By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – Saturday’s Battle for the Golden Boot in Tiger Stadium between LSU and Arkansas seems more like the Misery Loves Company Classic.
Two teams with a combined two SEC wins this season, both belonging to LSU.
Two teams mired in losing streaks, three straight defeats for the Tigers, and seven consecutive for the Razorbacks.
Two programs with interim coaches.
Two fan bases more interested in the search for their next head coach rather than closing out the season with a few more wins.
Battle of the Golden Boot? It’s more like Fighting for the Frayed Flip-Flop when the Tigers (5-4 overall, 2-4 SEC) and the Razorbacks (2-7, 0-5 SEC) tee it up at 11:45 a.m.
For the first time in history since LSU joined the SEC in 1933, both the Tigers and their opponent will face each other with interim coaches.
This is Frank Wilson’s second game as LSU’s interim head coach after fourth-year head coach Brian Kelly was fired on Oct. 30 after the Tigers’ 5-3 start. Wilson, LSU’s associate head coach/running backs coach, lost 20-9 at No. 4 Alabama last Saturday in his interim debut.
“I like our football team,” Wilson said. “I like the things that we did (in the Alabama loss). I think it’s something to build on, trying to build on our culture and those habits of doing the right thing.”
Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, who served as the Hogs’ head coach from 2008 to 2011 before being fired for an inappropriate relationship with an employee, took over as interim when sixth-year head coach Sam Pittman was fired on Sept. 28 after a 2-3 start.
“The biggest challenge is just to keep the players motivated and keep them working together and keep them trying to individually prepare to get better, be good teammates, make sure they take care of their teammates and have a great attitude in the locker room,” said Petrino, who’s 0-4 as the Hogs’ interim.
While LSU hasn’t won a game since it scored a league win on Oct.11 over South Carolina, the drought has been longer for Arkansas.
The Razorbacks’ last win was a 56-14 non-conference blowout of Arkansas State on Sept. 6.
Arkansas, averaging 35.5 points because of the individual brilliance of senior dual-threat quarterback Taylen Green, ranks last in the SEC in scoring defense allowing 33.3 points per game.
The 2025 Razorbacks are comparable to LSU’s 2023 team. Those Tigers averaged 45.5 points, thanks to Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels, yet finished 9-4 because of a porous defense that allowed 28 points per game.
Green leads the SEC in total offense, averaging 335.7 yards, which is about 17 yards fewer than LSU averages as a team (341.9).
Last season in LSU’s 34-10 win in Fayetteville, the Tigers held Green to 230 total offense yards and one TD pass.
“He kind of reminds me of the (NFL) quarterback back in the day named (Randall) Cunningham, who used to play for Philly,” said LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. of the 6-6, 225-pound Green.
“He’s very dangerous with his legs. I feel like we just got to make him play quarterback (force him to pass). Don’t let him get out and do (run) what he loves to do.”
Arkansas will be on red alert for Perkins. In his two career games vs. the Razorbacks (he missed last season’s game with a torn ACL), he has 14 tackles, four sacks for losses of 36 yards, and four forced fumbles.
As for LSU’s offense, it’s establishing itself as one of the worst in school history.
LSU has failed to reach 30 points in its six SEC games this year. The last time LSU went an entire season without breaking the 30-point barrier in SEC play was 1993 as part of Curley Hallman’s 23-game streak over three seasons of failing to crack 30 points in league play. Hallman failed to reach 30 points vs. SEC opponents in 29 of 31 before being fired at the end of the 1994 season.
Last year, LSU starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier passed for 300 or more yards (including two 400-plus yards performances) in eight games.
This season? Zero.
A year ago, LSU had two 100-yard rushing performances because of an offensive line that couldn’t run block.
This season so far?
Zero. Because of an all-new offensive line that can’t run block or pass protect.
In fact, since Kelly took over as LSU’s head coach in 2022, the Tigers have had 14 100-yard rushers in the last 49 games. Seven of those belonged to Daniels.
The average yards gained by LSU’s leading rusher in games has declined from 102.3 in 2023 to 71.2 in 2024 to 60.2 this season.
It has to be one of the factors why Wilson inserted dual-threat backup QB Michael Van Buren at Alabama. He played the last 1½ quarters after Wilson pulled Nussmeier.
Wilson had planned to play both quarterbacks against the Razorbacks, since Van Buren threw for 301 yards, two TDs and two interceptions as Mississippi State’s starter in a 58-25 loss to Arkansas.
But in practice on Thursday, Nussmeier re-aggravated the abdominal injury he dealt with all season. He’s now listed as probable.
“A little bit concerning,” Wilson said Thursday’s post-practice press conference. “Something we need to monitor and watch with him as we head into the game.”
“We’re familiar with both of them,” Petrino said of LSU’s QB duo. “I have a lot of respect for Nussmeier and the way he’s played throughout his career. He hasn’t had the type of year that he thought he would have, but he’s still a really good player. We’ll have to be ready for both of them.”
GO FIGURE
8: Of 9 games this season that Arkansas has scored 30 or more points
12-4: LSU’s record in games in Tiger Stadium with pre-noon kickoffs
15: Times that Tigers’ QB Garrett Nussmeier has been sacked in 9 games so far this season, compared to 16 in last year’s 13-game season
15: Straight games for LSU without a 100-yard rusher
62: Career field goals for LSU’s Damian Ramos, a school record
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com