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3 takeaways from LSU’s resounding rivalry win vs. Arkansas
By Paul Harvey
Published:
LSU is still undefeated in SEC play, and the Tigers delivered a resounding win with a rivalry road win over Arkansas.
Heading into Saturday’s game, LSU was coming off a major win over Ole Miss at home while Arkansas most recently upset Tennessee. That kind of emotional victory can linger for either team, but it was the Tigers who came out strong Saturday night.
While LSU had to settle for some key field goals early, the Tigers carried a 16-7 lead into the break and never let the Razorbacks get settled. They outscored Arkansas 18-3 in the 2nd half while LSU recorded a +3 margin in turnovers and held the ball for nearly 39 minutes.
The end result was a 34-10 win for LSU as the Tigers remain unbeaten in SEC play heading into a crucial stretch. Here are the key takeaways from Saturday’s game:
Whit Weeks continues game-changing play
Entering Week 8, Weeks was the SEC leader with 32 solo tackles. He most recently had a career-high 18 tackles in the win over Ole Miss and produced double-digit tackles in 3 of his last 4 games.
Against Arkansas, Weeks was once again a game-changer, though this time he delivered a key moment on a passing play.
With LSU clinging to a 16-10 lead late in the 3rd quarter and Arkansas already backed up, Weeks delivered the first interception of his career. It gave the Tigers the ball on the 2-yard line with LSU cashing in a touchdown on the very next play.
Weeks would finish the game with 9 tackles, falling just short of another double-digit tackles effort, to go with his interception, a sack and a pass breakup.
Caden Durham delivers first career hat trick
Caden Durham may not have been expected to play a major role in his first season with the Tigers coming into the season, but he has carved out a big role in the backfield. After a rough outing last week vs. Ole Miss, Durham responded in a big way.
He led the Tigers with 101 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns while also adding a 7-yard reception. It goes down as Durham’s 2nd career 100-yard performance but the first time in his young career he has scored 3 touchdowns in a single game.
Durham now has 3 games this season with at least 99 yards of offense and multiple touchdowns after scoring 2 total touchdowns each in games against South Alabama and South Carolina. Now, he will go down for a very memorable performance in the LSU vs. Arkansas rivalry.
What does the future hold for both teams?
Arkansas has had its share of positive moments this season, including the wild upset of Tennessee. However, it’s not a bright outlook for the rest of the schedule for the Razorbacks.
Now at 4-3 overall, Sam Pittman’s group must travel to face Mississippi State next week before getting games against Ole Miss, Texas and Missouri in the final month of the season. Arkansas will need to avoid a letdown at any point to make sure the Razorbacks even get to a bowl game.
As for LSU, the Tigers remain right in the thick of the SEC hunt and a potential trip to the Playoff. LSU is now 3-0 in the SEC and has a solid shot at carving out a path to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.
Nothing will be a given with back-to-back games at Texas A&M and vs. Alabama moving forward. However, both of those games look winnable right now, and the rest of the schedule is at Florida, vs. Vanderbilt and vs. Oklahoma.
Nothing is easy in the SEC, but Brian Kelly has his team right where it wants to be.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
