For the second week in a row, LSU will face a team with an experienced quarterback, who is learning a new offensive system. Last week it was Will Rogers trying operating an unfamiliar offense to him that no longer throws the ball around the field.
This Saturday the Tigers will take on KJ Jefferson, who has a new play caller as Dan Enos replaced Kendal Briles as the offensive coordinator last January.
This is Enos’ second stint as offensive coordinator at Arkansas. He was the Razorbacks OC from 2015 to 2017. That 2015 team led by quarterback Brandon Allen was a record-setting offense for the Hogs that averaged 36 points a game.
But the 2023 Arkansas offense is struggling to move the ball. They average just 370 yards a game, which ranks 12th in the SEC.
Jefferson has been playing behind an offensive line that struggled last week in a loss to BYU. He has a new group of receivers and is without his All-SEC running back Rocket Sanders, who has missed the last two games with a knee injury.
Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman said on Wednesday Sanders is progressing faster than he thought but is not sure he’ll play Saturday.
Jefferson is completing a higher percentage of his passes this year at 71% and he’s always done a good job at taking care of the football. He’s thrown only 11 interceptions in 35 career games.
But after averaging 240 passing yards a game last year, this year he’s only averaging 210.
He’s also running less, averaging just 10 rushes a game, last year he averaged 14 carries.
When he does run, he’s not easy to bring down at 6-3, 247 pounds.
Jefferson did not play in last year’s LSU game as he had an injured shoulder.
But in 2021, KJ led Arkansas to a 16-13 overtime victory in Tiger Stadium. That was the game Ed Orgeron decided to start Garrett Nussmeier and Nussmeier threw two interceptions, while Jefferson threw a third quarter touchdown pass and led the Hogs with 41 yards rushing.
It was Arkansas first win in Death Valley since 2015.
The last three meetings have been decided by three points. In 2020, Felipe Franks was the quarterback when the Tigers outlasted Arkansas 27-24.
The oddsmakers do not expect this game to be close. They have LSU as a 17.5 point favorite.
But this is a tricky game, and it is college football. You’ll have a motivated Arkansas team trying to make up for a loss last week to Ole Miss, facing an LSU team coming off a near perfect performance against Mississippi State and big road game coming up next week against Ole Miss.
