Rapid reaction: Derrius Guice runs wild as LSU takes care of business against Arkansas
By Adam Spencer
Published:
It was a slow start, but the LSU Tigers managed to take care of business against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday afternoon.
The 11 a.m. kickoff certainly had an effect on the Tigers and their home fans, but it was still an impressive performance by coach Ed Orgeron’s squad.
LSU improved to 6-3 with the 33-10 victory, while the Razorbacks’ tough season continued and they dropped to 4-6.
Here are a few things I liked, and some things that need work, after Saturday’s game in Baton Rouge:
What I liked:
Austin Allen is one tough guy
After getting destroyed by LSU S Donte Jackson on the first drive of the game, but managed to shake it off and remain in the contest.
Allen suffered a shoulder injury last month, so it was nice to see him back as the Razorbacks’ starter, even if the offense struggled against LSU’s stout defense all day long.
Derrius Guice looks healthy again
Guice didn’t put up nearly as many yards as he did against Ole Miss a few weeks ago, but he still had a huge game.
It appears his injuries are in the past, as he ran for three touchdowns against the Razorbacks and plowed over several Arkansas defenders on a few of his runs.
LSU is dangerous when Guice is running wild, so future opponents should be very aware of where he is at all times.
Danny Etling to D.J. Chark, part two
The first touchdown pass from Etling to Chark (see below) was not exactly a great throw, as Chark had to slow down.
The second pass, at the start of the fourth quarter, was much better, hitting the speedy receiver in stride for a long touchdown.
What needs work:
Danny Etling still didn’t look good throwing deep
Even on a long touchdown pass to D.J. Chark, Etling didn’t hit his receiver in stride. Instead, the big play was made because Chark had put so much space between him and the defender that he could afford to make an adjustment and slow down to wait for the pass.
Etling also missed several other big passes in the first half, some badly. If Etling can’t hit wide-open deep throws, the Tigers are going to continue to be a good, not great, team.
LSU didn’t get its coffee
The Tigers scored in the first quarter, but sleepwalked their way through the rest of the first half. That 11 a.m. start time seemed difficult for the Tigers, who also had to deal with a crowd that wasn’t quite awake yet, either.
Connor Culp’s struggles
You never want to deal with missed extra points as a coach, but in addition to missing a first-half field goal, LSU K Connor Culp missed two extra points in the third quarter.
It’s safe to say Culp is now even more in Coach O’s doghouse, and it’ll be interesting to see if the Tigers stick with him next week.
Not so sneaky
The Razorbacks tried to run a quarterback sneak on 4th-and-1 midway through the fourth quarter, but ended up losing yardage and turning the ball over.
It was an aggressive play call, which was nice to see, but it wasn’t a creative call, and LSU’s defense was all over it.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
