BATON ROUGE, La. — The Razorbacks took the #12 team in the country, the LSU Tigers, to the brink in Baton Rouge in their yearly rivalry game, but for the second straight season, the Boot will stay in the Bayou.
After trading three-and-outs to start, the Razorbacks struck first with a 23-yard Cam Little field goal after a promising drive stalled out on the five-yard line.
On the Tigers' ensuing drive former LSU Tiger Dwight McGlothern would intercept Jayden Daniels, just his second of the season and it appeared momentum was on the Hogs side in Death Valley.
However KJ Jefferson would give it right back with his second interception of the season on the following play. The Arkansas defense would rise to the occasion again though, forcing another LSU punt.
The Razorbacks offense would then mount a 12 play play, 75-yard drive that spanned nearly seven minutes of the second quarter, but for the second time, the Tiger's D would bend, but not break. The Hogs were held to a second 23-yard Little field goal, to keep it a one-score game at 6-0.
LSU would finally get on the board on their next drive as a 24-yard field goal sailed through the uprights with 4:02 left in the first half.
Arkansas would answer emphatically though, by scoring the first touchdown of the game with Jefferson finding Tyrone Broden in the back of the endzone from 19-yards out.
The pass was initially ruled incomplete, but after further review it was determined that Broden maintained possession after hitting the ground and the Hogs found themselves up 13-3.
The ten point lead wouldn't last long.
The Tigers big play offense traversed 75-yards in just three plays with a 49-yard Daniels to Brian Thomas Jr. catch and run hitting the stat sheet as the scoring play.
The Hogs would take the 13-10 lead into the locker room, but one minute into the second half, it was gone.
On the third play of the Tigers first drive out of the tunnel, Daniels connected with Thomas Jr. on a free play for a second 49-yard touchdown to give the 12th ranked team in the country their first lead of the night 17-13.
Arkansas would respond by kicking their third field goal of the night, this one from 40-yards away to cut LSU's lead to one.
However for the third straight drive, the Tigers would find the endzone as Daniels would throw his third touchdown pass of the night, this time to Malik Nabors from eight yards away to expand the bayou Bengal's lead to eight.
Arkansas would not shrink under the lights in Baton Rouge though as Jefferson would break the pocket, roll right and hit freshman tightend Luke Hasz for a 59-yard score. The Razorbacks would then opt to go for two in order to tie it at 24, which they did with another completion to Hasz.
The Tigers would stay hot though, making it four straight drives in which they found the endzone and two in a row in which Daniels to Nabors was the catalyst for 7.
But the Razorbacks dynamic duo of Jefferson and Hasz weren't ready to call it a night. After the Tigers were flagged for a critical roughing the passer on a 3rd & 18, Jefferson would make them pay by hitting Hasz from 11-yards away on the next play to knot the game at 31-31.
However, as had been the case in the second half, the Hogs just had no answer for the Tigers offense. Daniel led LSU down the field with a masterful drive that saw them kick the go-ahead field goal with just five seconds left.
The field goal meant a perfect second half for Daniels and the Tigers offense who scored all five times they possessed the ball.
Jefferson would get one final heave, but the Tigers defense would intercept him at the end of regulation.
The 34-31 final score is the fourth straight year in which the Battle For the Golden Boot was decided by three points.
Jefferson finished 21/31 for 289 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, adding 48 yards on the ground. Jefferson's favorite target on the night, the true freshman Hasz, ended with 6 receptions, 116 yards and 2 touchdowns.
On the ground for the Hogs, Rashod Dubinion ended his evening as the leading rusher with 15 carries for 78 yards.
The road doesn't get any easier for the now 2-2 Razorbacks as they head to AT&T stadium next Saturday to face Texas A&M who is fresh off a 27-10 victory over Auburn.
Kickoff is set for 11:00 A.M.
