Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Chilly Tigers might be best hope for Hogs
FAYETTEVILLE — Be careful what you wish for, Arkansas Razorbacks football fans. Because you are getting it. Many of you are sick and tired of your Razorbacks kicking their games off at 11 a.m. in Fayetteville as the TV networks dictated the last three games played at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
You clamored for a night game. And now you have one Saturday for this season’s Fayetteville finale before Arkansas finishes on the SEC road at Mississippi State and at Missouri.
The Razorbacks, 2-7, 0-5 in the SEC, and the AP nationally No. 9 LSU Tigers, 7-2, 4-2, kick off their Saturday SEC West game at 6:30 p.m.
According to Tuesday’s Fayetteville forecast for Saturday, the high temperature projects 49 degrees. Presumably that high ascends at or slightly past the 11 a.m. kickoff that Arkansas and LSU would be kicking off had the Arkansas vs. Alabama; Arkansas vs. Tulsa; and Arkansas vs. Vanderbilt game times been repeated.
With the early evening sun now well down via this week’s commenced Central Standard Time, temperatures are predicted plunging towards their projected 32 degrees freezing low when Razorbacks and Tigers kick off on SEC Network TV.
At least Saturday sleet or snow wasn’t predicted as of Tuesday.
Still, bound to be uncomfortable, the night game chill for the fans. But who knows, maybe chilling could provide comfort for the Hogs.
Weather sometimes equalizes talent. Despite how LSU looked getting skunked, 29-0 by the Alabama Crimson Tide last Saturday night at the Tigers’ lair in Baton Rouge, La., the football talent gulf separating LSU ahead of Arkansas spans immense.
Some Arkansas fans straining for optimism can cite that Arkansas scored 31 on Alabama compared to LSU’s zip.
Conversely, LSU limited Alabama to 29 points compared to the Tide tallying 65 on Arkansas.
Other score comparisons decidedly favor LSU. Specifically Arkansas’ 34-3 and 37-33 losses to Auburn and Ole Miss vs. LSU’s 22-21 and 45-16 SEC successes over Auburn and Ole Miss.
Most telling how strong LSU can be in the SEC, the Tigers defeated nationally No. 5 Georgia and No. 18 Mississippi State, 36-16 and 19-3.
However, history reflects the Bayou Bengals from steamy Cajun country not enjoying the chill that can accompany an Arkansas November.
In Fayetteville November night conditions much like what’s predicted for Saturday, former Coach Bret Bielema’s 2014 Razorbacks frosted 17-0 an eventual 8-5 LSU team.
Houston Nutt’s so-so 6-6 Razorbacks of 2000 played an eventual 8-4 LSU team in a daylong deluge at Little Rock leaving the Tigers down 14-3 in the rain.
The first time that Arkansas and LSU played as SEC opponents back in 1992, Joe Kines coached his last game as Arkansas’ interim head coach in a 30-6 trouncing of the Tigers freezing in Fayetteville.
Given LSU’s 2018 national championship hopes were just drowned by the Tide, Arkansas’ best hope seems making the Tigers most wish to come in from the cold.