Rapid Reaction: LSU shakes off rough start, downs Arkansas to snap 3-game losing streak
By Ethan Stone
Published:
LSU shrugged off a rough start to beat Arkansas and clinch bowl eligibility on Saturday. The Tigers, down Garrett Nussmeier, saw a strong performance from Michael Van Buren end a 3-game losing streak.
And at the end of the day, a close matchup was decided by the turnover battle. LSU’s defense forced 3 Arkansas turnovers, while LSU didn’t turn the ball over once on offense. The Razorbacks were able to block an LSU punt early, but Van Buren did a great job of protecting the football.
Speaking of Van Buren, what an outing from the sophomore quarterback – especially in the second half. Van Buren finished 21/31 on the afternoon with 221 passing yards and 1 touchdown. He was also a threat with his legs and rushed for 36 yards, which includes a crucial first down run late in the game.
The box score may not make it readily known, but LSU’s defense had a really good outing on Saturday in Baton Rouge. Arkansas, which ranks 3rd in the SEC in total offense, scored just 2 touchdowns and performed 2-11 on 3rd down. As mentioned earlier, LSU’s secondary picked Taylen Green off 2 times and forced an early fumble with Arkansas driving for what could have been an opening-drive score.
This is the 4th consecutive win for LSU against the Razorbacks, and it’s a rough one for an Arkansas team that is still fighting under interim head coach Bobby Petrino. Arkansas has now lost 8 games in a row — 6 of which were decided by less than one possession.
LSU 23, Arkansas 22
Here’s the LSU-Arkansas box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:
Michael Van Buren vs. Taylen Green
A statistical breakdown of how LSU’s Michael Van Buren performed against Arkansas’s Taylen Green:
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
