Tag: Arkansas Razorbacks

Meet Mark Pope, the Kentucky men’s basketball coach who replaced John Calipari

Mark Pope won a championship while playing for Kentucky.

College basketball fans will see someone new on the sidelines coaching the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team this season.

After a decade and a half with Kentucky, former Wildcats head coach John Calipari is no longer leading the program. Now the head coach at Arkansas, the longtime face of the team brought a few of his former players to a new school in the SEC.

In his absence, former BYU head coach Mark Pope is now running the show for Kentucky.

OTHER NEW COACHES: The men’s NCAA basketball coaching carousel’s biggest moves, including John Calipari to Arkansas

Pope is originally from Washington and played college basketball for the Washington Huskies, where he was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 1992.

He eventually transferred to Kentucky, where he played from 1994 until 1996. As a forward, he was team captain for the Wildcats when they won the NCAA men’s basketball championship in 1996.

Selected in the second round of the 1996 NBA Draft, he played professionally both overseas and in the NBA. After his playing career concluded, he began coaching.

Pope served as an assistant coach at Georgia, Wake Forest, and BYU before becoming head coach at Utah Valley in 2015. Pope took over as head coach for the Cougars in 2019 and was able to take the team to the March Madness tournament last season.

Now the head coach of his alma mater, fans will have high hopes for Pope’s first season. While several players left the team for the NBA or the transfer portal, he will bring former BYU top scorer Jaxson Robinson with him to the Wilcats.

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Pair of LSU players receive SEC weekly honors after win over Arkansas

Emery Jones Jr. and Damian Ramos were honored by the SEC this week.

LSU went on the road and handled a tough SEC opponent coming into the game with momentum as it dispatched Arkansas 34-10 to take back the Golden Boot for the third year in a row.

There were several standouts from the win, and two of them have received weekly honors from the SEC league office. Offensive tackle [autotag]Emery Jones Jr.[/autotag] has been named the Co-SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, while placekicker [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] has been named the Special Teams Player of the Week.

Jones helped anchor an offensive line that allowed LSU to rack up 384 yards, including 158 on the ground — the second-highest total of the season. Ramos, meanwhile, was 4 of 4 on field goals including kicks from 47 and 48 yards out.

Those kicks proved to be clutch as three of them came in the first half when the game was still in doubt and helped the Tigers pull away. Ramos received the game ball from coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] for his efforts.

LSU is 6-1 on the year with momentum on its side as it prepares to face Texas A&M with sole possession of first place in the SEC on the line in Week 9.

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5 stats that defined LSU’s Week 8 win over Arkansas

These five numbers defined LSU’s 34-10 win over Arkansas.

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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5 takeaways from LSU’s win over Arkansas in Week 8

Five takeaways from LSU’s blowout win of rival Arkansas.

With a trip to Arkansas sandwiched in between ranked contests against Ole Miss and Texas A&M, LSU’s meeting with the Razorbacks had “trap game” written all over it.

LSU avoided the trap on Saturday night. The last four meetings between these programs were decided by three points, but LSU got a comfortable win in this one. Despite being just 2.5-point favorites, LSU won 34-10.

If you’ve been paying attention to the SEC this year, then you’ll take a 24-point road win any day. For now, LSU is staying out of the chaos, and that’s good news for Tigers fans.

LSU led wire to wire in this one. [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] put LSU on the board on the opening drive and LSU outscored Arkansas 18-3 in the second half to put the game away.

Durham led the way with 101 yards and three scores on the ground. CJ Daniels, in his return from injury, led LSU in receiving with 86 yards.

Here are five takeaways from a big SEC win.

LSU wins the turnover battle

LSU protected the football and forced three turnovers of its own.

The biggest one came with five minutes left to go in the third. LSU put pressure on Arkansas QB Taylen Green, with a tipped pass leading to a Whit Weeks interception.

The turnover set LSU up on Arkansas’ two-yard line and LSU needed one play to punch it in for a score.

That put LSU up 24-10 and in control of the game. On a night where penalties killed LSU, the turnovers were key.

Tigers glad to have CJ Daniels back

Veteran receiver [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] was out against Ole Miss, but his return was welcome on Saturday night.

LSU got Daniels involved early. Nussmeier took a shot for Daniels on the opening drive that led to a pass interference putting LSU in position to score.

Daniels was critical in the quick game too, with LSU taking what the Arkansas defensive was giving it.

With seven catches for 86 yards, it was Daniels’ most productive night of the year.

LSU was efficient, but not explosive

The explosiveness element of LSU’s offense continues to be inconsistent, but LSU was efficient on Saturday, finishing with a success rate in the 88th percentile.

LSU kept the ball moving and picked up first downs as needed. Despite a lack of chunk yardage plays, LSU didn’t have to stress for yards in this one.

The Tigers finished with a success rate of 58% through the air. That’ll do after Nussmeier struggled to get comfortable last week.

Caden Durham is the feature back

With [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] healthy again, LSU gave the true freshman the bulk of the work. He carried it 21 times while Kaleb Jackson and Josh Williams combined for just 10 carries.

On 22 touches, Durham totaled 108 yards.

It’s been a while since LSU’s had a true feature back, but Durham looks to be rounding into form. There will be some more growing pains, but LSU has a home threat with Durham in the backfield.

He’s given this run game the jolt it needed after struggling to start the year.

Win sets up showdown with Texas A&M

LSU has another big one next week with a road trip to College Station. Just like LSU, Texas A&M opened the year with a loss but has rolled since then.

The winner of next week’s game should control its own destiny on the way to a potential SEC title and playoff appearance.

If LSU wins, the Tigers will add another significant win to its resume, allowing LSU room for error in November.

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Stock Up, Stock Down: LSU gets a big win over Arkansas

The Tigers impressed on the road, taking care of business against Arkansas in Week 8.

LSU took a trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in a game where a lot of analysts picked the Hogs to win. Unfortunately for them, that was not the case.

[autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] came back for the Tigers in this one and [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] also had a great game as LSU ran away with a 34-10 victory. The only real negative I could find from this game is that LSU had more penalties than Arkansas.

Let’s look at who saw their stock rise and who saw their stock fall in the Tigers’ win over the Razorbacks in Week 8.

Stock Up: CJ Daniels

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[autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] had seven catches for 86 yards in his first game back from injury. He provided a spark for the offense and got some heat off of [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag].

Stock Up: Caden Durham

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Once again, [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] served as the bell cow for the Tigers as he carried the ball 21 times for 101 yards and three touchdowns. He was a breath of fresh air for the Tigers offense.

Stock Up: Whit Weeks

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[autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] led the team in tackles for the second game in a row. He finished the night with nine tackles and an interception for the Tigers.

Stock Down: Penalties

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LSU finished with more penalties than Arkansas with 11 to the Hogs seven. I had to look for a downside to the win tonight so here it is.

Stock Up: Big win on the road

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LSU went into hostile territory in Fayetteville and came out with a big 34-10 win over the Hogs. The Tigers move to 6-1 and could move up in the standings after a loss by Alabama and either Texas or Georgia.

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Instant Analysis: LSU rolls in road victory against Arkansas to extend winning streak to 6

The Tigers got the win on the road Saturday night to move to 6-1 on the season.

LSU went on the road to win a rivalry game against Arkansas on Saturday night in Week 8, extending its winning streak to six games as it moved to 6-1 with a 34-10 win over the Razorbacks.

The Tigers had early success in the game, jumping out to a 10-0 lead at the end of the fourth quarter bolstered by an opening drive touchdown. The game was never particularly competitive from there as Arkansas made things briefly interesting with a touchdown to cut the lead to six in the second quarter but couldn’t turn it into anything.

LSU outscored the Hogs 18-3 in the second half, with the offense delivering another strong performance with 384 yards. [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] didn’t have his most prolific day of the season, throwing for just 224 yards without any touchdowns with [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] (seven catches, 86 yards) being the favorite target.

But the Tigers totaled 158 yards on the ground with freshman running back [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] rushing for 101 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries.

LSU gave up some big plays to Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green through the air, but it completely shut down the run game, allowing 38 yards on 19 carries.

The Tigers remain in the College Football Playoff race with a win and could secure sole possession of first place in the SEC next week against Texas A&M.

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5 things to know about Arkansas prior to Week 8 match with LSU

Here are five things to know about Arkansas prior to LSU’s meeting with the Razorbacks.

LSU is back on the road this week as it travels to face Arkansas. LSU is riding high after upsetting Ole Miss, but the Tigers are favored by just a field goal against an unranked Arkansas team.

These games have a knack for being close. The last four meetings were decided by exactly three points. LSU won three of those contests with Arkansas’ victory coming in 2021.

LSU has won seven of the last eight against the Razorbacks and hasn’t lost in Fayetteville since getting shut out in 2014.

Tiger fans should expect another close one. LSU is good, but this 2024 team struggled to assert control against South Carolina and Ole Miss. Both games were wins, but LSU had to work hard for it.

At 4-2, Arkansas is one win away from exceeding its preseason win total of 4.5. LSU bought some room for error with the Ole Miss win, but with tough games against Texas A&M and Alabama on the horizon, the Tigers can’t afford a loss here.

Here are five things to know about the Arkansas Razorbacks prior to their Week 8 meeting with LSU.

How Arkansas got here

Both Razorback losses were by one possession. The first one came in week two at Oklahoma State. Arkansas jumped out to a lead, but an Oklahoma State comeback forced overtime.

Arkansas had several chances to put the game away, but Oklahoma State won 39-31.

The second loss was by four points to A&M in week five. That same Texas A&M team blew out Missouri the next week so that loss doesn’t look all that bad for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas is coming off a bye, but it picked up a massive win its last time out — a win over top ten ranked Tennessee.

Head coach Sam Pittman began the year on the hot seat, but Arkansas has momentum now.

Taylen Green is dangerous at QB

At SEC media days, Pittman offered a glowing report of Boise State transfer QB Taylen Green. Pittman said the Razorbacks “hit” landing Green.

So far, so good. Green isn’t afraid to let it fly and has 12 completions with 20+ air yards. Green’s overall passing numbers could be better, but when he’s in rhythm, he’s an SEC-level passer.

Green has been pressured on 95 dropbacks, the most in the SEC. LSU’s pass rush will look to take advantage of that and make Green uncomfortable.

But it’s with his legs that Green stands out. His 17 carries for 10+ yards lead all SEC QBs and rank fourth overall among SEC rushers. LSU’s had a tendency to allow explosive plays on the ground this year, so its critical the Tigers contain Green.

Petrino will lean on the run game

With Green being the threat he is on the ground, Arkansas OC Bobby Petrino wants to lean on the run game.

Green is joined in the backfield by RB Ja’Quinden Jackson, a Utah transfer. Jackson is tough to bring down. He leads the SEC in forced missed tackles and averages 3.76 yards after contact per carry.

Petrino can spread it and out and run it or he can put Green under center and get Jackson going downhill. The diversity of this rushing attack makes it tough to stop.

LSU’s best bet will be getting aggressive and forcing negative plays, even if that comes with the trade off of some explosive plays allowed.

Defense is a strong unit

Travis Williams is in his second year coordinating the Arkansas defense and the unit has taken another step forward.

Up front, DT Eric Gregory Jr. is having a strong year leading the Razorbacks sturdy rushing attack that ranks 17th nationally in EPA/rush allowed.

There’s some bend but don’t break elements with Arkansas ranking 62nd in yards per play allowed but top 20 in points per scoring opportunity allowed. When offenses are threatening, this defense buckles down.

Players to know

Outside of Green and Jackson, these are the Razorbacks to watch on Saturday.

  • DE Landon Jackson: After beginning his career at LSU, Jackson transferred to Arkansas. He’s emerged as one of the SEC’s best defensive ends over the last two years and is putting another good campaign together in 2024.
  • WR Andrew Armstrong: LSU faced one of the SEC’s best receiver in Tre Harris last week. The Tigers will see another one this week in Armstrong. With 552 yards, Armstrong is third in the SEC.
  • CB Marquise Robinson: According to PFF, Robinson is the 11th best graded CB in the SEC. The Razorbacks struggle against the pass at times, but Robinson isn’t to blame.

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LSU to don all-white uniforms vs. Arkansas in Week 8

LSU to showcase the all-white combo at Arkansas this weekend.

LSU will be showcasing a different look when it travels to play Arkansas in this weekend. The Tigers will don the all-white uniform combo that fans are accustomed to seeing about once a year.

On Wednesday, LSU posted an image of the white helmet, white jersey, and white pants on social media. There weren’t any specifics about when LSU would wear the uniform, but there aren’t many other conclusions to jump to.

The last time LSU wore the all-whites was the 2023 regular-season finale when it beat Texas A&M on senior day. That was Jayden Daniels’ final game as a Tiger.

In 2022, LSU wore the combo when facing Tennessee at home. That one didn’t go the Tigers’ way, but [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] hasn’t lost in Tiger Stadium since.

This won’t be LSU’s first time in the white pants this year. Against South Alabama, the Tigers went with a gold helmet, white jersey, and white pants combination.

LSU wore the gold-purple-gold combo against UCLA, making the all-white LSU’s fourth jersey combination of the year.

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Staff predictions ahead of LSU’s Week 8 road trip against Arkansas

Can the Tigers avoid a letdown on the road against the Razorbacks?

LSU captured one of the most impactful wins of the [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] era on Saturday night, upsetting a top-10 Ole Miss team in overtime to move to 5-1 on the season and put itself back in the College Football Playoff picture.

But the road doesn’t get much easier from here, and now, the Tigers are tasked with avoiding a letdown on the road against an Arkansas team that’s having a stronger start to the year than many expected.

The Razorbacks are 4-2 and fresh off a bye week that followed their upset win over then-No. 4 Tennessee. They’re looking to take down their second top-10 opponent in a row on Saturday night in Fayetteville.

Here’s how our staff sees that game playing out.

Tyler Nettuno, Managing Editor

The Hogs have managed to give LSU fits in each of the last two years, but they’re searching for their first win in the series since 2021. I think the health of quarterback Taylen Green plays a major factor here, but he’s a big-time weapon on offense if he’s ready to go. I still have a lot more confidence in LSU’s defense after the way it played last week, however, and while Arkansas’ defense slowed down a Tennessee group that may have some issues, I don’t think it will have quite as much success against the Tigers.

Prediction: LSU 28, Arkansas 21

Will Rosenblatt, Staff Writer

LSU is back on the road this week, traveling to Arkansas after upsetting Ole Miss. Arkansas is coming off a bye, but the Razorbacks’ last time out, they pulled a top 10 upset off their own over Tennessee. Arkansas’ preseason win total was 4.5, but the Razorbacks already have four wins and Sam Pittman is coaching his way off the hot seat. Arkansas has the type of offense that can hurt LSU. The Hogs are explosive on the ground with a rushing threat at QB. WR Andrew Armstong will test LSU’s secondary too.  Arkansas will score some points, but so will LSU. Arkansas will keep it close early, but LSU will take advantage of a questionable secondary late.

Prediction: LSU 37, Arkansas 31

Kyle Richardson, Staff Writer

The Tigers have got to be careful in this game against the Razorbacks. They can not suffer from a hangover after winning a hard fought game against Ole Miss in overtime. This is the SEC. You are going to be taken to your limit every week. With that being said, I think LSU will respond well and win this game.

Prediction: LSU 35, Arkansas 21

Composite Prediction

Prediction: LSU 33, Arkansas 24

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LSU to face Arkansas in primetime on the road in Week 8

LSU will face Arkansas in Fayetteville at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.

The game time and television network have now been announced for LSU’s road trip to face Arkansas in Week 8, and it will be a primetime matchup between former SEC West rivals.

This year’s Battle for the Golden Boot will kick off at 6 p.m. CT and air on ESPN.

While this wasn’t a game LSU had circled as one of its tougher matchups heading into the season, it could be a potential trap game as it’s sandwiched between games against ranked opponents in Ole Miss and Texas A&M. The Razorbacks are coming off a huge upset win as they knocked off No. 4 Tennessee at home on Saturday night.

Brian Kelly is 2-0 against Arkansas as the Tigers head coach, but both games have been sweats as LSU won each by just three points.

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