The 2023 edition of LSU football vs. Arkansas is just hours away from kicking off, and that means it’s time for final predictions. When it comes to this matchup, it could go several ways. On one hand, it could be a huge defensive battle. Conversely, there’s plenty of star power on either offense, which could lead to a high-scoring affair. Either way, here, we’ll break down exactly how we think today’s game will go down, including impact performances from Whit Weeks and Aaron Anderson.
Four predictions ahead of LSU football vs. Arkansas matchup
1. The Tiger running game stands tall
Last week, it was the passing game. The Tigers threw the ball practically at will, leading to one of the best performances we’ve ever seen from an LSU football quarterback.
For LSU football vs. Arkansas, we could see a very different offensive strategy.
One of the things the Razorbacks are best at is getting to the quarterback on defense. They’re seventh in the country in sacks per game (4.0), and they got to Jayden Daniels seven times in 2022.
However, I think we could see coach Brian Kelly actually use that pursuit against the Arkansas defense in this year’s game. This could be especially true following last week’s passing game performance.
If the Tigers elect to run the ball a bit more this week, it could lead to a lower-scoring affair but a dominant one regardless.
2. Freshman LB Whit Weeks leads the team in tackling…again
Last week vs. Mississippi State, one of the biggest surprises of the day was freshman linebacker Whit Weeks. We knew about the athleticism and his older brother, West Weeks, but that was about it.
Needless to say, he put his name on the map, leading the team in tackles vs. the Bulldogs. He finished with eight total on the day, bringing his season total up to 12.
With the news that senior linebacker Omar Speights would likely be out again, we could see even more opportunity for the freshman.
Coach Brian Kelly loves to have his linebackers running around, and with his performance last week, Whit Weeks showed more than enough capability to do so. I think we could see yet another big game out of the star freshman vs. the Razorbacks as he further makes his case for more snaps going forward.
3. Aaron Anderson gets his first touchdown of the season
One of the most hyped-up players of the offseason was redshirt freshman wide receiver Aaron Anderson. When it comes to him in the open field, it’s hard to take him down, thanks to his lower center of gravity and overall speed.
However, through three games in 2023, we have yet to see it translate to the football field. So far, he’s recorded just six receptions for 19 yards, averaging 3.2 yards per catch.
Oddly enough, while those kinds of numbers don’t exactly lend confidence, his lack of success could lead to a big performance for him. Early on, it wouldn’t have surprised if defenses were preparing to face him quite a bit more. After all, he has some of the best big-play capability for the Tigers and could hurt a defense if given the opportunity.
However, after three unimpressive weeks in a row, defenses might start to sleep on him more.
I expect the Tigers to get him the ball more in week four for LSU football vs. Arkansas, which could easily lead to his first score of the season.
4. Final score prediction
The 2023 edition of LSU football vs. Arkansas could go in many different directions. The Razorbacks have plenty of question marks, particularly along the defense, which immediately leads you to believe in a dominant Tiger win.
However, if you look at the history of this game, there’s something about it that just trips you up. In the last five seasons, this matchup has been decided by more than seven points just once.
That said, I think this season breaks the trend a bit. I would be surprised to see a super-dominant win by any means, but I think the LSU football offense has far too much talent to get stumped today.
For my final prediction ahead of the 2023 matchup, I expect a score of 34-17 when the clock hits zero.
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