Arkansas may be the only defense in the country that welcomes a meeting with Leonard Fournette.
The star LSU running back and onetime Heisman Trophy hopeful was a non-factor in Arkansas’ 31-14 win in Baton Rouge Saturday night. Fournette ran 19 times for 91yards and a touchdown.
Arkansas, which is ranked No. 20 in the nation in rushing defense, corralled Fournette from the beginning. Big offensive plays and a short field set up by a turnover had the Tigers digging out of a 21-0 hole in the first half. LSU managed to cut the lead to 21-7 at halftime and 21-14 in the third quarter, but its offensive flow was changed dramatically with the early deficit.
Arkansas put the pressure on LSU quarterback Brandon Harris and the passing game, and he couldn’t deliver. Harris finished 21 of 35 for 271 yards and a touchdown. And so the pattern continues of UA having success against teams that aren’t potent passers. It seems Arkansas’ defense is geared to stopping the run rather than dealing with an efficient passer with multiple options.
Two weeks ago, Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly torched the Hogs for 368 passing yards and three touchdowns. He added 110 yards rushing and another three scores in the epic 53-52 overtime game that Arkansas was fortunate to win.
The week before that, FCS Tennessee-Martin quarterback Jarod Neal racked up 333 yards passing with a touchdown and the Skyhawks totaled 519 yards of offense in a Hogs’ 63-28 win.
And so it has gone for the season. When the Hogs play a team with a dynamic quarterback and passing game, they are going to give up big yardage. Arkansas’ defense struggled with defending the pass in early upset home losses to Toledo and Texas Tech, and in the SEC opener to Texas A&M.
Against lesser quarterbacks like those at Tennessee and Auburn, the Arkansas defense limited big-play passing, but the Hogs were not stellar against the Tigers in the fourth quarter or overtime and nearly cost them the win.
So then comes the matchup with the Tigers and Fournette. Alabama proved the week before you can win if you can contain Fournette. LSU’s passing game is not good enough to pick up the slack.
The Tide made it look easy with the best defensive coordinators in college football and the deepest and most talented unit in the game. Fournette only mustered 31 yards and a score and Harris passed for 128 yards and a touchdown with an interception.
It appears Arkansas picked something up from that game film. It played good, assignment football on Fournette and kept him from the big play (His longest run was 13 yards).
The Hogs swarmed Fournette most every time he touched the ball. Linemen Deatrich Wise and DeMarcus Hodge stood out and set the tone up front. With Fournette contained and LSU trailing, the Hogs forced Harris to make plays, and he couldn’t. Game over and one of the better defensive efforts of the season.
It’s strange to say after the Hogs bottled up the nation’s leading rusher that they will have an even tougher challenge this week. However, Mississippi State senior Dak Prescott presents the same problem the other dual-threat quarterbacks have posed all season: He is an accurate passer and is very mobile. That has been a deadly combination for the Hogs this year.
Prescott didn’t dominate against Arkansas last year in a 17-10 home win. He finished 18 of 27 for 331 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions and ran for 61 yards. Those stats Saturday would most likely figure into a Hogs win.
With the way UA is playing offensively, it seems like a good bet in a shootout and the Bulldogs’ defense isn’t as stingy as LSU.
Prescott and Fournette both have one thing in common. They had to play the Hogs a week after a dominating loss to Alabama.
It was obvious that Fournette and LSU were enduring a hangover, and Prescott and MSU are likely to limp into Fayetteville.
Prescott finished 22 of 43 for 300 yards and an interception against Alabama Saturday. He also rushed 26 times for a dismal 14 yards because he was sacked nine times. Look for him to play uninspired against the Hogs and more prone to mistakes than usual.
These teams are going in different directions and Arkansas’ defense is taking a step in the right direction. We will see if it can finally overcome the Achilles heel that has plagued it all year, the mobile quarterback.
Nate Olson is a contributor for WholeHogSports