Arkansas vs. LSU: Tigers' Pass Defense Will Be Too Much for Tyler Wilson

Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson has had a quietly brilliant season in leading the Razorbacks to a 10-1 record. Wilson’s 3,215 passing yards aren’t as eye-popping as some top QBs’ totals, but his touchdown-to-interception ratio of 21-to-5 is a testament to his remarkable efficiency.

Unfortunately for Arkansas, there isn’t a QB in the nation who could make a dent in the pass defense they’ll be facing this afternoon in Baton Rouge. Wilson will decidedly be the best passer LSU has faced, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be able to get anything going against the Tigers’ overpowering D.

LSU is averaging a little under three sacks a game, so Wilson—who’s a terrific pocket passer—will have few opportunities to get his feet set and throw downfield. Even more striking is the performance of the Tigers secondary, which has allowed just five TD passes all year while logging 15 interceptions.

It’s not as if Arkansas can rely on its unremarkable ground game to take any of the pressure off Wilson, either. LSU is allowing just 2.7 yards per carry, and even Razorbacks leader Dennis Johnson has just 606 rushing yards on the season.

As usual, then, the game will be in Wilson’s hands, and he’s just not good enough to maintain any kind of offensive flow against LSU. That goes double with Arkansas playing on the road, as Wilson will inevitably be fighting to overcome false start penalties by his overmatched offensive line.

None of this is to say that Wilson or the Arkansas passing game aren’t very good by any normal standards. It’s just that the 2011 LSU defense requires an entirely different standard—one that no college offense is equipped to reach.