BATON ROUGE -- LSU made a fateful decision in overtime, having freshman quarterback Garrett Nussmeier challenge University of Arkansas senior cornerback Montaric Brown with a fade route in the right corner of the end zone from the Razorbacks' 8.
Nussmeier delivered the pass too far to the inside, where Brown had perfect position as wideout Devonta Lee turned to find the ball. Brown secured it as he fell to the grass to nab the Razorbacks' third takeaway of the day.
The interception gave Arkansas an easy call to keep the ball on the ground on its overtime possession and set up Cam Little's game-winning 37-yard field goal as the Razorbacks beat LSU 16-13 Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.
"I mean, what was it, his fourth interception of the year?" Arkansas linebacker Bumper Pool asked, accurately. "He's an unbelievable corner and they went at him, and he made a play like we all knew he was going to make. Just an unbelievable moment for the defense to kind of end the game."
Brown said he ranked the interception "up there in my top five [plays] for sure, having that mindset that the ball is coming my way all the time. Just trusting my technique. That's what I do in practices. It just translates to the game."
Little said he was warming up and kicking field goals into his netting on the sideline when Brown turned in the defensive gem.
"I knew once 'Busta' picked it, me and Vito Calvaruso were in the kicking net, and he was just like, 'Hey we're about to go out there and have to kick a game-winner,' " Little said. "And I said, 'Yeah, I know, and I'm ready to get it done.' "
Another raise
Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman earned his second $250,000 pay raise in as many weeks with the victory over LSU.
Pittman could earn up to one more $250,000 raise with another regular-season win at either No. 2 Alabama on Saturday or at home against Missouri on Nov. 26.
As of now, Pittman is in line to earn $3.5 million per year beginning in January, up from $3 million this year. His contract calls for salary increases of $250,000 for each of his sixth, seventh and eighth regular-season wins.
Pittman is the 12th-highest paid coach at a public university in the SEC.
Saturday's win also increased the likelihood Pittman will earn an additional one-time $150,000 bowl bonus this year. His contract calls for that amount if the Razorbacks play in one of the SEC's group of six bowl games -- the Outback, Liberty, Gator, Music City, Texas, Las Vegas or Duke's Mayo bowls.
The Duke's Mayo (formerly Belk) Bowl in Charlotte, N.C., and Las Vegas Bowl alternate SEC affiliations each year, and the Duke's Mayo has the SEC tie-in this season.
Pittman is guaranteed a bonus of at least $100,000 for leading the Razorbacks to a bowl game this season.
Bringing Boot home
David Bazzel, the former Razorbacks linebacker, didn't create the Golden Boot as a trophy for the Arkansas-LSU winner so it could stay in Baton Rouge.
At the time Bazzel created the Boot in 1996, the Razorbacks and Tigers were 2-2 against each other in SEC games.
But LSU had won the Boot five consecutive years -- the longest winning streak by either team in SEC play -- before the Razorbacks beat the Tigers for the first time since 2015.
"It's nice to see the trophy coming back home to Arkansas and see the players get excited about it," Bazzel said. "The most important thing is winning the game, but the Boot is very symbolic of where your program is as far as winning and losing.
"The teams are playing for that big, gaudy Boot, and if you don't have it, it's reflective of your program."
The Boot weighs 175 pounds and is made of 24-karat gold.
"For LSU, I think it had become no big deal, because they'd won it five years in a row," Bazzel said. "Now that Arkansas' program is back on the right track, I think you'll see more competitive games with LSU and the value of it being a trophy game be bigger."
Arkansas is 9-17 against LSU since the Boot was created.
-- Bob Holt
Linebackers launch
The linebackers for both Arkansas and LSU feasted in the tackle department on Saturday.
The Razorbacks' trio of Bumper Pool (13), Grant Morgan (11) and Hayden Henry (10) all contributed double-figure tackles. Additionally, the group combined for 4.5 tackles for loss, including Henry's 10-yard sack in overtime.
The LSU duo of Micah Baskerville and Damone Clark was just as active. Baskerville had a team-high 12 tackles, 7 of them solo, and posted 2 sacks among his 3.5 tackles for loss. Clark had 11 tackles, 7 solo, and 1 sack
OT data
The Razorbacks, once the overtime kings, won their first overtime decision since a 41-38 victory in two overtimes at No. 15 TCU on Sept. 10, 2016.
The Razorbacks improved to 13-7 all-time in overtime, including 10-2 on the road, and 2-1 at LSU. They are 3-0 at Mississippi State in overtime 2-0 at Ole Miss, and 1-0 at Alabama, Kentucky and TCU.
Arkansas is 2-2 in overtime games at home and 1-3 at neutral venues.
Arkansas' 41-38 loss in six overtimes at Tennessee in 2002 was its only overtime setback in its first eight such games.
The Razorbacks were 9-2 in overtime through 2011 before losing one game in extra periods in consecutive years between 2012-15. They have beaten every other SEC West team in overtime with the exception of Texas A&M (0-3).
Twice as nice
Saturday was the first time Arkansas' basketball and football teams won on the same day in 15 years, according to Hogstats.com.
Arkansas' football team won 28-14 at Mississippi State on Nov. 11, 2006, to clinch the SEC West title. Also that day the basketball team beat Stephen F. Austin 70-59 in Walton Arena.
Before the Razorbacks won at LSU Saturday night, the basketball team beat Gardner-Webb 86-69 in an afternoon home game.
-- Bob Holt
O's first Boot loss
Add LSU Coach Ed Orgeron to the list.
Since the Golden Boot trophy was introduced in 1996, no full-time Arkansas or LSU coach has gone undefeated in the series.
Orgeron. who will not return as LSU's coach after this season ends, had been 5-0 against the Razorbacks prior to Saturday night's game.
Only Hal Hunter has not lost a battle for the Boot. Hunter was LSU's interim coach for the final game of the 1999 season when the Tigers beat the Razorbacks 35-10 for their only SEC win.
Nick Saban was 3-2 and Les Miles was 6-5 against Arkansas while coaching LSU, and Gerry DiNardo coached the Tigers to a 2-1 record in the first three battles for the Boot. DiNardo was fired with one game remaining in 1999.
Arkansas has had six full-time coaches and two interims lose to LSU since 1996. Against the Tigers, Danny Ford was 0-2 in trophy games; Houston Nutt was 4-6; Bobby Petrino was 2-2; Bret Bielema was 2-3; Chad Morris was 0-1; and Sam Pittman is 1-1.
The Razorbacks lost to LSU in 2012 when John L. Smith was their interim coach between Petrino and Bielema.
Arkansas lost at LSU in 2019 in its first of two games under interim coach Barry Lunney Jr.
One possession win
Arkansas improved to 3-4 in one possession or overtime games under Sam Pittman.
The Razorbacks won back-to-back one-possession games for the first time since 2017 when they won 38-37 at Ole Miss followed by a 39-38 home win against Coastal Carolina.
Players of the week
Offense
QB KJ Jefferson
Jefferson's ability to elude blitzers and escape a few sacks turned into Arkansas' most dangerous weapon in the second half. Jefferson completed 18 of 25 passes for 142 yards -- including a 43-yard touchdown pass to Dominique Johnson when he shook off a blitzing Tiger. Jefferson also rushed 15 times for 41 yards.
Defense
CB Montaric Brown
Brown set up Arkansas' game winning field goal when he intercepted Garrett Nussmeier's pass in the end zone to end the Tigers' overtime possession. It was Brown's team-high fourth interception this season. He also had 6 tackles and 1 pass breakup.