FAYETTEVILLE -- It was not the miracle in the mountains.
It wasn't even an upset.
The best team won and for the first time in a very, very long time that was the Arkansas Razorbacks in a SEC game.
Until Saturday night it had been 109 weeks -- 763 days -- since the Hogs could do a victory lap against a conference opponent and even though one of the great crowds was loud enough, the walls of Jericho did not crumble.
Defense was the key. It tossed a shutout with great tackling, passes broken up and pressure on the quarterback.
The offense was good enough, but it was the defense that stymied the LSU Tigers offense that seemed to play not to lose instead of aggressively.
When Alex Collins stepped over a tackler and stumbled into the end zone to make it 17-0 with 11:03 to play the Razorbacks had 241 yards of offense.
LSU had 73 yards, 35 rushing and 38 passing.
That was when the Tigers were forced out their numbing 2-yards-and-a-cloud of disgust and passed their way to the Arkansas 27, but last year's hero, Anthony Jennings, fumbled and Darius Philon recovered at UA 19 with 8:21 to play and the best team was on its way to victory.
A victory that warmed the hearts and frozen feet of a crowd that refused to leave.
It was time to drink deeply and freely from the well of wins. The drought was over.
With The Golden Boot shining on its pedestal at the 20 yard line -- on LSU's sideline of course -- the first game between these two SEC brothers that wasn't the last of the regular season belonged to the Razorbacks. The boot was stormed by the Razorbacks when the final seconds ticked off.
Late, the Tigers twice had the time to at least avoid a shutout, something they hadn't endured since falling to Alabama in the 2012 BCS Championship game in New Orleans, 21-0.
They couldn't, not Saturday night against an inspired defense.
It was a team victory, but defensive coordinator Robb Smith should have gotten the first game ball. His schemes worked all night.
Arkansas opened the game with lots of misdirection and moved it enough to take a 10-point halftime lead, but it was an opening half almost as chilly as the temperatures.
The Hogs had two scoring drives, the first was 60 yards that resulted in a 32-yard field goal by Adam McFain.
The second was in part due to a 9-yard punt return by freshman Jared Cornelius that allowed the Razorbacks to start at its 41. AJ Derby, converted from quarterback to tight end, had three catches for 23 yards, but all three gave the Hogs a first down.
A pass interference call against LSU gave the Razorbacks first and goal from the 5, and Jonathan Williams covered all the ground on his two carries.
The Tigers first drive was stalled after a snap was so far over quarterback Anthony Jennings' head it looked it was head for the pit at the 3 for a minus 27 yards.
Teams have to have luck and the Hogs did; they made most of it but they got the timely fumble recovery and had one of their own elude two Tigers looking to scoop and score, and it ended up out of bounds.
The Tigers drove to the Razorbacks 10, but a 27-yard field goal was wide right and for the seventh time this season LSU went into halftime trailing. Three times the Tigers have come back to win; Saturday night was the fourth time they didn't.
The offensive game plan for LSU seemed to be centered around a play-to-not-lose mentality, and usually that hurts more than it helps, especially when you are playing a team that was starved for a morsel of victory.
Sports on 11/16/2014