Harold Perkins Shines as No. 7 LSU Takes Down Arkansas 13-10

Tigers handle business in Fayetteville, Harold Perkins shines bright for this LSU defense.

It wasn’t the prettiest win for Brian Kelly and his LSU Tigers but it doesn’t have to be in the SEC. A win is a win. The Bayou Bengals ultimately handled business against Arkansas and came home with a 13-10 victory on Saturday.

The frigid temperatures certainly played a factor in the way this one started, but lackluster offensive play continued to keep the Razorbacks within striking distance through all four quarters.

A few instant takeaways:

Harold Perkins’ Sheer Dominance

Perkins continues to piece together a dominant freshman campaign and Saturday against Arkansas proved once again he’s going to be a star for quite some time. Totaling 8 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 4 sacks and 2 forced fumbles, his masterful performance propelled the Tigers to a needed win.

The closeout speed Perkins attains paired with his unteachable instincts is what makes him such a dominant force for this LSU defense. For defensive coordinator Matt House to have both Perkins and BJ Ojulari on the field at the same time is a recipe for success and it continues to give opposing offenses fits.

Harold Perkins. Again.

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/0KZbc9ihfT

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) November 12, 2022

Perkins took social media by storm during Saturday’s performance. With former Tigers and college football fans from all over praising the youngster, he continues to be a force in the SEC already.

I’ve honestly run out of words for how good Harold Perkins is. A true freshman just won the game with his performance. Matt House knows exactly how to fully utilize him now too. #LSU

— Jacob Hester (@JacobHester18) November 12, 2022

Offensive Struggles

It became a day to forget rather quickly for LSU signal-caller Jayden Daniels. With two turnovers in the first quarter (one interception and one fumble), the struggles continued for most of the day.

Unable to get into a rhythm, sitting in the pocket too long and taking too many sacks, halted any offensive success for this unit. Though it wasn’t all Daniels. Lack of time for plays to develop paired with receivers unable to get open made for a long day at the office for this offense.

Brian Kelly on #LSU QB Jayden Daniels: “It’s not about confidence, it’s about being decisive. It’s not just him, it’s the whole offense. We’ve got to have a big boy conversation about what we want to do. The defense is flying around. The offense has got to pick it up.”

— Scott Rabalais (@RabalaisAdv) November 12, 2022

A bright spot for this group was running back Josh Williams. The former walk-on continues to quietly impact the game positively, finishing Saturday’s contest with 19 carries for 122 yards and a touchdown.

Questionable Fourth Down Decisions/Brutal Penalties

It’s no secret Brian Kelly has been aggressive this season. Whether it’s going for it on fourth and short or faking a punt, Kelly showed today he trusts his team to make the play. Though a few mishaps halted success in this area against the Razorbacks.

After converting on a fourth and short situation, a false start penalty took it back. The following play? The Tigers faked a punt and picked up the first down but a holding penalty held LSU back from another chance to move the chains.

A few questionable fourth down attempts paired with uncharacteristic penalties halted the success of this offense in a big way. All in all, the Tigers’ offense answered the call in the fourth quarter, but certainly a few miscues slowed down the momentum Saturday afternoon.