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Tell the Truth Monday: Victorious Tigers need a more complete outing
By Les East
Published:
LSU did just enough to beat Arkansas on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.
It trailed at halftime, didn’t lead until early in the third quarter, didn’t take the lead for good until 5 seconds remained and couldn’t exhale until Zy Alexander intercepted KJ Jefferson’s desperation heave at the Tigers 19-yard line as time expired.
It wasn’t smooth and it wasn’t pretty. But in the end LSU had 34 points and Arkansas had 31.
That’s the most important thing – even on Tell the Truth Monday.
But it’s important to find the shortcomings in victories just as it is to find positives in defeat.
And if Brian Kelly were to tell the truth he would probably say this is the best kind of Tell the Truth Monday – one that comes after a victory, and one that features enough undeniable blemishes to make it easier to get the players quickly focused on fixing stuff and trying to get better for the following week.
A week earlier the Tigers were focused and ready to roll at the outset against Mississippi State, even after taking a bus ride from Tupelo to Starkville – with a stop to stretch at a car dealership along the way – before the unusual kickoff time of 11 a.m.
But against Arkansas – with a 6 p.m. kickoff in Tiger Stadium, which is 2nd only to 7 p.m. as the preferred time for home games – they clearly weren’t as ready as the Razorbacks were to compete from the get-go.
Jayden Daniels completed his 1st 13 passes against State, but against Arkansas he threw incompletions on his 1st 2 tries, then after a pair of completions he threw an interception.
LSU got a 49-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to Brian Thomas Jr. right before halftime to close within 13-10, and 3 plays into the 3rd quarter those 2 connected on another 49-yard touchdown to give the home team the lead for the 1st time.
The Tigers wouldn’t trail again, though the Razorbacks would tie them at 24 and 31.
So they overcame the slow start and that’s commendable. But often time slow starts are tone-setters for slow-footed performances or otherwise are too much to be overcome – and that could be the case next time, perhaps as soon as next Saturday against Ole Miss in Oxford.
Getting off to a better start has to be and will be a focus this week as LSU prepares for a 5 p.m. kickoff against the Rebels.
The Tigers defense kept Jefferson and the Arkansas offense in check long enough for the offense to get its act together, and then the offense had just enough responses to Jefferson’s continual scoring drives against the defense in the 2nd half.
But the LSU defense will have to play much better than it did for the majority of the game against the Razorbacks.
The Tigers got off to a good start as Arkansas’ 1st 4 possessions ended with a punt, a field goal, an interception and a field goal. But the Razorbacks’ 2nd to last possession of the first half produced a touchdown and set a tone that carried throughout the second half.
LSU’s offensive success limited Arkansas to 3 viable 2nd-half possessions, but those series produced a field goal followed by 2 touchdowns. The final possession had just enough time for Jefferson to launch his Hail Mary that went unanswered.
In the end, the Razorbacks accumulated 426 yards and gained 25 1st downs, thanks in large part to converting 8 of 13 3rd downs and the lone 4th down they went for (with a fake field goal).
All of that enabled Arkansas to possess the football for 34 minutes and 22 seconds.
Right now the best thing the Tigers have going for them is the offense – primarily the passing game.
But when the opponent runs more plays than LSU does, as the Razorbacks did (68-58), the Tigers’ biggest strength gets diluted.
Under Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss is really good at running the ball and throwing it, though the Rebels’ fast pace doesn’t allow them to possess the ball as long as most teams.
Complementary football is important, but it’s most useful when the offense, defense – and special teams – not only are in sync with one another, but are all playing at a high level for 60 minutes.
If the LSU offense can play for 60 minutes against Ole Miss like it did for the final 30:30 against Arkansas and the defense can play for 60 minutes like it did for the first 26 – and the special teams can be solid for 60 minutes as they were Saturday, the Tigers’ chances of leaving Oxford with a victory will be greatly enhanced.
Les East is a New Orleans-based football writer who covers LSU for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow him on Twitter @Les_East.
