FAYETTEVILLE -- As Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers rushed to the LSU sideline with his teammates to lift "The Boot" trophy after the Razorbacks beat the Tigers 17-0 Saturday night, he got a surprise.
"It was heavy," Flowers said. "I kind of got a cramp trying to pick it up."
Flowers, a senior, had never gotten to hoist the 175-pound trophy before because LSU had beaten Arkansas the previous three seasons.
"That was my first time lifting it, so it kind of caught me by surprise," Flowers said. "But we finally got the hang of it."
Flowers was part of a defense that provided Arkansas' first shutout of LSU in 85 years.
Arkansas hadn't blanked the Tigers since a 32-0 victory on Nov. 2, 1929. The Razorbacks have played the Tigers 35 times since then.
"We hadn't shut them out in 85 years?" said Arkansas senior linebacker Martrell Spaight, who had 10 tackles and forced a fumble recovered by defensive tackle Darius Philon. "That's actually pretty cool, knowing I was a part of history with my teammates.
"I wouldn't want it any other way."
The Razorbacks sacked LSU quarterback Anthony Jennings four times for 36 yards in losses and held the Tigers to 123 yards in total offense.
"The D-line did a great job getting pressure on the quarterback," Spaight said. "I was in coverage and every time I turned around, I heard the crowd going crazy, so I knew either a sack was about to happen or it did happen."
Spaight wasn't specific about the game plan, but said the Razorbacks were able to figure out some things about the Tigers through film study.
"We changed some things and just went out there and applied it on the football field, and it all paid off for us," he said.
LSU hadn't been shut out since a 21-0 loss to Alabama in the 2011 Bowl Championship Series title game on Jan. 2, 2012, in New Orleans.
The Tigers' last regular-season shutout was 31-0 against Alabama on Nov. 16, 2002 -- 12 years ago today.
"This week we really emphasized all 11 guys communicating and being on the same page, so we wouldn't have any breakdowns," Arkansas senior safety Alan Turner said. "We've been working hard all season, but we really haven't put four quarters together, and to finally do that tonight, it means a lot."
The Razorbacks got their first shutout since 2006 (20-0 over Utah State) and blanked an SEC team for the first time since 2002 (23-0 over South Carolina).
"We just swarmed with relentless effort," Turner said. "I felt like guys were running to the ball and the defensive line did real good.
"A shutout is real satisfying. I'm just excited all the guys finally get to taste what a W feels like."
The Razorbacks broke a 17-game SEC losing streak, which led to thousands of fans rushing onto the field.
"I can't even really describe the feeling," Turner said. "It was amazing.
"I'ver never experienced anything like that with the fans. They were more excited than us."
LSU place-kicker Colby Delahoussaye missed field-goal attempts of 27 and 47 yards, but the Razorbacks kept the Tigers out of the end zone.
"I think it was my first shutout for me playing football my whole life," Spaight said. "So it was a great feeling to go out there and do it against a great team and get a trophy."
Turner said the Razorbacks had grown tired of losing to LSU, especially when the Tigers rallied to win 31-27 on a late touchdown pass by Jennings.
"We knew it was a trophy game," Turner said. "We'd seen them be able to get 'The Boot' and then keep it, and it was just a good feeling to go over to their side of the field and take something that we felt was ours."
Sports on 11/16/2014