By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
BATON ROUGE, La. — Arkansas safety Matt Harris is putting the perfect holiday plans together in his head.
The Dallas area native, who is in the final few weeks of his college career, would love to pack his belongings, load them into a U-Haul, and drive home for Christmas. He would enjoy being in his hometown for Cotton Bowl week and playing his final game in front of family and friends.
“But we’re not really focused on what’s after LSU,” Harris said Wednesday night, quickly changing the subject because of the challenge that lies ahead. “If we take care of LSU, we know everything else will be taken care of.”
There won’t be division titles or national championship implications tied into tonight’s battle for the Golden Boot between No. 17 LSU (8-3, 4-3 in Southeastern Conference) and Arkansas (7-4, 3-4). But there is a little more than just bragging rights at stake in Tiger Stadium.
In essence, the annual, season-ending rivalry is being billed as a playoff of sorts. The winner becomes the favorite to receive an invitation to play in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2 and spend the holidays in Dallas.
It is a scenario that seemed out of reach for the Razorbacks a month ago. But Arkansas has elevated itself in the bowl pecking order thanks to a four-game win streak, which has been fueled by quarterback Ryan Mallett and an offense that has been shredding opponents.
So Arkansas wants to finish the job by winning its fifth straight this season and third in a row against LSU.
“We wanted to make a bowl game” Arkansas receiver Greg Childs said. “Since we’re able to go to a bowl, we want to go to the best one we can possibly get to. In order for us to do that, we have to win this next game here.”
The Razorbacks know it won’t come easy, though.
Arkansas has struggled on the road this season, dropping games at Alabama, Florida and Ole Miss by a combined score of 88-44. The Razorbacks may have not been at their best when leaving the state, but believe so much has changed since the 30-17 loss at Ole Miss on Oct. 24.
Arkansas will get to prove it in one of the toughest environments in college football. After years of playing in Baton Rouge on a Friday afternoon, the Razorbacks will get a taste of Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.
LSU has been dominant at home on Saturday nights, winning 35 of its previous 36 games. The Tigers are 24-1 in Saturday night home games under Les Miles. Florida handed LSU its only loss with a 13-3 win earlier this season.
But Mallett said Arkansas will be prepared for the atmosphere, learning plenty in its previous road losses.
“If you know me or you know any of these guys, you know that we don’t get intimidated,” Mallett said. “We go into every game with our game face on and say ‘Bring it. Let’s go.’ It’s a football game. That is what we signed up for.”
The Tigers will be under pressure to perform, too, after last week’s fourth quarter debacle against Ole Miss.
Poor clock management cost LSU a chance to win in the final minute of its 25-23 loss. The Tigers have dealt with the fallout all week, but Miles said his team is eager to bury its frustrations on senior night.
“With 24 seniors leaving, the opportunity to get a ninth victory and possibly the 10th victory with a bowl destination all in the works, our football team wants to play well,” Miles said of LSU’s motivation. “They’re going to come into Tiger Stadium and lay it on the line.”
Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino is confident his team will do the same after four confidence-building performances.
Cotton Bowl talk has swirled around the program this week, but it’s something Petrino has tried to downplay. He said Arkansas has zero influence over which bowl it will be invited to, so there’s no need to worry about it.
“I think you just understand that that all plays itself out,” Petrino said. “What we have to do as a football coaching staff and players is just get ready for this game and worry about our performance.”
But the reward for beating LSU — and winning its fifth straight game — has become pretty clear.
It would make Arkansas the likely choice to head to the Cotton Bowl for the first time under Petrino.
“I know we want to make it to the Cotton Bowl and it starts (tonight),” linebacker Wendel Davis said. “In order for us to make it there, we’re going to have to take care of business (tonight). That’s what we plan on doing.”
