FAYETTEVILLE -- It's been a tough season for the University of Arkansas football team, but Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones remains confident in Razorbacks Coach Chad Morris.
"I think we all realize we're in a rebuilding situation here," Jones, a starting offensive lineman for the Razorbacks' 11-0 team in 1964 and generous contributor to his alma mater, said before the Arkansas-LSU game Saturday night. "But Chad has a great rapport with high school coaches, and that's the source for future talent."
Morris, who came to Arkansas this season from SMU, was a high school coach in Texas for 16 seasons. One of his freshmen this season is quarterback John Stephen Jones, who played at Highland Park High School in Dallas and is Jerry Jones' grandson.
"Chad identifies with the high school coaches, and they identify with him," Jerry Jones said. "In the Dallas area, it's critical that the Razorbacks become a favorite place for the high school players to attend school. That a scholarship to Arkansas become a sought after part of a young man's life.
"The talent level in north Texas is superior to any place in the country. I've often said that if the NFL would let me have my pick of the players in north Texas, we'd win a Super Bowl every year."
Jones spoke at a pregame ceremony dedicating the "Band of Wild Hogs" sculpture honoring the 1964 Arkansas team. He donated the sculpture's estimated $2 million cost.
The bronze sculpture features six Razorbacks, weighs 6 tons and has 13,000 gallons of water circulating through it.
Jones said he agreed to finance the project after seeing a model, but the finished product exceeded his expectations.
"There's no way I could have visualized the scope," he said. "This just feels like [the giant Razorbacks] are going to attack you in the next second.
"It really says it all for us. And I like the way everything is moving. You've got the moving water, the lights, the music around it. All of that lets you identify with the sculpture."
The Cowboys finished 1-15 in Jones' first season as owner in 1989. They won Super Bowl titles in 1992, 1993 and 1995.
"If anybody can understand having to take a first step and then a second step, third step, it's me," Jones said of Arkansas' rebuilding process. "I've got a lot of confidence in Chad Morris.
"With hard work, I know you can change things. That's what the Razorbacks need to do."
Targeting on Taylor
Arkansas senior defensive end Michael Taylor was ejected for targeting with 6:19 to play in the second quarter.
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow scrambled and was in the process of going down -- but not sliding -- when Taylor hit him.
It appeared on replay that Taylor hit Burrow more with his shoulder than helmet-to-helmet when he drew a flag for a late hit as well as targeting. The call was upheld after a video review.
Taylor was the first Razorback to be ejected for targeting since last season, when defensive lineman McTelvin Agim was ejected against Coastal Carolina.
Close to 50,000
Arkansas announced tickets sold for Saturday night's game at 64,135, and tickets scanned -- meaning actual attendance -- at 48,950.
Home record
Arkansas finished with a 2-5 record in its seven in-state games this season, including 0-4 in SEC play.
The Razorbacks beat Eastern Illinois and Tulsa in Fayetteville; lost to North Texas, Alabama, Vanderbilt and LSU in Fayetteville; and lost to Ole Miss in Little Rock.
Ceremony for Cantrell
Arkansas tight end Austin Cantrell is a redshirt junior with another season of eligibility remaining, but he was introduced along with the seniors in a pregame ceremony honoring those players at their last home game.
On second thought
Arkansas defensive back Kevin Richardson went through senior night ceremonies for the second time. He was honored before the Razorbacks' final home game against Missouri last season and again Saturday night.
Richardson was awarded a sixth season of eligibility by the NCAA last summer because he has gone through numerous injuries that caused him to miss games.
Make it 40
LSU improved to 40-22-2 all-time against Arkansas as the Tigers beat the Razorbacks for the third consecutive year.
LSU is 17-10 in SEC games between the teams since the Razorbacks moved from the Southwest Conference for the 1992 season.
The teams played in six different venues, with LSU leading 16-9 in Shreveport; 11-3-1 in Baton Rouge; 9-7 in Little Rock; 3-2 in Fayetteville; and 1-0-1 in Dallas. Arkansas leads 1-0 in Memphis.
Been a while
Ty Storey's pass to Jared Cornelius for a 27-yard gain in the second quarter was the first catch by Cornelius in the past five games.
Cornelius hadn't made a catch since the Texas A&M game Sept. 29, when he had one reception for 11 yards. He didn't have a catch against Alabama, Ole Miss and Tulsa, and didn't dress out against Vanderbilt because of an ankle injury.
For starters
Arkansas junior cornerback Ryan Pulley was back in the starting lineup after playing off the bench the previous two games.
Pulley didn't start against Tulsa or Vanderbilt after having an unsportsmanlike penalty and being ejected against Ole Miss. He got into the Tulsa and Vanderbilt games on the second defensive series.
Edwards hurt
Razorbacks linebacker Deon Edwards suffered an apparent injury to his right arm with 39 seconds left in the second quarter while playing on the punt return team.
Used to work there
Arkansas defensive coordinator John Chavis fell to 0-2 this season against teams where he formerly held the same position.
Chavis was LSU's defensive coordinator from 2009-14. He was the defensive coordinator from 2015-17 at Texas A&M, which beat Arkansas 24-17 earlier this season.
Hammer Down
Arkansas Coach Chad Morris tweeted photos of a sledgehammer that the seniors presented him this week.
The hammer -- a reference to Morris' "Hammer Down" comments when he was hired at Arkansas -- featured a long wooden handle with the seniors' names carved into it.
Tusk IV's home finale
Saturday night didn't just mark the final home football game for Arkansas' seniors. It was also the final game at Reynolds Razorback Stadium for Tusk IV, Arkansas' 300-pound live mascot.
Tusk IV, in his seventh year of service, will retire at the end of the 2018-19 academic year, according to an Arkansas news release distributed at Saturday night's game.
Tusk IV, born Feb. 20, 2010, has made more than 200 appearances for Arkansas. He lives in Dardanelle and his caretakers are Keith, Julie, Abbey, Chip, Colt and Caroline Stokes.
Good luck from Bret
Bret Bielema, Arkansas' coach the previous five seasons, tweeted about the seniors he recruited who played their final home game.
"Good luck tonight, gentlemen," Bielema posted. "Your journey has prepared you all for what is ahead of you!"
All-red look
Arkansas wore all red uniforms -- helmets, jersey and pants -- for the first time this season.
The Razorbacks have gone with the all-red look against LSU for six consecutive seasons.
Wearing all red was the seventh different uniform combination for Arkansas this season.
Sports on 11/11/2018