Arkansas football wastes magical KJ Jefferson performance in loss to LSU
BATON ROUGE, La. — The press conference was over, but Sam Pittman did not stand up. A time and place coaches typically can't wait to leave turned into a moment of quiet reflection.
Pittman sat, chin tucked to his chest, staring down at a stat sheet provided to him by a member of the Arkansas football communications staff. What was he reading? The Head Hog did not say, but disappointment washed over his sunken face.
When Pittman did finally rise, all he could muster was a quiet mumble of frustration as he walked through the door and off to his next postgame responsibility.
The Razorbacks (2-2, 0-1) missed a golden opportunity to turn around their season Saturday night. A monumental, signature victory over LSU (3-1, 2-0) turned into an other casualty inside Death Valley.
LSU 34, Arkansas 31.
"We really thought we could come beat LSU tonight," Pittman said. "We fell three points short, but give them all the credit because they found a way to win."
A season with so much promise became riddled with doubts coming out of last week's loss to BYU, but Pittman held the faith. The players clearly believed as well, coming to Baton Rouge as 17-point underdogs and fighting till the bitter end.
But records and stat sheets are harsh realities. Confidence and effort eventually give way to the scoreboard inside an empty stadium.
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If there is any singular reason why Arkansas believed and why this loss will sting throughout the week, it is the performance of KJ Jefferson. The Razorbacks' quarterback did everything in his power to will Arkansas to a victory over their southern rivals.
Jefferson has had better statistical games than Saturday's 289 yards and three touchdowns, but he looked like the best player on a field filled with higher-rated NFL prospects. He refused to take easy sacks. He welcomed physical hits as a runner, and he never said die.
Eleven penalties and a raucous crowd consistently put the Arkansas offense in difficult spots. Jayden Daniels continuously gashed the Arkansas defense in the second half.
Still, Jefferson led Arkansas to points on every second-half drive until a last-ditch Hail Mary was intercepted. The Razorbacks got monster games from all of their pass-catchers. Freshman tight end Luke Hasz had six receptions for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Andrew Armstrong continued his role as Jefferson's favorite target and racked up 76 receiving yards, while Tyrone Broden made the first touchdown reception of his Arkansas career.
The offense was phenomenal, and LSU won the football game because its final drive kept Jefferson on the sideline until there were just four seconds remaining. By then, Damian Ramos' 20-yad field goal was enough to be the game-winner.
"Every time (Jefferson) goes out there, you know he’s going to do his thing," Arkansas safety Hudson Clark said of watching his quarterback. "Sometimes it looks like he’s going to get sacked and he just bounces right off the defense. So, I mean, you can never count him out running or passing the ball."
From here, the road doesn't get much easier. Next week will be a matchup with Texas A&M, followed by road games at Ole Miss and Alabama. There were plenty of positives from Saturday's tight loss to LSU, and even flushed with disappointment, Pittman is maintaining his faith.
"I believe we’re going to win, damn, the rest of (our games)," Pittman said.
But in order for Arkansas to right the ship this fall, the defense must start pulling its weight. This is the second-straight game the Razorbacks have given up at least 34 points. Daniels threw for 320 passing yards, and the LSU run game got rolling in the second half. The Tigers scored two field goals and four touchdowns on their final six drives.
Arkansas might have a good football team, as Coach Pittman has said all fall. The next step is turning into a winning football team, and capitalizing on heroic performances from its star player.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas football wastes magical KJ Jefferson performance in loss to LSU
