LSU 27, Arkansas 24

Arkansas quarterback Feleipe Franks (13) carries the ball during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s football game against LSU at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — Refreshed LSU’s crafty game plan, a controversial targeting penalty on Jalen Catalon and a tipped field goal try were the defining moments in the Battle for the Golden Boot on Saturday.

The Tigers executed their ball-control plan for freshman quarterback TJ Finley on offense to take advantage of the Razorbacks’ covid-19-depleted defensive front to outlast all day, converting 12 of 23 on offense and holding the University of Arkansas to 0 of 10.

LSU cornerback Jay Ward went from goat — for allowing a couple of big-play shots to Mike Woods — to lategame hero. Ward broke up a third-down swing pass to Trelon Smith on Arkansas’ final possession at the LSU 27, then the sophomore deflected A.J. Reed’s potential game-tying 44-yard field goal try with 1:24 remaining to seal the win.

LSU claimed the Golden Boot trophy for the fifth consecutive year and kept alive its streak of not losing back-to-back games under fifth-year Coach Ed Orgeron, who improved to 5-0 against Arkansas with the Tigers.

“Tremendous win for our football team,” Orgeron said. “It came down to the final play, and we did it.”

Arkansas (3-5) — playing without tailback Rakeem Boyd, three defensive line starters and another handful of defensive contributors — lost back-to-back games for the first time under first-year Coach Sam Pittman.

“LSU had the ball the whole time,” Pittman said. “They probably looked out there and saw some new faces on the D-line and felt like they could possibly have a good running game on us, which they did.”

Arkansas had a succession of big-play strikes from Feleipe Franks to Woods, Treylon Burks and T.J. Hammonds to

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo) Arkansas running back Trelon Smith dives but can’t make a catch in front of LSU linebacker Micah Baskerville during the Razorbacks’ loss to the Tigers on Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. It was Arkansas’ fifth consecutive loss to LSU. More photos available at arkansasonline.com/1122hogs.