FAYETTEVILLE -- Senior tight end Trey Knox had two touchdown receptions against Liberty on Saturday, but the Hogs still came up short 21-19.
Now Knox and the Hogs have to get ready to face No. 7 LSU which is coming off wins over Ole Miss and most recently Alabama. Knox knows it won't be easy to beat LSU, but feels the Hogs will be ready on Saturday.
"Trying to get a win," Knox said. "It’s hard to win playing in the SEC West. Stealing a game from LSU would be putting us back on the right track. Getting us back into the win column, getting us back bowl eligible just gives us juice to finish out the rest of the season."
Sam Pittman felt like the energy wasn't there for Arkansas on Saturday. Knox said that can't happen against LSU and talked about how to avoid it.
"I think another thing is we’ve got to be able to bring our own juice, man," Knox said. "I think we do a lot of waiting at times, waiting on somebody to make a play or waiting on somebody to do something good that gives us energy. We’ve got to be juice boxes ourselves on the sideline or before the game of getting pumped up or getting in that zone. I think that we struggle with that at times. Just trying to correct that, getting happy in practice and, you know, letting the leaders lead. I think that’s a big thing that we’ve been focusing on, letting the leaders talk, letting the leaders being along other teammates and bring juice and energy to the whole team."
Quarterback KJ Jefferson wasn't his normal self against Liberty after being limited in practice all week leading up to the game. Knox talked about how Jefferson is looking in practice this week as the redshirt junior is throwing the football unlike last week.
"You know, he's a little banged up, but we all are," Knox said. "It's Week 10. We've been playing a lot of ball, and it's football. Guys are hurt and banged up, but he's been looking good. Been moving around and running around just like normal. Been throwing the ball well. Same old KJ."
While Knox had 5- and 8-yard touchdown receptions on Saturday he did have a ball that he almost caught for a touchdown that turned into an interception. Sam Pittman talked about the play on Monday.
"Well, we had two receivers too close," Pittman said. "When the ball was in the air, the only guys that could catch it was us. We ended up tipping it to them. I thought he responded really well. He made a couple of really nice catches, touchdowns, off of it after that. That was one that could have pulled us within seven. It just didn’t happen. But I’m not for sure part of it wasn’t … we had two receivers too close. It was a mistake on a route. He just didn’t catch it."
Knox also talked about the play on Tuesday.
"Just a culmination of a lot … you know we had bad spacing on that play," Knox said. "The corner came off and he made a heck of a play. I’ve got to give him props. He’s on scholarship too, for a reason. He made a play, tipped the ball. Just unfortunate circumstances. But I’ve still got to make that play. Or at least get the ball down and not let it fall in his hands."
Two familiar faces in the LSU secondary that Knox and the Hogs will face on Saturday are Greg Brooks and Joe Foucha. Both transferred from Arkansas to LSU at the semester last year following the Outback Bowl.
"Those are my guys," Knox said. "We've been through a lot of tough times with those guys. They're heck of players. They're very, very good. I've been going against them for three years now. Playing against them is going to be a little weird, you know seeing them in another uniform. But things never stay the same. Just going out there to play my best game and compete against those guys. It's going to be fun knowing that guy across from you and going to make a play on a guy you know."
Knox talked about not having any hard feelings at the pair after they left Arkansas for another SEC school. Both Foucha and Brooks are from Louisiana.
"I mean, Greg and I came in the same class so we spent a lot of time together, on and off the field and competing against each other and stuff," Knox said. "It was a dream for them, to play for their home town school, so I really can’t be mad at them. They feel that’s what they needed to do. They’re grown men so you’ve just got to let them do it."
Brooks and Foucha aside, what does the rivalry against LSU mean to you?
"I mean, every game is important I would have to say," Knox said. "You know how this game means to the state and the fans and everybody. It's just a different level of preparation. Playing for a trophy is always big. It doesn't matter who you're playing, but playing for a trophy is big. So, we're just going to try and keep the Boot here."
For the season, Knox is third on the team in receptions. He has caught 19 passes for 233 yards and five touchdowns.
Knox and the Hogs will host LSU at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The game will be televised on ESPN.
