Arkansas loses to LSU in overtime
Arkansas kicker Alex Tejada missed a 36 yard field goal that would have sent the game into a second overtime on Saturday, and the Razorbacks lost the Battle of the Boot to LSU 30-33.
Arkansas scored first on a 47 yard field goal by Tejada, but Ryan Mallett struggled in the first half and LSU led 17-6 at halftime.
Arkansas’ potent offense came to life in the second half, though, and Arkansas had cut LSU’s lead to 4 on a pair of touchdown runs by Ronnie Wingo and Broderick Green in the third quarter
The teams traded field goals in the fourth quarter, before Ryan Mallett led the Hogs on a 12 play, 75 yard drive that culminated with a 14 yard touchdown pass to Joe Adams to put the Hogs up by 3 with 1:18 to play in regulation.
LSU Quarterback Jordan Jefferson responded with an 8 play, 41 yard drive of his own, and LSU kicker Josh Jasper made a 41 yard field goal with 4 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime.
LSU got the first chance in overtime, and their drive stalled on the 19 yard line where kicker Josh Jasper made a 36 yard field goal.
Arkansas also drove to the 19, and Tejada missed his chance at a 36 yard field goal, giving LSU the victory.
The loss to LSU was Arkansas’ first since October, who coming into the game were on a four game winning streak.
Arkansas finishes the regular season at 7-5, and 3-5 in conference play. The Hogs await their bowl selection, but ESPN’s Chris Lowe is speculating that the Hogs will play in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Saturday, January 2nd against a Conference USA team.
[Photo by jaytkendall via Flickr and Creative Commons 2.0.]
Comments
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Hank
November 30, 2009
Dusin – Did you see the re-play of Mallett’s reaction to Tejada’s kick. It was a look of worry, followed by expected dissapointment. Has anyone put together a clip of all Tejada’s missed clutch field goals? I’d like to watch it just once as a reminder of how close we were against so many good teams. Then I would burn the tape and possibly break some stuff.
Dustin
November 30, 2009
@Hank No I didn’t see that, but I can sympathize. That’s probably what my face looked like too.
sg
November 30, 2009
@Hank, I did and felt the exact same way. Tejada had a GREAT game going into OT. He made three FGs and had two touchbacks on kickoffs — only to push the OT kick a little to the right. Was I upset with Tejada? Sure. But honestly our defense, special teams and 1st half offense didn’t help us much.
Thinking back on the last four years — I can’t remember a single game won on an Alex Tejada kick. In fact, check this out:
* 2009 Loss to Florida, 23-20, Tejada 2/4 on FGs
* 2009 Loss to LSU, 33-30, Tejada 3/4 on FGs
* 2008 Loss to Mississippi State, 31-28, Tejada 0/2 on FGs
* 2007 Loss to Auburn, 9-7, Tejada 0/1 on FGs
Couldn’t find a game that was either forced into OT or won in regulation by Tejada.
sg
December 1, 2009
Additional things about Tejada in regards to him HELPING win games. I looked at games we have won by 1-4 points over the past three seasons and here’s what I found:
* 2009 — No game won by 1-4 points.
* 2008 — 28-24 win over Western Illinois, 0/0 on FG, 4/4 on XP
* 2008 — 28-27 win over Louisiana-Monroe, 0/2 on FG, 0/1 on XP
* 2008 — 30-23 win over Tulsa, 3/3 on FG, 3/3 on XP (added bc he was a factor)
* 2008 — 31-30 win over LSU, 1/1 on FG, 4/4 on XP
* 2007 — 50-48 win over LSU, 0/0 on FG, 6/6 on XP
So yes, Tejada has helped. But more times than not, he contributed to the loss. Good kicker? Sure can be. Ultimately, he’s proved to not be very reliable.
Anyone miss Kendall Trainor?
Hank
December 2, 2009
@sg – Nice digging on the PsychoT II info. I decided to look back at Petrino’s FG kicker at Lou-a-vul. One of those “past being the best predicter of the future” kind of things. His kicker from 2004-2007 was Art Carmody. Dude was a badass. http://www.uoflsports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/m-footbl-specialteamsrecords.html Didn’t Petrino bench Tejada for a game or two last year? George says we might have a guy from AL coming in next year. I’d be real surprised if we see much more of Tejada if that guy’s any good. I’d say it’s probably a 50/50 chance that we’ll even see him in the bowl game this year. It’s like W once said “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…and…uh..you can’t fool me again.”
burgerboy
December 2, 2009
There’s a new Latino kicker in town.
Well, not just yet. But Petrino has a committment from Eddie Camara or Camaro ( please let it be Camaro ) out of Texas who is supposed to be pretty salty kicker.
Has Arkansas ever had a great kicker?
burgerboy
December 2, 2009
Also, LSU is in Louisiana, which, as everybody knows, is fully of dysfunctional swampdwelling, web-footed, funny-talking alcoholic retrograde degenerates. If you’ve ever attended a sporting even with more than a few LSU fans, you know what I mean.
Plus, its hot, stinks, and basically just all around sucks. Yeah, it has the French Quarter, but thats about it. Its 8 square blocks of cool surrounded by 52,000 square miles of CRRRRRRRRRRAP.
I hate LSU now, way more than the Longhorns.
Bastards.
burgerboy
December 2, 2009
*full
*event
*Bastards.
sg
December 2, 2009
@burgerboy, we sure have. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendall_Trainor