Report Card: LSU 33, Arkansas 30 (OT)

LSU 33, ARKANSAS 30 (OVERTIME)
REPORT CARD
OFFENSE C+
HIGHLIGHTS Coach Bobby Petrino made halftime adjustments that clearly paid off as the Razorbacks were able to run for 99 yards in the second half, including 50 yards and 1 touchdown by Ronnie Wingo Jr. With the ground game moving, that opened some things up for the passing game and helped take pressure off quarterback Ryan Mallett. He completed 10 of 19 passes in the second half for 136 yards and 1 touchdown as the Razorbacks rallied from a 17-6 deficit.
LOWLIGHTS Once again the offense was out of synch in a hostile road environment. Arkansas broke out of its funk was too late and an abysmal first-half ultimately cost the team a victory. Turn one of the team's three field goals into a touchdown and the game likely doesn't go into overtime. Mallett, his receivers and the protection were putrid in the first half. Mallett was sacked three times, got happy feet and was 7 of 20 with one interception and 93 yards in the first half. Overtime was the first half on a smaller scale as the Razorbacks managed six yards on three downs.
WHAT WE LARNED Folks probably read too much into Arkansas' offensive performance during a four-game winning streak. Eastern Michigan, South Carolina, Troy and Mississippi State were great as confidence-builders, but playing them at home did nothing to prepare the Razorbacks for life on the road.

DEFENSE B-
HIGHLIGHTS Holding LSU to a field goal in overtime is to be commended. Tigers quarterback Jordan Jefferson was sacked twice and intercepted once, while finishing with just 179 yards passing. Total the Tigers had 326 yards, something of a victory for the defense. None of LSU's offensive touchdowns were for longer than 20 yards and their longest play from scrimmage was a 24-yard pass play. At least for a day Arkansas didn't give up the long, back-breaking scoring plays on defense.
LOWLIGHTS All that separated Arkansas from victory in regulation was stopping the LSU offense for one minute, eight seconds. Arkansas couldn't do it and let the Tigers get a field goal.
WHAT WE LEARNED This defense is still not good enough to win a game for Arkansas. It's better, but not good enough to win games.

SPECIAL TEAMS D
HIGHLIGHTS What a great day kicker Alex Tejada had. He hit three field goals, including a career-long 47-yarder. Tejada even sent a couple of kickoffs into the end zone, something he hasn't done with any regularity this year.
LOWLIGHTS What an awful day kicker Alex Tejada had. He missed a 36-yard field goal in overtime that would have kept the Razorbacks' hopes alive. Tejada wasn't alone in the awful day, though. Punter Dylan Breeding line-drived a punt to the Trindon Holliday, a guy billed as the fastest player ever in college football. There was no time for the punt return defense to get set and Holliday torched them for an 87-yard touchdown return.
WHAT WE LEARNED Special teams aren't good enough for Arkansas to have major offensive and defensive breakdowns. This unit won't win a game for the Razorbacks. They can certainly help lose a game.

OVERALL C
WHAT WE LEARNED Arkansas is a decent football team. There is work to do before the Razorbacks are a great or elite-level team. Plenty of work. That begins once Arkansas gets its bowl preparations going. When are where should be known soon. It's likely the Razorbacks played themselves out of the Capital One or Cotton Bowls. Start looking at prices on Memphis lodging around the first of the year. Nothing is set in stone, but this team is probably bound for the Jan. 2 Liberty Bowl.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
OFFENSE: Forget about the underwhelming stat totals put up by Joe Adams (2 catches, 13 yards, 1 TD). Instead focus on the unbelievable toughness he showed. Minutes after sustaining a helmet-to-helmet hit, Adams hauled in the go-ahead touchdown with 1:18 remaining. It was the second such hit endured by Adams, who earlier in the season missed three games because of a mild stroke.
DEFENSE: Linebacker Jerry Franklin was his usual active self. He finished with 13 tackles and an interception. Arkansas scored three plays later and turned what had been an easy day for LSU into a close contest.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Through four quarters Alex Tejada was as good as he's ever been for the Razorbacks. He hit three field goals, including a 47-yard attempt that matched his career high. Each of the field goals he hit in regulation were under pressure since the offense couldn't figure out how to score touchdowns and Tejada was the team's only hope at times. Pinning the loss on his missed field goal in regulation is not fair or an accurate portrayal of how the game ended.