Roughly 45 minutes before LSU and the University of Alabama officially kicked off Saturday evening, a game many expected to come down to the wire, a matchup between two other Southeastern Conference West schools was ending in epic fashion.
The University of Arkansas faced near death at least twice in an overtime thriller against the University of Mississippi, needing a fourth-and-25 conversion via a looping, behind-the-back lateral to junior running back Alex Collins to keep the final drive alive.
But the once-reeling Razorbacks left Oxford, Mississippi, with a 53-52 victory after a two-point conversion plunge from senior quarterback Brandon Allen — the third-straight win for Bret Bielema’s club.
Even LSU coach Les Miles, known for directing wild victories in his time at LSU, was impressed by the miraculous conversion.
“I thought that play was spectacular,” Miles said with a smirk. “Certainly something we’ll start practicing.
Though Miles can appreciate the drama of the Razorbacks’ win, his team might be catching Arkansas at the wrong time. The situation — a date with a pesky Razorback team after a disappointing loss to the Crimson Tide — is similar to the one in mid November of last year.
The difference: LSU will be at home this time, with its goals still attainable. But securing the final three games, starting with Arkansas, is more important than worrying about the postseason picture, said senior safety Jalen Mills.
Mills, who was the last person to walk into the locker room following the 30-16 loss to Alabama, was the first player to speak up about refocusing on the rest of the season.
“We still have to have fight, period,” Mills said. “Our main goal right now is to win out and hang one of these banners here in this indoor [practice facility]. Period, point blank.”
Mills wasn’t sure if last year’s overtime loss to the Tide significantly affected their performance against Arkansas last season, a night when the Razorbacks dominated all three phases of the game to end a 17-game SEC losing streak. Mills, though, realizes anymore reflection about what could have or should have happened against Alabama would be futile.
However, Alabama provided Arkansas with a blueprint of how to take away sophomore running back Leonard Fournette and the potent Tiger running game, exposing weaknesses without key lead blockers like senior tight end Dillon Gordon and sophomore fullback J.D. Moore.
Moore now joins Gordon as players sidelined for the rest of the season, Miles announced Monday. But Fournette, who had just 31 yards on 19 carries, is still insistent that Saturday’s defeat shouldn’t be indicative of how he or the Tigers will finish the season.
“We had a bad game,” Fournette said. “That’s all that happened. It’s only one game. Everybody acts like it’s the end of the world. My main focus is to keep us together. Monday is film study and make sure nobody points fingers at nobody. Everybody had a miss error on their part.
“It happens to the best of us. Michael Jordan had bad games, but he always came back from it.”
With the nature of a rollercoaster college football season, Miles is encouraged by the Tigers’ championship chances going forward.
“We’re a team that, if you stay once defeated, that at the back end of this thing, you just never can tell,” Miles said. “There’s just too much to play for.”