LSU fans are accustomed to anxiety filled battles with Arkansas. That wasn’t the case on Saturday night with LSU securing a 34-10 win in Fayetteville.
Brian Kelly said it after the game — LSU played to its standard for four quarters.
LSU was inconsistent to begin the year. The Tigers dropped the opener to USC and struggled to pull away from FCS Nicholls State in Week 2. In Week 3, LSU had to scratch and claw to get a win vs. South Carolina. The following week, LSU let a bad UCLA team hang around in Tiger Stadium.
Then LSU figured some things out. It played a complete game against South Alabama before upsetting No. 9 Ole Miss. The win on Saturday was further proof of this team’s upward trend.
[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said this is a good time to be getting better and it looks like LSU is doing just that.
Here are five numbers that defined LSU’s win over Arkansas.
Whit Weeks: 5 pressures and a sack
[autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] is turning into a star at linebacker for LSU. He’s taken a huge leap under first-year defensive coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] and proven to be critical for LSU’s defensive turnaround.
Weeks balled out again in week seven, notching five pressures, a sack, and a pick. Weeks is becoming a guy who opposing offenses have to circle.
He made five stops in the run game too and his 37 stops on the year lead all SEC linebackers.
Arkansas: -0.40 EPA/rush
The game plan for LSU was simple: stop Arkansas’ run game.
The Razorbacks’ identity over the first half of the year relied on creating explosive plays on the ground, whether it was QB Taylen Green scrambling for first downs or RB Ja’Quinden Jackson breaking tackles.
LSU neutralized the rushing attack, holding Arkansas to -0.40 EPA/rush, a number that put the Razorbacks in the fourth percentile.
Green was one of the SEC’s most explosive rushers entering the week but ended with three carries for 14 yards.
Nussmeier: 22/33 through the air
Nussmeier wasn’t explosive in this one, but he protected the ball and took what the defense gave him. You can’t go broke making a profit and LSU made a profit through the air on Saturday night.
Nussmeier’s week eight completion rate of 66.7%, the second-best of any SEC QB.
It was needed after Nussmeier’s shaky performance against Ole Miss. He looked comfortable from start to finish against Arkansas, a positive sign for LSU moving forward.
Caden Durham: 101 yards and three touchdowns
[autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] continued his emergence against Arkansas. Durham wasn’t a rotational piece — he was the feature back. His 21 carries were a career-high, well over his previous mark of 12.
Durham averaged 4.8 yards per carry and scored three times. With LSU behind the chains on its first drive, Durham ripped off a 22-yard touchdown run to put LSU on the board. That’s the element LSU was missing to start the year.
LSU’s run game remains a work in progress, but Durham has it pointing up.
LSU offense: 89% of available yards
LSU’s average starting field position was its own 42-yard line. That fact along with LSU picking up 89% of its available yards allowed the Tigers to control the game.
LSU remained on schedule and moved the ball all night long. LSU didn’t always cash in for a touchdown, but kicker [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] did a good job of ensuring LSU got points.
The Arkansas defense didn’t have many answers as LSU averaged over 50 yards per drive.
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