LSU Country

Three Observations From LSU Football's 34-10 Victory Over the Arkansas Razorbacks

Brian Kelly and the Tigers extend their winning streak to six games, handle business in Fayetteville.

Zack Nagy

Courtesy of LSU Football.
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No. 8 LSU hopped on a flight to Fayetteville over the weekend for a date against the Arkansas Razorbacks with Garrett Nussmeier and Co. handling business on the road.

In the first of back-to-back SEC road contests, the Bayou Bengals took down Sam Pittman's club 34-10 in a prime time showdown on ESPN.

Now, LSU moves to 6-1 (3-0) on the season with the Texas A&M Aggies up next on the slate in Week 9.

Three Observations: Week 8 Edition

No. 1: Complementary Football on Full Display

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers have been searching for complementary all season with Week 8 providing the Bayou Bengals with their most complete game of the year.

It was all LSU in all three phases on Saturday night in Fayetteville with Garrett Nussmeier leading the offense, Whit Weeks propelling the defense and Damian Ramos handling business on special teams.

Ramos deserves his flowers after his performance on Saturday night.

After drilling four field goals from 33, 48, 33 and 47 yards against the Razorbacks, his performance catapulted the Tigers to a massive win.

On offense, it was diverse playcalling from offensive coordinator Joe Sloan after dialing up a balanced attack through both the air and on the ground.

Freshman phenom running back Caden Durham had a day after tallying 21 carries for 101 yards and three touchdowns while Nussmeier made it happen through the air.

All in all, Kelly and Co. received the balanced football they've been in search of in 2024 with Saturday providing just that.

No. 2: The One-Two Punch of Whit Weeks and Bradyn Swinson

LSU linebacker Whit Weeks has introduced himself to America after back-to-back sensational performances against Ole Miss and Arkansas.

After an 18 tackle performance last weekend against the Rebels, Weeks followed it up with another masterclass showing on Saturday night in Fayetteville against the Razorbacks.

The sophomore star ended the night with nine total tackles, five solo tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one pass breakup and one interception. The stat sheet stuffer was shot out of a cannon on nearly every play after wreaking havoc in the backfield.

LSU found themselves in a one-score game with the Razorbacks in the third quarter. With Arkansas trending, insert Weeks as the hero. The youngster batted a pass at the line of scrimmage, kept his eye on the ball and came up with a momentum shifting interception.

On the next play, it was Caden Durham who punched in the score to shift all momentum LSU's way with the program not blinking after the touchdown.

Weeks has been phenomenal, but his counterpart up front has given the defense a boost as well in Bradyn Swinson.

Swinson's numbers don't jump off the page from Saturday night, but his constant pressure in the backfield gave Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green trouble.

Green ended the night 21-for-31 through the air with 239 yards and a score. It was an efficient showing early, but the Tigers handled business in crunch time.

No. 3: Masterclass Playcalling

All season long it's been signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier who has lifted the LSU offense to victory with his arm. The lack of production on the ground has been a thorn in the team's side, but Saturday night proved there's life in the rushing attack.

True freshman Caden Durham has proven to be a force for LSU after asserting himself as the lead back after Week 3. Now, he's carrying the momentum into SEC play.

Durham ended Saturday night in Fayetteville with 21 carries for 101 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He's become the much-needed piece in order to diversify the playbook.

Through the air, it was Nussmeier who handled business once again after tossing 33 passes with 21 completions for 224 yards.

The go-to receiver in Week 8 was CJ Daniels after ending the night with 86 yards on seven receptions.

Along with Daniels, it was Kyren Lacy who hauled in six receptions for 49 yards.

Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan found the balance in his playcalling that the program has been searching for this season. Now, it's resulted in a critical SEC victory.

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Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

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