Perhaps we should have seen a low-fi defensive struggle coming when Les Miles and Bret Bielema -- two guys who are B1G-style coaches at heart -- met. Maybe it's not a surprise that LSU and Arkansas combined for 387 yards of total offense, three scoring drives and four plays of more than 14 yards. But there was one thing that was notable, if not necessarily surprising: For the first time since October 2012, Arkansas won an SEC game.
The Hogs ended that 17-game losing streak with (appropriately enough) a 17-0 win against LSU. (Arkansas also had 17 first downs.) The Arkansas defense and the LSU offense combined to limit the Tigers to 123 total yards, and a solid-if-unspectacular day from Brandon Allen made up for the shortcomings of Arkansas' normally-stout running attack. It wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing game you've ever seen, but it probably looked just fine to the Hogs' fans.
LSU's offensive problems show no signs of going away. Anthony Jennings was 12-of-22 for 87 yards and was sacked four times. That last stat contributed to, but was not solely responsible for, the Bayou Bengals averaging 1.1 yards a carry. LSU had 12 first downs and missed a pair of field goals.
Arkansas' offense was hardly a model of modern football. Allen was 16-of-27 for 169 yards. The running game averaged just 2.5 yards a carry. This hardly seems like where Bielema wants his team to be in the future, at least on offense, though the defense has to look pretty good right about now.
All the concerns for Arkansas are secondary, though. It's hard to continue a rebuilding project without any sense of hope, some tangible sign of progress to sell to recruits and fans. The Razorbacks got that spark of hope on Saturday. Now, the challenge is to build on it and make sure that the SEC wins come a little more frequently.