GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
No hangover whatsoever, which is what the LSU Nation was worried about.
No. 8 LSU picked up where it left off in its upset of No. 9 Ole Miss last week and didn’t find itself emotionally and physically tapped in a trap game at Arkansas as in years past, dominating the Razorbacks, 34-10, Saturday night at homecoming in Fayetteville.
The Tigers (6-1, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) outgained Arkansas (4-3, 2-2 SEC) 384 yards to 277, including 158 to 38 on the ground, did not turn the ball over, collected three turnovers, and did not allow the Razorbacks a touchdown in the second half. And tailback Caden Durham led the Tigers’ oft-criticized running game with 101 yards on 21 carries as LSU won its sixth straight game.
“Certainly, a lot of things are coming together for our football team,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “I thought we had four quarters of LSU football for the first time.”
Other than the 11 penalties for 80 yards, the Tigers were at their level best.
LSU and No. 14 Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0 SEC) now come together as the SEC’s only undefeated teams in SEC play for a huge bout Saturday between two surprise, first place teams, according to the SEC Media Days’ predicted order of finish last July in Dallas.
Kickoff at College Station, Texas, will be announced on Sunday or Monday. The game will kick off in the afternoon at 2:30 or 3:15 p.m., or at night at 6:30 p.m. It will most likely be the prime time slot, considering the significance of the game.
The third undefeated SEC team – No. 1 Texas – is no longer. The Longhorns fell to No. 5 Georgia, 30-15, on Saturday night in Austin to drop to 6-1 and 2-1 in the league. Georgia improved to 6-1 and 4-1.
Georgia was picked to win the SEC at Media Days, followed by Texas, Alabama and Ole Miss with LSU No. 5 and Texas A&M No. 9. But Georgia has that loss to Alabama (5-2, 2-2 SEC), which lost its second SEC game of the season on Saturday – 24-17 at Tennessee (6-1, 3-1 SEC). The Rebels (5-2, 1-2) lost their second league game last week to LSU, 29-26, in overtime.
LSU didn’t waste any time Saturday night, taking a 7-0 lead on its first possession of the game on a 75-yard drive in eight plays with Durham scoring on a 22-yard run. The Tigers would go on to score five out of five times in the red zone.
Damian Ramos field goals of 33 and 48 yards late in the first quarter and early in the second put LSU up 13-0. After quarterback Taylen Green’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Armstrong drew the Hogs within 13-7, LSU brought a 16-7 lead into halftime after Ramos’ second 33-yard field goal.
Arkansas cut LSU’s lead to 16-10 on a 51-yard field goal by Matthew Shipley to open the third quarter, but LSU quickly silenced any Hog hopes of a comeback.
Blossoming LSU outside linebacker Whit Weeks intercepted his own tipped pass off Green at the Arkansas 5-yard line, then returned it to the 2-yard line. Durham scored from there, and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier hit wide receiver Trey’Dez Green, who just moved from tight end this week, for a two-point conversion and 24-10 lead 4:52 left in the third quarter.
“The back breaker,” Kelly said of Weeks’ interception. “That really put the game away.”
Weeks finished with nine tackles, including five solos. With 18 tackles last week against Ole Miss, Weeks has 27 stops in two games. Nussmeier completed 22-of-33 passing for 224 yards.
Ramos added a 47-yard field goal for a 27-10 lead early in the fourth quarter. Then the Tigers turned out the lights on Arkansas’ homecoming with an 80-yard drive in 14 plays as Durham scored on a 1-yard run with 2:20 left for the 34-10 final.
“Maybe, they’ll think about not making us homecoming anymore,” Kelly said.
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