by Michael Bonnette, Associate AD/Sports Information Director
The game will be televised to a national audience on ESPN. LSU enters the game with an 8-3 overall mark and a 4-3 conference record, while the Hogs, who are have won four straight, are 7-4 overall and 3-4 in league play. It’s believed to be the first night game ever between LSU and Arkansas.
It’s also the first time that the teams have played on a Saturday since 1995 as the teams played on the day after Thanksgiving from 1996-2008.
The Tigers will honor its 24-member Senior Class prior to kickoff with a pre-game ceremony on the field in Tiger Stadium.
“Senior Day is always a special day for that group of players,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “This is a special group of young men. They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do since joining the program. They’ve done a great job of representing this program and this university and I’m proud to have coached them.”
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| LSU At the Game programs are available on campus three hours prior to game time and online while supplies last. |
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GameDay Info LSU vs. Arkansas GameDay Forecast Times of Interest 9 a.m. Noon 1:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 3:15 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 3:55 p.m. 4 p.m.
4:10 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 5:40 p.m. 5:42 p.m. 5:45 p.m. 5:47 p.m. 5:50 p.m. 5:56 p.m. 6:02 p.m. 6:02:45 p.m. 6:06 p.m.
Halftime Guest Captains
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Ten of the 24 LSU seniors will be in the starting lineup for the Tigers, while three seniors (Charles Scott, Keiland Williams, R.J. Jackson) will miss the contest due to injuries.
In addition to it being Senior Day, the game will also serve as the 14th annual “Battle for the Boot” between the teams. Arkansas currently has possession of “The Boot” as the Razorbacks have won the last two meetings between the teams, including a 31-30 last-minute victory a year ago in Little Rock. The last time the two teams met in Tiger Stadium, the game went to triple overtime with the Hogs posting a 50-48 win.
The Tigers will sport a uniform from head to toe on Saturday as LSU will be outfitted with a new look in everything from the helmet, to cleats, to the gloves. The jersey is white with purple numbers and gold accents, while the pants are white with a purple “L” on the hip along with a purple and gold stripe down each side of the leg.
The Tigers will wear the Nike Zoom Vapor Fly cleats, which are white and gold and feature a purple Nike Swoosh. The bottom of the cleats are gold in color as well. The Tiger receivers will be outfitted with the Nike Vapor Trail gloves, which display the eye of the tiger on the palm of each glove.
The Tigers go into Saturday’s game coming off a tough 25-23 last-minute loss to Ole Miss last week.
“We’ve had a good week of practice and preparation for this game,” Miles said. “The focus has been good both in the meeting rooms and on the practice field. This team wants to send the seniors out with a victory.”
Against Arkansas, the Tigers will face a Razorback offense that is the most potent in the conference, averaging 38 points and 445 total yards and 310 passing yards a game. Arkansas has scored 40 or more points seven times this year.
“They have a high-powered offense and a tremendous quarterback in Ryan Mallett,” Miles said. “He does a great job of managing their offense. He’s got a big arm and can throw the ball down the field. He also likes to spread the ball around to different receivers so I defense will be challenged.”
Mallet is ranked third in the nation in pass efficiency as he’s thrown for 3,195 yards and 28 touchdowns with just six interceptions.
The Tigers will counter the Razorback offense with a defensive unit that is third in the SEC and eighth in the nation in scoring, allowing just 14.7 points per game. LSU hasn’t allowed a first quarter touchdown since the Mississippi State contest seven games ago.
As a unit, the LSU defense ranks among the SEC leaders in total yards (322) and rushing defense (132.9). The Tigers are allowing 189.3 yards passing a game.
LSU’s defense is lead by linebackers Kelvin Sheppard (96 tackles), Perry Riley (84), Harry Coleman (68), and Jacob Cutrera (66). Cornerback Patrick Peterson, who has scored a pair of touchdowns this year, is third in the SEC with 14 pass breakups. He also has 40 tackles and a pair of interceptions to his credit.
While the LSU defense-Arkansas offense features two of the top units in the league, the opposite can be said of the Tiger offense and Arkansas defense. LSU’s offense, averaging just 24.8 points and 308 yards per game, will go against an Arkansas defense that is yielding 25.1 points and 408 yards per game.
LSU’s offense continues to revolve around the play of quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who is coming off a career-best 250 passing yards last week against Ole Miss. The Tigers lost its third running back for the year due to an injury last week when Keiland Williams suffered a broken ankle against the Rebels. Richard Murphy (knee) has been out since the Vanderbilt game, while Charles Scott (clavicle) has been out of action since the Alabama contest.
With the injuries to LSU’s running backs, the Tigers will turn to Stevan Ridley, who started the year No. 4 on the depth chart at running back, to carry the load at running back. Ridley will be joined in the backfield by converted quarterback Russell Shepard and return specialist Trindon Holliday. Ridley has rushed for 119 yards and a pair of touchdowns this year, while Sheppard is the Tigers’ top active rusher with 268 yards and a pair of scores.
Brandon LaFell and Terrance Toliver have teamed up this year to form the most potent wide receiver tandem in the SEC. LaFell and Toliver have combined for 95 catches for 1,289 yards and 12 touchdowns. LaFell leads the team with 48 catches for 635 yards and nine touchdowns, while Toliver has added 47 receptions for 654 yards and three scores.
