LSU vs. Arkansas: What Sam Pittman said about facing the Tigers

LSU (5-1) is coming off a thrilling overtime home win over Ole Miss, but will hit the road to take on an unranked Arkansas (4-2) team that has been competitive this season under head coach Sam Pittman.

For LSU, it’s the first of back to back SEC road games.

Arkansas is coming off a bye week and beat No. 4 Tennessee the week prior. Here’s what the Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman had to say to start the week about the Tigers coming to town.

Pittman’s opening statement: We’re excited about playing LSU here at night, another Top 10 program and deservedly so. Very well-coached. Offensively, Nussmeier is playing really, really well. Throwing the ball a lot with a lot of empty sets more and more as the weeks go by, and they should. They’re really good at tackle where they can protect, both tackles, and really good a receiver and tight end as well. Our defense has their work cut out for them because they’re well-coached and playing extremely well.

Defensively, both their defensive ends is a problem. (Bradyn) Swinson and (Sai’vion) Jones are really good players. I like their linebacker group as good as anybody that we’ve played, starting with (Whit) Weeks, (Greg) Penn and (Major) Burns. (Jardin) Gilbert’s played really good at safety making a lot of tackles for them. Defense is probably what you’ve noticed a little bit more about them this year, the improvement they’ve made over last year.

On special teams, they’re really good as well. They have a good punter and kickoff returner. They’re in the Top 10 for a reason. They’re well-coached, big and fast, so we’re excited about the challenge but it is certainly a challenge.

Q: What did you see Ole Miss do to Nussmeier that might work this week?

Pittman: They tried a lot of different things. They got pressure on him. He moved up in the pocket on that last one and threw a dart to tie the game. He’s a little bit scary scrambling as well. He knows where his pocket is. He’s good in the pocket. They want to throw the football. We have to stop their running game, they can’t have both of them or we’ll be in trouble. They got a few plays in the running game, we’ve got to contain, that went for 20 or 30 yards. They’ll want to be five wide and we’ve got to get them throwing the football and hopefully we can pick a few of them and get to Nussmeier and have some negative plays. That’s when Ole Miss was having success. …

Q: What does the LSU OL do well to protect Nussmeier?

Pittman: They’re good at tackle. They’re good with him being able to step up because their guards and center are big. He gets rid of the ball fast, knows where he’s going on his reads and he has a quick release. I think that’s why he’s had few sacks, along with their backs in protection, when they use them, and their tackles are extremely good players.

Q: Every game with LSU seems to be a 3-point game, do you expect another this weekend?

Pittman: I believe it will be a close game. They have a really good team and so do we. I think it will come down to turnovers or whatever. We’ve got to play a smart game, a physical game. They are very, very physical. We have high respect for them but I think it will be one hell of a game to come watch.

Q: Y’all played 3 redshirt freshmen QBs in a row and now you’re facing a guy like Nussmeier who has been through a little more. How does that change anything in defending him?

Pittman: Along with them protecting him and his good wide outs and tight ends, it will affect what we try to do against him. We have high respect. He’s a really good thrower. … It’s probably the same thing. You’ve got to move the game from where he wants to throw the ball from, you have to get in his face, you have to push the pocket. We just know that Nussmeier is older and with that sometimes becomes wiser. I don’t know how much it will affect it to be honest with you.

Q: What about Kyren Lacy makes him so dynamic?

Pittman: His ability to control his body. He can go up over the top of you. He can stop on a dime. His route running. He’s got everything. It’s amazing they replaced who they had with other great wide receivers. Him catching the back shoulder in the end, really good player. He got hit and looked like he couldn’t even come back then comes back in. He must be tougher than a nail. He came back in and caught a bunch, and then the winner. He has natural ball skills. He can control his body as good as anybody I’ve seen.