Placekicker Damien Ramos connected on a 20-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to lift No. 12 LSU over Arkansas, 34-31, in a back-and-forth affair on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.
“This game has come down to a field goal over the last three years – now make it four,” said head coach Brian Kelly postgame. “It’s just the nature of two teams, in close proximity, playing for a rivalry trophy. These are the games you have to find a way to win.”
That’s exactly what the Tigers were able to do in a game where having the ball last felt consequential. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, who finished 20-of-29 for 320 yards, four touchdown passes and one interception, led the offense down the field for a nine-play, 72-yard drive, spanning 5:01, setting up the eventual game-winning field goal by Ramos to keep the Golden Boot in Baton Rouge.
“I had no intention of giving them the ball back,” Kelly said. “We wanted to take time off the clock and put ourselves in a great position because we have faith in our field goal kicker.”
It was another huge night for LSU’s receiving corps. Brian Thomas posted his best performance of the season with five catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns, both 49-yard scores. Malik Nabers continued to be a chore for opposing corners, reeling in eight catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
Thomas (133) and Nabers (130) became the second LSU wide receiver duo to both record at least 130 receiving yards in a single game, as the other pair came in 2019 when Justin Jefferson (163) and Ja’Marr Chase (147) did it at Texas.
Every time Logan Diggs runs the ball, good things happen. Diggs led LSU’s rushing attack once again, posting 97 yards on 13 carries, averaging 6.9 yards per touch. Josh Williams broke open a 41-yard rush on his only carry of the night.
Defensively, true freshman linebacker Whit Weeks was all over the field for the Tigers in his second career start, tallying nine tackles, 0.5 sacks, and one quarterback hurry. Major Burns and Greg Penn III led the team with 12 each, a career-high for both. Andre Sam made his presence known and provided the unit with a burst of energy with seven tackles and an interception.
The Tigers will hit the road again next Saturday for a 5 p.m. CT matchup with No. 15 Ole Miss on ESPN.