Improved Arkansas team comes up short at LSU, 34-31

Arkansas entered tonight’s game at LSU as massive underdogs, but they played their best game of the year to this point. Unfortunately, penalties, mistakes and poor game management kept the Hogs from walking out with a win.

For the better part of the first half, Arkansas was the better team. After having two drives stall out in the redzone and settling for field goals, the offense was able to score a touchdown before halftime. KJ Jefferson hit Tyrone Broden for a 19-yard touchdown reception to give Arkansas the 13-3 lead.

LSU would respond with a 49-yard touchdown right before halftime to make it 13-10 at the break.

The most crucial point in the game came towards the end of the third quarter. Trailing 17-13, the Hogs were able to get deep into LSU territory. On 4th and 2, Arkansas called a timeout before successfully executing a fake field goal. Two plays later, Arkansas is backed up further than where the original kick would be and is forced to use their second timeout of the half.

They would end up making the kick, but would only have one timeout left. After LSU scored to make it 24-16, KJ Jefferson and Luke Hasz were able to respond. To cap off a 6-play, 75-yard drive, Jefferson and Hasz connected on a touchdown and two-point conversion.

On that drive, Arkansas would be forced to burn their third and final timeout – which would prove to be costly.

The two teams exchanged touchdowns to make it 31-31 with 5:01 left in the fourth quarter. LSU held the ball for all but five seconds of that final 5:01, as Arkansas couldn’t stop the clock without timeouts. LSU kicked the game-winning field goal with eight seconds to go and would win 34-31.

Arkansas falls to 2-2 on the season and 0-1 in SEC play. Next up for the Hogs is a trip to Dallas to face Texas A&M in AT&T Stadium.