Arkansas football report: Andrew Armstrong finally scores a TD

FAYETTEVILLE – On Andrew Armstrong’s 41st catch of the season, the sixth-year wide receiver at Arkansas scored his first touchdown.

Armstrong broke free and caught a pass from Taylen Green for a 25-yard touchdown play to pull the Razorbacks within 13-7 with 8:25 left in the second quarter of the No. 8 Tigers’ 34-10 win Saturday night at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Despite missing the opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff as he continued to recover from a hamstring injury, Armstrong entered Saturday night’s game leading the Razorbacks with 38 receptions for 552 yards but had yet to score. He finished the game with seven receptions for 94 yards.

The media voted Armstrong the winner of the Crip Hall Award, which goes to Arkansas’ outstanding senior in the homecoming game.

Armstrong, who transferred to Arkansas from NCAA Division II Texas A&M-Commerce last year, has 45 catches for 646 yards this season. Last season he had 56 receptions for 764 and 5 touchdowns.

Saturday night marked the 34th straight game in which Armstrong caught a pass, including 29 straight with multiple catches.

Ray of hope

Arkansas kicker Matthew Shipley provided a bright spot for the Razorbacks in an otherwise difficult game for their offense.

Arkansas tied its season low in points, but Shipley scored three of them with a career-long field goal.

Shipley, a fifth-year senior transfer from Hawaii, reached his career field goal by hitting a 51-yarder to put the Razorbacks up 16-10 with 9:57 left in the third quarter.

Shipley also hit a 51-yard field goal on the final play of the season for Hawaii last season, leading to a 27-24 victory over Colorado State in Honolulu.

After transferring to Arkansas, Shipley struggled with consistency in the spring and the Razorbacks added another transfer kicker in Kyle Ramsey from Abilene Christian.

Ramsey won the kicker job in preseason camp but injured his groin in Arkansas’ game against Tennessee two weeks ago.

Shipley hit a 23-yard field goal after subbing Ramsey to help Arkansas beat Tennessee 19-14.

After the open date last week, Ramsey is still out and didn’t dress up Saturday night, so Shipley is the kicker for now.

Shipley missed a 42-yard attempt in the first quarter against LSU.

Arkansas is 9 of 15 field goal attempts this season – including five misses between 41 and 46 yards – with Ramsey 7 of 12 and Shipley 2 of 3.

The Razorbacks’ lowest point of the season came in a 21-17 loss to Texas A&M.

Overturned

LSU safety Sage Ryan was initially called for a hit that broke up a pass intended for Arkansas wide receiver Tyrone Broden with 1:33 left in the second quarter.

After a video review, the call was overturned and Ryan remained in the game rather than face an automatic ejection.

Broden was helped off the field but later returned.

A targeting penalty would have given Arkansas a first down at the LSU 34.

Instead, it was second down at the LSU 49. After two incomplete passes from Taylen Green, the Razorbacks stumbled.

By the end of the first half, LSU had a 16-7 lead.

O-line shuffle

Arkansas had the same five starting offensive players but two at different positions against LSU in the seventh game this season.

E’Marion Harris and Keyshawn Blackstock swapped positions against LSU, with Harris starting at right tackle and Blackstock at left guard.

Left tackle Fernando Carmona, center Addison Nichols and right guard Josh Braun started in the same spots they all sat all season.

Hampton honored

Dan Hampton, an Arkansas All-America defensive lineman from Jacksonville, was honored on the field between the first and second quarters for his upcoming induction into the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.

Hampton was a first-team All-American in 1978 when he made 98 tackles, including 18 for lost yards. He was named the Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Hampton later played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Razorbacks have 10 players in the College Football of Fame. Hampton joins Wear Schoonover (1927–29), Clyde Scott (1944–48), Wayne Harris (1958–60), Lance Alworth (1959–61), Ronnie Caveness (1962–64), Loyd Phillips (1964–66) to. Chuck Dicus (1968-70), Billy Ray Smith Jr. (1979-82) and Darren McFadden (2005-07).

Arkansas coaches in the Hall of Fame include Hugo Bezdek, Frank Broyles, Danny Ford, Lou Holtz, Frank Schmidt and Bowden Wyatt.

The College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 will be formally inducted at the National Football Foundation’s 66th Annual Awards Dinner on December 10 in Las Vegas.

No bags

LSU’s sacks allowed this season remained at two as the Razorbacks were unable to tackle quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.

South Carolina allowed both of LSU’s sacks as the Tigers defeated the Gamecocks 36-33.

The hardest hit Nussmeier apparently took was when Arkansas defensive end Nico Davillier hit him after a pass and was called for roughhousing on the passer.

Lots of red

Arkansas wore red jerseys and red pants with red helmets for the first time since its final game of the season at LSU, which the Tigers won 34-31.

Prior to last season, the Razorbacks had not worn all-red uniforms since their game against LSU in 2018, when the Tigers won 24-17 in Fayetteville.

The Razorbacks wore all-red jerseys four straight seasons against LSU from 2015 to 2018, including a 31-14 win at Tiger Stadium in 2015.

White tigers

LSU wore all-white uniforms — helmets, jerseys and pants — for the first time this season and sixth time overall.

The Tigers wore all-white jerseys for the first time in 2011 when they defeated Auburn 45-10.

LSU is 4-2 in all-white uniforms.

In and out

Arkansas tight end Andrea Paaske was benched after missing the last three games due to a concussion.

Jaylon Braxton, the Razorbacks’ top cornerback, missed his fifth straight game with a bone bruise.

Third and a mile

After LSU was penalized for holding and offensive pass interference on consecutive plays in the third quarter, the Tigers faced third-and-34 of their 41 plays.

Nussmeier completed a pass to Josh Williams for 11 yards. The Tigers punted but got the ball back one play later when Taylen Green threw an interception.

The Golden Boot

The Golden Boot, a trophy presented to the Arkansas-LSU winner, turned 29 years old this year.

David Bazzel, a former Arkansas linebacker, developed the concept of the trophy game to add some spice to the rivalry.

It has been awarded annually since 1996, with LSU leading the series 20-9 since its inception.

Frank Broyles, Arkansas’ longtime coach and athletic director, agreed to make it a trophy game against LSU when Bazzel presented the idea to him.

The Golden Boot is made in the shape of the states of Arkansas and Louisiana. It weighs almost 200 pounds, is made of 24-karat gold, and is worth about $10,000.

Series story

LSU improved to 45-23-2 against Arkansas, including 6-2 in Fayetteville.

The Tigers are 23-11 in the series since 1992, when the Razorbacks joined the SEC.

LSU is 8-1 against Arkansas since 2016. The Razorbacks’ only win during that time came in 2021, when they won 16-13 in overtime at Tiger Stadium.

Streaking tigers

LSU still hasn’t lost since leaving Las Vegas.

The Tigers extended their winning streak to six games since a 27-20 loss to Southern Cal on Sept. 1, opening the season at Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders.

LSU (6-1, 3-0 SEC) won its second SEC road game along with a 36-33 win at South Carolina to stay in the hunt for a spot in the expanded 12-team playoffs.

Southern Cal hasn’t done as well as LSU since the season opener. The Trojans lost 29-28 at Maryland on Saturday and fell to 3-4, including 1-4 in the Big Ten.