LSU Football: 3 takeaways from clutch win over Arkansas
2. Explosive offense
The game got off to a slow start with both teams ending their opening drives punting the ball. LSU put the first points of the game on the board in their second possession with a 49-yard field goal by Cade York, the score was 3-0 with just under eight minutes left in the first quarter.
The score remained the same until Arkansas put a touchdown on the board with 3:40 on the clock. Feleipe Franks connected with Treylon Burks for the 65-yard score and the Razorbacks took the lead and held on to it heading into the second quarter.
LSU started the second quarter with possession of the ball and while wearing down Arkansas’ defense and in the 10th play of the opening drive, T.J. Finley hit Racey McMath for a 30-yard touchdown catch in the endzone. The Tigers regained the lead 10-7 with just under 14 minutes to play in the first half.
In the next LSU drive, the Razorbacks forced a turnover on the ninth play of the drive after Terrace Marshall Jr. fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Arkansas. The Razorbacks didn’t capitalize on the turnover and in the drive LSU forced a turnover when Jabril Cox intercepted a pass from Franks.
The Tigers did capitalize on their turnover and put another touchdown on the board when Tyrion Davis-Price rushed the ball one yard into the end zone. LSU took a ten point lead, 17-7 with over 4:21 left in the first half.
Arkansas answered with their second touchdown of the game in the next drive when Franks rushed the ball 10 yards into the endzone for the score, closing the lead to three points with just under four minutes to go.
LSU spent the rest of the quarter on the field and ended the half with a 24-yard field goal from York, and giving the Tigers a six-point lead going into halftime, 20-14.
The second half started much like the first with neither team putting up any points in their opening drives. The Tigers ran off nearly four and a half minutes in their first drive while the Razorbacks spent just under two minutes on the field.
The next drive didn’t produce any points either, but the Tigers stayed on the field for over six minutes. Arkansas spent just over a minute on the field when they scored for the third time in the game in what was the longest drive of the game up to the point with six plays.
Arkansas had possession of the ball to open the final quarter of the game and nearly put another touchdown on the board, but in the Tigers favor, it started pouring down rain and Franks slipped on the third down at goal, forcing a field goal kick. A.J. Reed put the ball through the posts from 22 yards out, extending the Razorbacks’ lead to 24-20.
The teams traded punts in the next two drives, and then LSU put a touchdown on a 13-yard Finley pass. The Tigers went back on top with four minutes left in the game. The Razorbacks tried to tie the score with a field goal kick in their next possession, but Reed’s field goal was blocked, sealing the team’s fate.