It’s no secret that college football comes with vicious rivalries and the SEC carries most of those on their backs.
With games like the Iron Bowl, the Egg Bowl and this weekend’s Battle for the Boot, students at conference schools really lean into the competitive nature of these rivalries. They take the SEC’s catchphrase “it just means more” to a whole other level in their expressions of school spirit and overall commitments to the university.
“No one really does it like LSU, and that’s one of the reasons I chose to come here,” agricultural freshman Zach Cryer said.
It’s exciting to be an LSU fan. Cryer told the Reveille that his heart rate reached up to 156 beats per minute when wide receiver Kyren Lacy caught the winning touchdown for LSU in last week’s win over Ole Miss.
So how do these rivalries play a part in the lives of students?
Well, lots of that energy can be felt in the relationships that SEC rivalries establish.
Freshman biological science student and director of the LSU-based Instagram “alldaytigers” Brady Luminais said he has friends that attend universities like Alabama and Ole Miss, so having their schools compete against one another gives them something unique to bond over.
“My friends weren’t happy when they lost, but we all agreed it was an ‘instant classic’ game,” Luminais said.
Luminais first started alldaytigers as an eighth grader, where he found a passion to keep up with LSU sports. His love for the Tigers has only strengthened in having that sense of community amongst his peers that the SEC provided.
Junior cheerleader Maggie Hawkins echos that sentiment, as she is planning to watch the Tigers take on Texas A&M alongside her friends that attend A&M.
“It does bring that competitive edge,” Hawkins said. “But at the end of the day, it’s all for fun. It’s not anything negative.”
Offering their own angle on the community that SEC rivalries offer is the Painted Posse, a group of fans that are easy to find, no matter where you find yourself on game day.
The Posse got its start in 2003 by members of LSU’s Baptist Collegiate Ministry, whose members took chest painting and brought it to the front of LSU’s student section. They have marked their territory ever since.
Marketing sophomore Jonathan Skipper and biological pre-med sophomore Jake Mathis are two returning members of the Posse, amongst at least a dozen others, who found that they share a different kind of bond with the other chest-painters in the SEC.
This bond is best shared with University of Georgia’s paint line, who’ve participated in cheering on the Bulldogs in their own fashion since 1997.
“Even though we’re all enemies on the field,” Mathis said. “It’s just a bunch of guys who are united by their love for collegiate sports, one way or another.”
Skipper says that he has noticed other SEC schools taking up on this trend, most recently seeing painted Razorback fans on television as Arkansas took on the Tennessee Volunteers.
It’s easy to see that LSU students display a unique appreciation for the rivalries the SEC has brought them. With that being said, how do these students see the game going for the Tigers this Saturday?
Zach Cryer
Cryer believes that LSU and Arkansas are viciously connected, literally, but also through the Golden Boot trophy, which has resided in Baton Rouge for the past two years.
“With such an intense rivalry like that,” Cryer said. “LSU versus Arkansas is always a classic matchup.”
After the Tigers defeated the Rebels in a painfully close game, Cryer has the slightest sense of worry as LSU gears up to take on Arkansas.
However, he said that as long as LSU’s defense plays with as much effort as it did against Ole Miss, then it will have no problem taking down the Razorbacks.
He says that this will be made possible by the help of senior and sophomore cornerbacks Zy Alexander and Ashton Stamps, sophomore linebacker Whit Weeks and fifth-year senior wide receiver Kyren Lacy.
“We’ve got a lot of great guys, but Kyren Lacy is my favorite player.” Cryer said. “He’s just a human highlight reel.”
Prediction: LSU 34-20 Arkansas
Brady Luminais
Much like Cryer, Luminais feels that LSU will defeat Arkansas by 14 points.
However, when comparing the teams’ redshirt junior quarterbacks, Luminais expressed a sense of respect for Taylen Green.
“He put Tennessee basically all the way to the end,” Luminais said. “They got really scared, but I still think Nussmeier is a better quarterback.”
While Luminais expressed praise for Nussmeier’s ability to throw, he mentioned how that might be a slight weakness for the Tigers, given that Green is more confident in running the ball.
Luminais said that LSU will be able to bring home a win through freshman running back Caden Durham after seeing his performance against South Alabama.
Weeks also made an appearance in Luminais’ prediction, comparing him to Harold Perkins and his find-the-ball mentality.
“You tell him to go find the guy with the ball,” Luminais said. “And 10 times out of 10, he finds the guy with the ball.”
Luminais said that this will be a recovery game for LSU after playing Ole Miss, and a win won’t come easy but will occur by two possessions.
Prediction: LSU 34-20 Arkansas
Maggie Hawkins
Hawkins expressed that she feels LSU’s defense needs to keep improving in order to defeat the Razorbacks, as well as focusing on relying on one another as teammates to form a united front.
LSU playing at Arkansas this year certainly may affect their performance, given that the only lost game this year happened outside of Death Valley in the Tiger’s season opener against USC.
“I feel like having the home field advantage does motivate them more,” Hawkins said. “But enough for them to lose? Not necessarily.”
Hawkins said that as long as the Tigers enter this game wanting to improve, they will. And with that, they will bring home a Tiger win.
Prediction: LSU 31-27 Arkansas
Jonathan Skipper
Three of Skipper’s players that he thinks will show up and show out against the Razorbacks are Nussmeier, Lacy and Weeks.
He described Nussmeier as someone who should always be looking to improve but will be more than capable of taking on Arkansas after jumping the hurdle that was Ole Miss.
“Nussmeier has been running a really tight offensive ship,” Skipper said. “But here he has a little more room to grow because Arkansas isn’t as intimidating.”
Through the help of Lacy, who Skipper referred to as electric, and Weeks, Skipper expressed that the Tigers have a chance to keep the Golden Boot in Baton Rouge.
“Weeks is an unreal talent on the defensive side of the ball,” Skipper said. “But I don’t think this will be a high-scoring game at all.”
Skipper feels that there haven’t been a lot of high-scoring games in the SEC this year outside Georgia-Alabama or Texas-Mississippi State, and he doesn’t see either team getting a lot of points this weekend. Nonetheless, he feels this game will end in favor of LSU.
Prediction: LSU 30-28 Arkansas
Jake Mathis
What separates Mathis’ prediction from the rest is that he is rooting for players that no one else mentioned.
He recognized senior defensive end Bradyn Swinson as well as redshirt sophomore wide receiver Aaron Anderson, who Mathis described to be hidden gems.
“Swinson knows how to make consistent money moves,” Mathis said. “He’s the guy I’m looking for every game.”
Mathis feels that Anderson hasn’t come close to maximizing his fullest potential, saying that he is more than able to improve throughout the season.
“No matter how you dice it, it’s gonna be a close game either way,” Mathis said.
He feels that the outcome of the game will come down to the Tiger’s wide receivers and if LSU can take the upper hand of running the ball. If this doesn’t go well, Mathis feels that things might backfire for LSU, especially if it can’t fall back on its defense.
Prediction: LSU 31-28 Arkansas
As LSU travels to Arkansas this weekend, it’s safe to say these fans are confident in their team, but they’re even more confident in the sense of community SEC rivalries have brought them – a community these five hope to paint purple and gold in keeping the Golden Boot in Baton Rouge.
