0.8487.         
     The Nittany Lions, whose regular season ended Nov. 19, were able to jump LSU in the Harris Interactive Poll. Penn State moved up from No. 4 last week to No. 3, while LSU dropped from No. 3 to No. 4.
     LSU improved to No. 7 in the computer rankings after they were No. 8 last week.
     The Tigers remained No. 3 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Polls for the second straight week.