By Harry King

LITTLE ROCK — Any time Bobby Petrino is calling plays, hedge your bets or risk looking silly, like the LSU defense.
The way the Tigers bought into two situations brings to mind the second line of an old saying, “Fool me twice, shame on me.”
CBS’ Steve Beuerlein, who has been around big-time football for almost 30 years, fell in with the LSU defense, ignoring Petrino’s argument for an additional 2 1-2 seconds on the clock just before half and declaring that Ryan Mallett would take a knee. Instead, an 80-yard pass put Arkansas ahead to stay.
There is no reason to plea for time if the plan is to run out the clock.
The first out-of-the-blue touchdown rocked the Tigers; the second came on fourth-and-3 and deflated them. Most of the final quarter, the Razorbacks pounded LSU, looking physically superior to a team that is supposed to be one of the most physical in the Southeastern Conference.
The 31-23 victory was an exclamation point to a splendid 10-2 season and put the Razorbacks in position for their first BCS bowl game. If unbeaten Auburn defeats South Carolina in the SEC championship game next week, Arkansas will be front and center for the Jan. 4 Sugar Bowl, maybe against Ohio State.
Petrino alluded to the possibility when he said in the post-game that the Tigers “need to win, that would be nice.”
The Razorbacks’ 6-2 conference record reflects a remarkably rapid ascent to the upper echelon of the SEC in only Petrino’s third year. During the previous 11 years, Arkansas bettered 5-3 in the league only once and that was 7-1 in 2006 — the last year that Arkansas was above .500 in conference play.
Against LSU, there were many heroes.
The list begins with Knile Davis, the constantly improving, pads-low running back. His hard numbers were 30 carries for 152 yards. His value as a deterrent to a sack-happy defense is incalculable.
Mallett, of course, was part of it. Although he threw two interceptions and got away with a risky under-handed toss, two long touchdown passes to Cobi Hamilton would not have been possible for a quarterback with a lesser arm.
Davis, Mallett and Hamilton recorded the glory stats on offense.
But, the defense was equally responsible for the victory. Three times in the third quarter, LSU had chances to erase Arkansas’ 21-14 lead. Following two big plays in the kicking game and an interception by Mallett, the Tigers started from the Arkansas 46 and 9 and the LSU 49.
Provided that sort of field position, LSU managed only two field goals. At 21-20, end Tenarius Wright made an Antonio Carteresque play that epitomized the all-game effort of the defense.
Auburn’s defensive tackle had no chance to catch Alabama’s Mark Ingram on Friday, but he relentlessly pursued the running back and knocked the ball out of Ingram’s arms after Ingram stumbled. The touchback kept Alabama from expanding its large lead.
On third-and-5 from the Arkansas 46, LSU’s Jordan Jefferson was about to pop out of a pile with an open field in front of him when Wright grabbed him from behind. He circled all the way around his blocker to make the play.
LSU made 26 yards in the third quarter, only 294 for the game.

——-
Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com.