No. 8 LSU spent most of last week’s game against Ole Miss trying to fight from behind and finally succeeded, beating the Rebels 29-26 in overtime on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Garrett Nussmeier to Kyren Lacy.
The Tigers’ reward for such an exhilarating win against then-No. 9 Ole Miss? A road game against dangerous and rested Arkansas on Saturday night in Fayetteville, Ark.
“That was one of a few games that I have had in my career that it always felt like we were one step behind, and we were, and we were always trying to stay in the game,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said.
The Tigers (5-1, 2-0 SEC) have won five straight games since a season-opening loss to Southern California in Las Vegas. Nussmeier’s prolific passing is a primary reason. He’s thrown for 1,989 yards and 18 touchdowns this year, completing 64.3 percent of his passes.
Tight end Mason Taylor has been his favorite target with 33 catches, while Lacy has been his go-to when a touchdown is needed with six scores among his 30 receptions. Aaron Anderson has 30 catches — 18 more than he had all of last season.
All those options and LSU’s ability to protect Nussmeier have Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman concerned. Nussmeier has been sacked just twice, both times in a Sept. 14 win at South Carolina.
“They’re really good at tackle,” Pittman said. “They’re good at (Nussmeier) being able to step up because their guards and center, they’re big. But he gets rid of the ball, gets rid of it fast. Knows where he is on his reads.”
The good news for Arkansas (4-2, 2-1) is that it’s had an extra week to get ready for this challenge. Its most recent game was Oct. 5, when it became the first team to slow Tennessee’s explosive attack in a 19-14 upset against what then was the nation’s fourth-ranked squad.
The Razorbacks have made serious improvements on defense under coordinator Travis Williams, holding opponents to an average of 19.2 points per game. They’ve also shown the willingness to be flexible, changing to an alignment against Tennessee that featured six defensive backs.
It worked because Arkansas combined good coverage with pressure, logging four sacks and limiting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to 158 yards passing. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Razorbacks trotted out more of that approach for the Tigers.
But injuries could color Arkansas’ efforts. Jaylon Braxton, who entered the year as the team’s top cornerback, might miss his fifth straight game with tendinitis. Quarterback Taylen Green sustained a bone bruise in the fourth quarter against Tennessee, and his status could be a question until kickoff.
Green has completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,502 yards and five touchdowns, with five interceptions. The main weapon in the running game has been Utah transfer Ja’Quinden Jackson, who has rushed for 566 yards and 10 scores.
LSU owns a 44-23-2 record in the all-time series. The Tigers have won seven of the last eight matchups, including 34-31 last year.