Who has the edge: LSU vs Arkansas
In what should be a matchup of smashmouth football teams, LSU and Arkansas meet in Fayetteville looking to climb in the middle of the SEC West standings.
Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium - September 19, 2009. Photo obtained via creativecommons.org. No changes made. Photographer: Jonathan Babin
This week, the LSU Tigers face off against the Arkansas Razorbacks in a battle for fourth place in the SEC West.
The Tigers and Razorbacks’ places as fourth and fifth in the SEC West, respectively, makes this matchup a difficult one to predict. However, the confusion within the LSU coaching situation combined with last week’s difficult loss to Alabama means the Tigers will need to bring everything they have to win this game.
Arkansas, on the other hand, is coming off of a confidence-boosting 31-10 win over Florida and has the added advantage of playing in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks almost 1,000 more passing yards than the Tigers (2,294 to 1,379), but the Tigers have rushed for more yards. Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice lead the LSU rushing attack, and they’ve combined for 1,334 of the team’s 1,712 rushing yards.
The Razorbacks appear to have the tools and momentum needed to defeat the Tigers this weekend — the only question is if they will be able to perform to that expectation. LSU’s defense, which ranks 13th in the country for total defense, will be tough to crack. Arkansas’s key players need to play to their full potential, especially quarterback Austin Allen.
Allen who has thrown for all but three of the Razorbacks’ passing yards on the season and has tallied 19 touchdowns with a 61.8 completion percentage. Another player key to Arkansas’s chances of breaking through LSU’s defense is running back Rawleigh Williams III, who has rushed for 955 yards with seven touchdowns this season.
This weekend will also be a determining factor in interim LSU head coach Ed Orgeron’s chances being hired as full time coach. After last week’s loss to Alabama, Orgeron needs to prove his ability to lead a competitive SEC team. However, the Razorback’s arsenal appears to be too much for LSU to handle right now. The results of the loss to Alabama combined with Arkansas’s home field advantage should give the edge to Arkansas, provided it effectively utilizes its offensive strengths against a tough LSU defense.
Edited by Nathan Odom
Featured image by Jonathan Babin
