Last-second FG lifts LSU past Arkansas in ‘Battle of the Boot’
BATON ROUGE, La. — Placekicker Damien Ramos connected on a 20-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to lift No. 12 Louisiana State University to a 34-31 win over Arkansas in a back and forth affair Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.
BATON ROUGE, La. — Placekicker Damien Ramos connected on a 20-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to lift No. 12 Louisiana State University to a 34-31 win over Arkansas in a back and forth affair Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels, who finished 20-of-29 passing for 320 yards, four touchdown passes and an 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.
After falling behind 13-3 late in the second quarter, LSU’s offense responded when they needed it most with a 49-yard touchdown connection between Daniels and Brian Thomas with 30 seconds to play in the half, a big momentum shifter before the teams hit the locker room.
Daniels would find Thomas again on the first drive of the second half for another 49-yard touchdown score, giving the Tigers (3-1 overall, 2-0 in Southeastern Conference play) a 17-13 lead behind a three play drive lasting just one minute.
The Razorbacks (2-2, 0-1) took the early lead at 3-0 on Cam Little’s 23yard field goal with 5:56 left in the first quarter. After Arkansas cornerback Dwight McGlorthern picked off Daniels, the Hogs cashed the takeaway into another 23-yard field goal with 13:24 left before halftime for a 6-0 advantage for Arkansas.
After LSU got on the board with a field goal, K.J. Jefferson hit Tyrone Broden on a touchdown to put Arkansas up 13-3. The last-second first-half LSU score cut its deficit to 13-10 at the break.
Little’s hat trick of his third field goal, a 40-yarder, cut the Arkansas deficit to 17-16 with 5:44 left in the third quarter.
The Hogs tied the game at 24-all with 14:11 remaining in the game on Jefferson’s 59-yard TD pass to Luke Hasz. Little’s PAT knotted the score.
After LSU took a 31-24 lead, Arkansas re-tied the game as Jefferson hit Hasz for the second touchdown pass connection between the two. Little’s extra point tied the game at 31-all with 6:59 left to play.
