Arkansas Won the Fourth Phase Saturday Morning

Cold road game something LSU won't forget for one good reason

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Nov 13, 2022 3:18 PM EST
Original:
Nov 13, 2022

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – It was an atmosphere that wasn't supposed to be present at an 11 a.m. game.

There was every reason to have the most pro-LSU environment possible. SEC road teams love drawing 11 a.m. games because not only does it mean fewer recruits can visit, but it also usually means a dead crowd for most of the game.

Yet that wasn't the case Saturday.

It certainly wasn't something the Tigers anticipated.

The temps were literally freezing as the gates opened. The end zone seats and huge sections of the upper deck were mostly to completely empty.

Visually in the stadium, it looked like things would be borderline library quiet.

That is except when LSU had the ball. The stands were packed with purple.

As Jayden Daniels finished warm-ups, all the ingredients were there for a home game on the road.

Then something odd happened.

As soon as the game kicked off, the Razorback fans who had braved the cold and ice locked in and it became deafening. It was hard for the LSU offense to hear the signals.

It wasn't supposed to happen with all of these factors, but a relatively small 11 a.m. crowd [and we do mean relatively small, not Chad Morris small] suddenly became the equivalent of a packed house for a late September night game.

For LSU, the cold became colder as the intimidation and disruption of a rowdy crowd set in.

As the pressure increased on LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, so did the energy in the stands.

As the energy in the crowd ratcheted up, so did the confidence within the defense.

Then came a Daniels pass that hung in his hands too long that ended up almost puncturing the stomach of Latavious Brini as the senior defensive back secured the interception.

Razorback Stadium was rocking and the defense was bouncing around with bravado.

This carried on all afternoon.

Sack after sack. Head numbing explosion after explosion from the crowd.

It was almost as if there was a personal mission to make up for every empty seat and to make timid every spectator in a purple jersey. There was purpose behind those fans.

It wasn't the effort a 5-5 team deserves, but it was what they were willing to give. If a group of fans could ever will an underdog so great that reportedly 80% of bets from its own fan base went against it to a win over a Top 10 team, they were determined to do it.

There was admittedly a lull in the third quarter where things got quiet by both fan bases. The game became the equivalent of two prize fighters hugging it out in the mid-rounds trying to conserve energy, so it was impressive the fans didn't just fall asleep.

However, when Cade Fortin came in at quarterback, the crowd came roaring back, hoping to do all they could to pitch in. In the end, it wasn't quite enough, but the final score that kept people across the country on the edge of their seats speaks volumes about what happened in Fayetteville Saturday.

When fans band together, even when the house isn't packed and there's a small sea of opposing fans sitting in prime locations, they can truly make a difference in a game.

Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett used to speak about having to win "all three phases" so much that it became the key component of anyone who did an imitation of him.

However, Garrett was wrong. There are four phases to a game.

The effort put forth by the crowd is the fourth phase. Teams win it by disrupting the ability to communicate on the field and fueling their players with adrenaline.

Arkansas may not have won on the scoreboard Saturday, but a relatively small group of highly dedicated fans definitely won in the fourth phase and it showed.

So for those who got up early to go stand in the cold at Razorback Stadium – much respect.

You did what you could.