After then-No. 9 LSU’s 31-14 loss against the University of Arkansas on Saturday, senior safety Jalen Mills’ disappointment and frustration was written all over his face as he walked into the media’s firing line.
The usually fun-loving veteran already had his backpack on, ready to leave as soon as the media session was over.
Mills’ message was simple: “We have to play better, period.”
Last week, Mills made a much-publicized speech to refocus the team after the Tigers’ (7-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) 30-16 loss to University of Alabama on Nov. 7, but Saturday’s loss was personal.
“This one hurts me, just for the simple fact that I only have one more here,” Mills said. “This one cut me deep.”
Despite LSU coach Les Miles’ insistence the Tigers’ losses to Arkansas (6-4, 4-2 SEC) in back-to-back seasons just a week following a loss to Alabama isn’t a trend, the statistics tell a different story.
In 2014 and 2015, the Razorbacks racked up an average 352 yards of total offense, including 4.2 yards per rush and 11.8 yards per completion.
Even in 2011, when the Tigers pulled out a 41-17 win behind the electric play of former cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, Arkansas jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half while LSU came out flat.
“I can’t explain,” Miles said. “The quality team happens to show up at a time we are mistake ridden as opposed to another spot on our schedule. It just happens. We have to play better. We have to get it fixed, and that’s me.”
Throughout Miles’ tenure at LSU, Arkansas has exploited the Tigers with big plays, and Saturday’s game was no different.
Three of the Razorback touchdowns came on plays of 52, 80 and 69 yards, featuring a myriad of defensive mistakes from missed tackles to missed assignments.
“We’ve got to eliminate that,” said junior defensive tackle Christian LaCouture. “We knew coming in that this was a team that did a lot of trick stuff and moved a lot of people around. … We’ve got to see what happened there.”
The Razorbacks’ first “home run” ball came with 8:06 left in the first quarter when senior quarterback Brandon Allen hit a wide open junior wide receiver Dominique Reed in the flat.
Reed cut around LSU senior defensive back Dwayne Thomas’ would-be tackle at the 44-yard line and outran both Tiger safeties for an easy 52-yard touchdown.
Then, eight seconds into the second quarter, junior running back Alex Collins put Arkansas ahead by 14 points when he broke a 80-yard run up the gut of LSU’s defense, aided by multiple Tigers’ poor tackling technique.
In the fourth quarter, with LSU trailing by 10 points, sophomore wide receiver Jared Cornelius put the game out of reach with the Razorbacks’ final explosive play.
Cornelius found the corner on a reverse and scampered along the sideline as Mills closed down from his safety spot.
But Cornelius blew through Mills’ attempted tackle on his way to a 69-yard score.
“I can just talk for myself,” Mills said. “I know I missed a big tackle for a play. But just us guys, we’ve just got to play better.”
The Tiger defense’s inability to stop the big play overshadowed the potential game-changing opportunities they gave their offense through turnovers.
Looking forward, sophomore safety Jamal Adams’ interception in the second quarter or LaCouture’s forced fumble on Arkansas’ first possession will be forgotten because it was the big plays they gave up that made the difference, eliminating all hope for an SEC or national championship.
“We gave up a touchdown on three mistakes,” Miles said. “You can’t play defense like that, but I thought our defense fought. Anyone who would think this is a hangover from the Alabama game, that is absolutely untrue. I thought they fought. I thought they made mistakes.”