LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — It took all of one offensive play by LSU to in reality decide the season finale between Arkansas and LSU here Friday afternoon.
It was the interception that Josh Booty threw on the Tigers’ first play from scrimmage which was intercepted and returned for a 33-yard touchdown which gave Arkansas the lead en route to a 14-3 victory in the post-Thanksgiving “Battle for the Boot.”
The game was played in a heavy downpour on a 50-degree afternoon in a less than filled War Memorial Stadium. Over three inches of rain had fallen at kickoff time holding the sellout crowd to just over 43,000.
The interception, though innocent looking in the opening minutes, was something LSU just never could overcome, despite an at times strong defensive effort by the Tigers until early in the fourth quarter when a turnover would set up another Razorback score.
In the pivotal opening moments, Arkansas got one first down on the initial drive before the drive stalled and the Razorbacks were forced to punt. LSU started the opening drive of the game at the LSU 32.
On the first play, Booty’s swing pass attempt to Jerel Myers was intercepted by Quinton Caver who ran it back untouched 33 yards for the score and the extra point gave Arkansas a 7-0 advantage 2:52 into the first quarter. It was Caver’s first career interception.
LSU tried to get right back in it with a 35-yard kickoff return by Domanick Davis who set up the Tigers in Arkansas territory. LSU got the drive extended on its first third down try when a late pass interference call was made against the Razorbacks. A Booty to Robert Royal pass put the Tigers first and 10 at the Arkansas 19. Davis carried twice to the eight, giving LSU first and goal.
On first down, Davis got nothing up the middle. On second down, Booty scrambled and found Josh Reed in the back of the end zone, but he came down out-of-bounds. The third down play saw Booty throw over the head of Reed in the end zone, bring in John Corbello for a 27-yard field goal which cut the margin to 7-3 with 7:39 to play in the quarter.
The rest of the half and third quarter was a back-and-forth battle of field position.
The Razorbacks began to move it right down the field on LSU, using the running of Brandon Holmes and the pass receiving of Boo Williams to get into LSU territory for the first time on offense. But LSU broke up a third down and seven at the LSU 37 pass attempt and following a Razorback punt, the Tigers took over at the 12 yard line with 1:48 to go in the opening stanza.
LSU moved into the second quarter with two third down completions including a Booty-to-Royal 24 yard completion to get a first down at the LSU 48 with 13:46 to go in the half.
LSU had to call two time outs on the drive and had a third and 14 on the LSU 44. Booty’s long pass was incomplete as two Arkansas defenders hammered him as he released the ball.
Arkansas went three and out and LSU started from its own 14 after a block in the back penalty on the punt. On the drive, Reggie Robinson caught a third down pass for his team best 28th consecutive game with a catch. LSU again crossed midfield but on third and one, Booty dropped the snapped, but LSU recovered, forcing LSU to punt from midfield with 7 minutes left in the first half.
The Razorbacks got a drive going in the final minutes of the half, crossing into LSU territory with a first down at the 44 with 3:17 to go in the half. A scrambling Hampton found Nathan Ball for three yards, then got two more as the clock reached two minutes. A third and five pass was to Williams was broken up by Robert Davis and Arkansas punted back to LSU with 90 seconds to go. The teams went to the dressing room with Arkansas up, 7-3.
After 30 minutes, the teams had combined for only 218 yards in total offense. Tommy Banks was LSU’s leading rusher with 7 carries for 27 yards, while Booty was 5-of-10 for 60 yards and the one interception which was the difference in the game at the break.
The second half started with LSU going three and out before Arkansas again was able to move into LSU territory on another completion to Arkansas money receiver Williams, who made his fifth catch of the game. Holmes then drove through the LSU defense on the ground to give the Razorbacks a first and 10 at the LSU 37. But the LSU defense stiffened, Arkansas punted and the ball was downed on the two where LSU took over with 10:19 to go in the third.
LSU had to punt out its end zone and the 29-yard punt by Donnie Jones rolled out at the 35-yard line and Arkansas had its best field position with 8:30 to go in the third. Arkansas kept it on the ground, with Holmes gaining four yards on two plays. Again quarterback Robby Hampton found Boo Williams who got free of Robert Davis for a first down at the 22-yard-line. Holmes on first down busted for 11 yards to the 11 and a first down. Holmes got five on first down and with the ball on the sixth Hampton hit Adam Daily out of the backfield to the three, making it third and two.
Arkansas elected to run the 25-second clock down with 5:39 to go in the third before calling time out. Hampton’s pass to Williams was in complete in the end zone. A 20-yard field goal attempt was no good and the Tigers bit the bullet and got the ball back with 5:28 to go in the quarter.
Booty was intercepted for the second time on the Arkansas 38, but it gave the Razorbacks its worst starting field position of the half. Arkansas advanced again advanced into LSU territory, but had to punt and this time the ball was downed at the three-yard line with 1:21 to go in the third.
On the first play, Booty’s pass was nearly intercepted in a play very close to the one that Arkansas scored on earlier in the contest. But Tommy Banks, who was having his best game in carries and yardage, got LSU some room at the 12. But on third down they gave it to Banks again and he was stacked up, forcing LSU to punt as the quarter ended.
Through three quarters, Arkansas had the total yards advantage, 175-130 and Booty was 0-for-6 throwing in the period as the Tigers failed to get a first down. That incompletion streak would stretch to 14 incompletions through the first 10 minutes of the fourth quarter.
Arkansas started the fourth quarter again with field position on the LSU 43. But the Tiger defense stiffened, forcing a punt. Domanick Davis called for a fair catch, had to make a long run for it, fumbled it, kicked it and Arkansas recovered at the 19 yard line. Arkansas was penalized 15 yards for celebration, but still took over at the LSU 34 with 14 minutes left in the game.
Holmes picked up eight to the 26 on first down, but stumbled losing two on second down and a third down pass was incomplete. Arkansas elected to go for it from the 28, with Hampton hitting Richard Smith to the 10, beating Robert Davis on the converage for the first down. From there it was one play for Holmes to rush for the touchdown to ice the game. Arkansas led, 14-3 with 12:47 to play.
LSU’s first six possessions of the second half resulted in five punts and one interception.