LITTLE ROCK — Missed opportunities were complicit in No. 5 Arkansas’ 31-26 setback to No. 9 LSU Friday at War Memorial Stadium.

Two LSU lost fumbles came at opportune moments for Arkansas, stopping long Tiger drives. One fumble was recovered at midfield and the other at the Arkansas 17. Both times, the field in front of the offense proved too expansive, as Arkansas was unable to move into scoring position.

“ Those turnovers gave us some confidence, ” said Randy Kelly, Arkansas senior strong safety. “ I just wish the offense could’ve converted them into some points. ”

Though the official stats attributed the first forced fumble to defensive tackle Marcus Harrison, linemate Keith Jackson claimed it after the game. It came when LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell used a quick count to sneak the ball on third-and-short, moving the pile past the first-down marker.

Before he was brought down, Russell was relieved of the ball by Jackson. Harrison recovered it to give Arkansas possession at its 49-yard line with 4: 07 left in the first half.

“[Russell ] was standing high, and I just kind of yanked it out of there and Marcus recovered it, ” Jackson said.

The offense moved the ball to the LSU 35 before stalling and punting. Following the missed chance, the Tiger offense controlled the ball for more than twothirds of the third quarter, wearing down Arkansas ’ defense.

LSU elapsed 7: 24 off the clock with its first possession of the second half and was grinding down the time again when Jerell Norton intervened at the 3: 16 mark of the third quarter, forcing and recovering an Alley Broussard fumble.

Broussard carried on third-and-short, relying on a second effort to push the scrum for 9 yards. In the midst of the melee, Norton wrested the ball from Broussard and emerged from the heap of humanity with the fumble recovery.

“[Broussard ] was bulldozing, trying to get extra yards, ” Jackson said. “ Jerell came in and just kind of ripped the ball out of there. ”

Norton’s larceny rescued an Arkansas defense that played 26 of 39 third quarter snaps, mercifully sending it to the sidelines after LSU accrued 123 total yards (60 rushing ) in the third frame.

“[The fumbles ] were big when they were the running the ball like that on us, ” said Reggie Herring, Arkansas’ defensive coordinator. “ They were hammering us. It got to be an inside drill there for a while.

“ But that’s football. We were fortunate enough to be scrapping in the pile and come away with the ball. ”

Buoyed by Norton’s recovery, the Arkansas offense hustled the ball from its 17 to LSU territory in three plays. The Razorbacks kept moving until they reached the Tiger 26, where quarterback Casey Dick was sacked on fourthand-3 with 4: 02 left to play.