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The Arkansas Razorbacks (5-4, 2-3) will host the No. 7 LSU Tigers (7-2, 5-1) for the Battle of the Golden Boot on Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly will get his first taste of the rivalry as he is in his first season with the Tigers, who took down the Alabama Crimson Tide last week.
The Hogs will be looking to rebound from a 21-19 home loss to Liberty.
Kelly spoke highly of Arkansas’ offense, Drew Sanders and Sam Pittman during his Monday press conference. He also mentioned former Razorbacks Joe Foucha and Greg Brooks Jr., who transferred to LSU after last season.
Here is more from Kelly’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s game, which is set to kickoff at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN:
On Arkansas’ offense:
Though the Hogs scored just 19 points in the loss to Liberty last week, they still rank as the No. 13 total offense in the nation.
“Playing a team that has a very prolific offense,” Kelly said. “In terms of players, it starts with their quarterback. I think it’s the fifth time now we’ve seen a big, physical quarterback. KJ Jefferson, 6-3, 240. He’s got 17 passing touchdowns, six rushing touchdowns. He’s going to be a handful. We’ve got to be able to control what he does and get him on the ground.”
Kelly went on to state what most Hog fans already know, Jefferson is a threat in the run game.
“He’s going to be actively in involved in the run game,” Kelly said. “They’re not afraid to run him at any time. We’ve seen him take off from the 5-yard line in the air. He’s a physical player. Again, we’re going to have to do a really good job of containing him.”
Arkansas running back Rocket Sanders’ 1,101 rushing yards ranks sixth in the nation and first in the SEC. Kelly complimented Sanders and Razorback center Ricky Stromberg.
“Sanders, the running back, probably the biggest back that we’ll see,” Kelly said. “That one-two combination (of Sanders and Jefferson), with arguably the best center in all of college football in Stromberg, a very good scheme. Accomplished SEC wide receivers. This is a really good offense that we’re going to have to slow down.”
On Sam Pittman:
Kelly and Pittman don’t know each other that well, but Pittman had good things to say about the LSU head coach on Monday.
“I’ve gotten to know him a little bit in our head coaches meetings,” Pittman said. “And of course hired or he kept Brad Davis over there that he knew I had years with Brad. So we visited about that a little bit. But he’s a really good coach, good man.”
Kelly echoed some of the sentiments that Pittman had towards him.
“Sam Pittman, I have a great deal of respect for him,” Kelly said. “Very good football coach. He’ll have his football team ready to go.”
On Arkansas’ defense:
Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders is tied for 12th in the nation in sacks, and he leads the conference in that category.
“Really good football player,” Kelly said. “And they do a lot really good things with him. He plays inside, but they move him to an outside position where he can come off the edge.”
Arkansas had a pair of defenders in Foucha and Brooks transfer to LSU, but the Hogs gained a pair of former Tigers over the offseason as well.
“Got a couple of former LSU players in their starting defense,” Kelly said. “Landon Jackson and Dwight McGlothern. Good football players that are obviously playing well for them.”
Is this a trap game?
The Tigers pulled off a 32-21 upset over Alabama in overtime last Saturday, bringing up the question of if the Arkansas game could be a letdown spot.
“I guess that’s what they call it,” Kelly said. “I’ve never bought into that, because I think if it’s a trap game, you have not done a very good job with your football team.”
Kelly said it’s all about the team mindset in games like this.
“They know that Arkansas is an SEC opponent that beat them last year,” Kelly said. “We’ve been working on how we think since Day 1. It becomes a trap game if you’re not thinking the right way.”
What it’s like for Joe Foucha and Greg Brooks to return to Fayetteville?
As previously mentioned, Foucha and Brooks — both Louisiana natives — transferred to the Tigers after last season.
“Certainly this will be a big thing for them going back to Fayetteville as transfers,” Kelly said. “What was appealing to us as we were putting this back together was to have SEC experience and a connection with the state of Louisiana. And both of those guys filled that box and checked that box for us.”
Kelly said this game means more about playing for LSU than the pair’s past at Arkansas.
“What it means for them is they play for LSU,” Kelly said. “And they have such a pride in being from the state of Louisiana. And they want the Golden Boot back. As much as they’ll have friends and former players that they know, this will be more about them wanting to win for LSU, because that’s why they came back here.”