When Anthony Jennings woke up this morning, he probably figured it would be just another day of backup duty behind Zach Mettenberger.
Arkansas vs. LSU final results: Anthony Jennings leads Tigers to stunning 31-27 win
Jennings came in relief of Zach Mettenberger late in the fourth quarter and played the best three minutes of his career.
Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Spor
With just over five minutes on the clock and LSU trailing Arkansas by six, Mettenberger went down with a knee injury. Jennings was thrown into the fire in front of nearly 85,000 people at Tiger Stadium.
After the Tigers hit a field goal to cut the deficit to 27-24, they forced Arkansas to punt. Jennings, who hails from the heart of Georgia Bulldog country, got the ball back on his own 1-yard line with just over three minutes to go. They would need to go at least 65 yards if they even wanted a shot to tie the game. Ninety-nine yards would likely win the game.
With the clock ticking down, Jennings fired a game-winning 49-yard touchdown pass to Travin Dural to give LSU a 31-27 lead.
Arkansas got one final chance, but Brandon Allen was stripped by an LSU defender and fumbled. A Tiger recovered it, and the game was over.
Box Score Hero:
Anthony Jennings: 4-of-7, 76 yards, one TD, three carries, 26 yards
Brandon Allen: 18-of-28, 167 yards, two TDs, one INT
Jeremy Hill: 20 carries, 145 yards, one TD
Jarvis Landry: Eight receptions, 113 yards
Rankings Ramifications: LSU came in ranked 17th in the nation. While it wasn’t a pretty win, it should keep the Tigers ranked in the top 20 and in good position to earn a respectable bowl bid. The loss gives Arkansas its first 0-8 season against SEC foes in school history.
But Did They Cover? LSU came in as a 28-point favorite, so the Tigers came nowhere close to covering on Friday afternoon. They hit the over, which was 55 points.
For More On This Game: For more on Hogs football, visit Arkansas community Arkansas Fight, plus SEC community Team Speed Kills. For more on Tigers football, visit LSU community And The Valley Shook.
Next Week’s Schedule: Next up for LSU will be its bowl game. Arkansas’ season ended on Friday since it did not qualify for postseason play.
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