No. 8 LSU (9-2, 5-2 Southeastern Conference) at Arkansas (4-7, 2-5), 2:30 p.m., Friday (CBS)
Line: LSU by 12
Series Record: LSU leads 35-20-2
WHAT’S AT STAKE
That depends on the outcome of the Auburn-Alabama game this weekend. LSU can still win the Southeastern Conference West Division with a win over Arkansas, but only if Auburn shocks No. 2 Alabama – and the rest of the country. The Tigers are the highest-ranked two-loss team and could potentially play their way back into the BCS title game, depending on how other conference title games shake out, but a loss to the struggling Razorbacks would put an end to BCS bowl hopes of any kind.
Arkansas’ hopes for this game are limited to that of playing the spoiler role. The Razorbacks’ bowl hopes vanished with a loss at Mississippi State last week, the final nail in the coffin of a disappointing season in the wake of the Bobby Petrino scandal in April that led to his firing. Interim coach John L. Smith fought back tears earlier this week when discussing the likelihood that this will be his final game at Arkansas. The Razorbacks, ranked in the top 10 to begin the season, must find a way to tap into that emotion if they are to win against LSU for the fourth time in six games.
KEY MATCHUP
Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson vs. LSU’s defense. For all of the negatives this season for the Razorbacks, Wilson hasn’t been one of them. The senior, last season’s first-team All-SEC quarterback, leads the league with an average of 302.8 yards passing and would love nothing more than to win his final college game at home.
The Tigers, meanwhile, are third in the SEC in pass defense – allowing 179.4 yards per game. LSU, whose 29 sacks this season as a team are led by Sam Montgomery’s seven, expects to put plenty of pressure on Wilson, who has been hit consistently this season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LSU: QB Zach Mettenberger. Opposing quarterbacks have had their way this season with an Arkansas secondary that ranks last in the SEC and 115th in the country, allowing 292.1 yards passing per game. Mettenberger averages 206.5 yards passing, but he’s performed well of late – averaging 284.3 yards his last three games. Expect more of the same against the Razorbacks.
Arkansas: WR Cobi Hamilton. The senior, who leads the SEC in catches (80) and yards receiving (1,237), needs just four catches to break the school record for career receptions. He currently has 165 for his career and is also 178 yards short of matching Jarius Wright’s mark in career yardage for the Razorbacks.
FACTS AND FIGURES
A win for LSU would give the Tigers double-digit wins for the sixth time in eight years under coach Les Miles … The school is tied with Boise State for the longest streak with at least eight wins in a season, doing so 13 times in a row … Miles is 4-3 against Arkansas, pulling above .500 with a 41-17 win last season … The Razorbacks will miss a bowl game this season for the first time since 2008, Petrino’s first season as coach … Arkansas shocked LSU in its final game that season to finish 5-7.
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