Caden Durham rushed for 101 yards and scored three touchdowns, while Damian Ramos achieved a career-high with four field goals, leading No. 4 LSU to a 34-10 victory over Arkansas on Saturday night.
The Tigers (6-1, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) continued their dominance in the Battle for The Golden Boot series, winning eight of the last nine matchups. LSU has also secured five straight wins in Fayetteville since 2016.
“These games have always been close, but to come down here and play the kind of football we did today, controlling the line of scrimmage — they had 38 yards rushing — and running the football effectively while closing out the game with a long drive, those are the signs of a team that is becoming a contender,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said.
Whit Weeks, who was the SEC’s leading tackler before this game, helped the Tigers late in the third quarter by deflecting and intercepting a Taylen Green pass near the Arkansas 5-yard line. Durham scored on a two-yard run right after that, increasing the LSU lead to 24-10 with 4:52 left in the third quarter.
“He’s active,” Kelly said about Weeks. “In that moment, he was in a pressure situation while blitzing. What stands out is his involvement in almost every play. He’s an elite player in this league.”
Ramos, whose 20-yard field goal helped LSU win against the Razorbacks in 2023, made field goals of 33, 33, 47, and 48 yards. His last kick improved his record to 12 out of 14 for the season.
Garrett Nussmeier passed for 233 yards, and CJ Daniels caught seven passes for 86 yards for the Tigers. Weeks ended the game with nine tackles, a sack, and an interception.
“When you get a turnover in the red zone, that usually means easy points, so that was pretty exciting,” Weeks said about the interception. “I deflected it, then looked up and couldn’t see the ball. I looked at Major (Burns) and said, ‘There it is.’ I caught it, and I really wish I could have scored with it.”
The Tigers’ offense managed to overcome a night filled with penalties. They were penalized 11 times, with eight of those in the first half, including seven false starts.
For Arkansas (4-3, 2-2), Green threw for 239 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Andrew Armstrong made seven catches for 94 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season.
The Razorbacks struggled in the running game, finishing with a season-low 38 yards on 19 carries. This was their lowest rushing total since they had just 36 yards in a loss to Ole Miss last October.
“Now we need to do it again against a strong Texas A&M team on their field,” Kelly said. “I didn’t realize it was a homecoming for Arkansas. I’m sure the Aggies will make it homecoming next week when we play them, too.
“It feels like we’re everyone’s homecoming team, so maybe next year they’ll think about not making us homecoming anymore.”
