Thunder on the Turf: Week 8's Most Anticipated College Football Battles
By Justin Perez
5-1. 529. 4-2. 524. 7:00 PM ET. ESPN. Saturday, October 19th. lsu vs arkansas . LSU -2.5
All-Time Series: LSU leads 44-23-2 Last Meeting: LSU won 34-31(2023) Location: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas
A night SEC matchup pits No.8 LSU against unranked Arkansas. The Tigers travel to Fayetteville as a popular upset pick. Arkansas can send LSU plummeting down the national rankings. LSU enters the game as slim favorites. They are one of three teams with an undefeated conference record in the SEC. Last week, LSU took down Ole Miss in overtime, 29-26. Meanwhile, the Razorbacks didn't play last week but upset Tennessee at home two weeks ago. They look to stay in the mix for the SEC title.
Players To Watch
Kyren Lacy. 1. 529. . lsu's kyren lacy. . Wide Receiver. . player. Kyren Lacy
Garrett Nussmeier leads the SEC in touchdown passes with 14 of them. Six of those touchdown passes have gone to wide receiver Kyren Lacy. That leads the teams. Lacy is also second on the team in catches (30), first in receiving yards (463), and averages the most yards per catch of wide receivers. He averages 15.4 yards per catch. He will get looked at and targeted a lot, especially in the red zone.
. Running Back. Ja'Quinden Jackson. . Ja'Quinden Jackson. player. 2. arkansas ja'quinden jackson. . 524
Taylen Green might be the guy who gets lots of attention for Arkansas. However, it's leading tailback Ja'Quinden Jackson, who has been the most important player for the Razorbacks. The transfer from Utah is putting up numbers that make 2024 his breakout year. The senior has rushed for 566 yards and has 10 rushing touchdowns. He's averaged nearly six yards per touch. Jackson is what makes the Arkansas offense go and he'll get lots of work against LSU.
529. lsu's bradyn swinson. . Defensive End. Bradyn Swinson. Bradyn Swinson. 3. player. .
LSU is stacked with elite talent on defense. However, their top pass rusher might come in handy against the Razorbacks. Enter Bradyn Swinson. The former Oregon Duck is already having the best season of his college career. The 6'4" senior leads the Tigers in sacks with seven. The Georgia native is a game wrecker. Along with his seven sacks, he has nine TFLs, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. He's the guy that will go after Taylen Green.
4. . Safety. TJ Metcalf. . player. 524. arkansas' tj metcalf. . TJ Metcalf
Sophomore safety TJ Metcalf is one of Arkansas' best defensive backs. The man from Birmingham, Alabama has broken out during his first year as a starter. Through six games, Metcalf leads the SEC in interceptions with three. 22 of his 36 total tackles are unassisted. Metcalf has also forced a fumble. It will be intriguing to watch how he plays against LSU's aerial attack.