Getting ready for The Boot with our good buddy Tucker Partridge
Well it’s time to fight for DAS BOOT and to get ready for Arkansas there is no better person on this Earth to get us ready than my pal Tucker!
1. The Arkansas game is always a trap for LSU, but this one is ESPECIALLY the case. LSU’s gotta come down from the high of beating Ole Miss, go to Fayetteville—not an easy place to play!—and play an Arkansas team coming off a bye and a season-defining win over Tennessee. It’s spooky season so on a 1-10 scale, how terrified should I be of this game?
In the spirit of Halloween, I think this is a terrifying game for both sides— a true 10/10 scary game! It’s interesting that you consider our game over Tennessee as a season defining win— I don’t know if I’m there yet. The nature of Pittman’s seat being very hot headed into this year means that we’ve truly entered the mindset of that old coach truism: “We’re taking it one game at a time.” I think the win over Tennessee bought Pittman time, but until we’re bowl eligible, I really think his job is in the balance. A win in this game could take us to 5-2, with two pretty impressive Top 10 wins. All of a sudden, Arkansas is 3-1 in conference play while beating presumably the toughest teams left on the schedule. Would they leave a 2 loss Arkansas out of the playoff?? (I kid… maybe) A loss means we’re 4-3 and on the precipice of another year plagued by 50/50 shots we didn’t make. I don’t know if this is a must-win for Arkansas, but this really matters for the Pittman project’s longevity in my opinion. LSU has slipped on the Arkansas banana peel before, so it’s definitely possible, but I’m scared to death.
2. Arkansas’s offensive output has been drying up the past couple of weeks. They scored 37 against UAB, then 24 @ Auburn, 17 in JerryWorld against A&M, and only 19 in the upset over Tennessee. Is it as simple as going from non-con to SEC competition or is there something bigger afoot?
I think it’s a little of column A and a little of column B. I truly believe that A&M and Tennessee have good defenses. I have thoughts on Tennessee’s Mickey Mouse offense, but their defense is solid, and full of guys who will probably play on Sundays. There is a degree of this just being a switch from non-conference play to SEC competition. However, we’ve also had some recurring offensive line issues that have threatened to ruin several games this year. That we’re still having these issues with The Best Offensive Line Coach in the Country™️ as our head coach is frustrating, but it’s where we are. There’s also a lack of receiving options behind Andrew Armstrong. With QB Taylen Green and RB Ja’Quinden Jackson banged up as well, I think there’s a certain assumption that our games will be rock fights this year. Our offensive coordinator’s offense (more on him later) is also famously difficult to learn in year 1, so it’s possible there are just some teething problems.
3. Hey speaking of offense, Bobby Petrino’s back! I mean this with the utmost respect…….why?
I haven’t worked for the SB Nation ecosystem in a while, but this was one of my biggest pieces in my time at Arkansas Fight. I was not on the Bring Back Bobby train. After the nightmare offense delivered last year by Dan Enos though, any kind of competent offensive coordination would look like an improvement, and to his credit, Bobby does still have some juice left. I’m a big believer in second chances and people surprising you, but I don’t think I’ll ever be comfortable as long as he’s here. When it’s your tenth chance, you have less leeway for me. I’m still anticipating something to go horribly wrong (because it has happened everywhere else, including here once), but in the meantime, I’m enjoying baseline offensive competency. I think this is the trauma inflicted on Razorback fans. After years of Football Exile, I have settled on “Why the hell not? It can’t get worse, and at least I might get to write a silly recap article when it goes wrong.” Thus far though, signs are good. They always are at first though.
4. Arkansas’s already got four wins and with games against Miss State and La Tech they should end up in a bowl game. Is beating Tennessee and getting to a bowl enough to save Sam Pittman’s job?
I think it is. Pittman is buoyed by the fact that he’s incredibly likable. Every fan I meet wants him to be the guy to get it done and get Arkansas back to respectability. He “gets” Arkansas, and is more passionate than some of the jokers we’ve had in the past. Early this year though, it looked like things were going the same. We threw away a win at Oklahoma State and squandered opportunities against A&M to put that game away. It seemed like the same old story of playing teams tough, but never quite coming out on top. The Tennessee win gives Pittman a chance to rewrite that narrative though. He finally got it done. If we’re looking year by year, maybe the trajectory is acceptable. In year one, COVID impacted the season, and we won our first conference game in two years and likely would’ve made a bowl if not for the pandemic. Year 2 was the best Pittman year, with a 9-4 record and a good bowl win over Penn State. Year 3 was a little step back, but still got to a bowl and won. Last year, year 4 was a disaster, but can maybe be totally chalked up to the mistake of hiring Dan Enos as OC. This year has the chance to make the narrative that year 4 was the aberration, and not Year 2. A win against LSU would go a long way in reframing that narrative. If we make a bowl game he’s safe.
5. How does Taylen Green compare to former Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson?
This is so tough. KJ Jefferson holds the distinction of being one of my favorite players to play at Arkansas ever. He guided us through an awful era of football, and always put his body on the line to give us a shot at winning. I think the catastrophic offensive ecosystem last year made a divorce ultimately better for both parties. There are things that KJ can do that Taylen can’t. Taylen is much more of a “run past” than “run through” runner, and has struggled with accuracy in areas where KJ didn’t. At the same time, the offense is so much better schematically that it’s hard to quantify how things would be different under KJ. I miss KJ and have enjoyed seeing him play at UCF, but I am enthralled with Taylen’s tools. There just aren’t many 6’6 guys who can run like that. Taylen did suffer an injury against Tennessee though, so we’ll see how mobile he is after having a bye week to heal up. If he can run at full speed, I like his chances to engineer an upset. If he has to be a pocket passer though, I’m not sure. I don’t know how this will sit with LSU fans, but I believe Taylen Green is the spiritual heir to Matt Jones. They both are gigantic QBs who run deceptively fast, so you’ll see a lot of comically bad angles taken by defenders. Just watch the way he runs, think back to the Houston Nutt days, and the Matt Jones comparisons will make sense.
6. Arkansas always plays LSU tough and each of the last four games have been decided by three points. Can Arkansas snag their second top-10 upset of the year, and if so how do they do it?
For the first time, maybe in my life, I think defense is the key to Arkansas’ success in this game. Travis Williams has been a revelation as defensive coordinator, and I fear we will be losing him this offseason, as I’m sure he’ll be at the top of a lot of HC wish lists among G5 (G6?) schools. If the defensive game plan is as solid as it has been so far, I think this game turns into one of the aforementioned rock fights, and I think that works for Arkansas. I anticipate a rowdy crowd (myself and others will begin tailgating at 9am for a 6pm game) which helped against Tennessee tremendously. If we win the turnover battle, I’m giving us the win— if we lose the turnover battle, it’ll be another close loss in the Pittman era. I hope you’re ready for another close one, because I think this one is coming down to the wire.