LSU vs ARKANSAS PREVIEW

SUBSCRIBE HERE TO GAIN FURTHER ACCESS TO LSUODYSSEY

By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

Facing a 2-7 Arkansas team....

Inside the deadly & often savage confines of Tiger Stadium...

Following 5 weeks of hell for LSU football.....

This sounds like Saturday morning's table is set for a "get right" breakfast for Frank Wilson's LSU, served with a bitter dish of sweet cold pain for the hapless Razorbacks....right???

But in truth, LSU will be in for a rough brunch showdown, thanks to the dual threat prowess of QB Taylen Green, DE Quincy Rhodes' ravenous ability to disrupt the backfield (8 sacks, 14 TFLs), and the main culprit....Arkansas may be 2-7, but they score points.

Racking up 30+ points in 7 games, and over 40 points against 3 other opponents, Arkansas will force LSU to score more than 25 points for just the 2nd time in 2025.

This is also a team who've lost close games, losing 4 times by 3 points or less, another by 6 and one more by 9...

After all, LSU vs Arkansas is often a wild, unruly, unpredictable rivalry full of hard hitting, playmaking, history-taking, record breaking moments, usually producing extremely competitive, down to the wire matchups.

This 2025 edition of the Battle For the Boot will also be the first time in recent memory LSU vs Arkansas are led by interim Head Coaches, both Frank Wilson taking over for Brian Kelly and Bobby Petrino assuming Sam Pittman's vacated duties.

Arkansas couldn't beat Brian Kelly over his 3 meetings against Sam Pittman, with the Razorbacks last beating LSU in Tiger Stadium in 2021 during the lame duck period of Coach Ed Orgeron's reign.

That night 4 years ago, true freshman Garrett Nussmeier came off the bench (after starter Max Johnson's first drive) and played the rest of the game, throwing a wondrous deep touchdown to Jack Bech, but narrowly losing a sloppy, low scoring contest 16-13 in overtime.

With the way LSU's offense is operating right now (completely incapable, almost unwilling to score touchdowns), anything goes on Saturday morning....every yard matters, every play a step closer to victory or a slide towards the jaws of defeat...

LSU Interim Head Coach Frank Wilson indicated the Tigers would deploy both 2024-2025 starting QB Garrett Nussmeier and 2025 transfer QB Michael Van Buren, utilizing their respective strengths on a carousel basis....a decision not without its controversy.

Many will rip on the dual quarterback scenario, but I like the way Coach Wilson and Interim Offensive Coordinator Alex Atkins are willing to go for broke and attempt everything at this point.

The experiment at least provides some sort of offensive intrigue and excitement heading into the game, though it's quite clear Wilson has zero intentions of benching Nussmeier for good or starting Michael Van Buren...a move I felt was kind of a no brainer....although one major caveat: do you want to waste a season of Van Buren's eligibility??? Or, shut him down until the bowl game and start him in the finale???

It's a chance for LSU to honor Nussmeier's loyalty to the program and university over the years, since there is nothing really left to play for...let the kid finish out the bulk of his senior season....but, the truth is, LSU may not be able to beat Arkansas with Nussmeier alone.

Allowing Van Buren snaps to shine and set his own rhythm, maybe as the lead candidate for LSU's 2026 starting quarterback, is the right course of action, but one now complicated by Van Buren's red shirt still there for the taking with just 3 games played.

For the record, Van Buren is willing to burn his red shirt, which is admirable, selfless and bad ass....and yet it's also not the right move for him or the program.

It's a decision that is perhaps the perfect blend of locker room politics and planning for the future in one simultaneous move.

Aside from the quarterback questions, this is a game where I'm paying very close attention to which Tigers fight, who looks like they've already quit, who is avoiding the field to preserve their red shirt, who is staying, and who may be on the way out...there will be a lotta clues in the air.

1) CAN LSU STICK WITH THE GROUND GAME FOR ONCE THIS SEASON??? AND WILL MVB'S DESIGNED QB RUN PLAYS A KEY TO UNLOCKING LONGER GAINS BY HARLEM BERRY OR CADEN DURHAM???

2) WHICH QB WILL RECEIVE THE MOST SNAPS???

3) CAN LSU FINALLY GET AARON ANDERSON IN THE END ZONE / GENERATE A 100 YARD RECEIVER???

4) CAN LSU FINALLY SCORE A TD, LET ALONE 3 OR 4??? IF NOT, LSU WILL LIKELY FALL TO A 2-7 FOOTBALL TEAM WITH AN INTERIM HEAD COACH....AT HOME, NO LESS...

5) IF STARTING AND PLAYING THE BULK OF SATURDAY, CAN GARRETT NUSSMEIER SHAKE OFF HIS WORST COLLEGIATE PERFORMANCES AND DELIVER LSU ANOTHER VICTORY VS ARKANSAS?

PREDICTION

LSU 21

ARKANSAS 17

By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

©️ 2025 Uninterrupted Writings Inc