Football: No. 1 LSU clinches SEC West with 41-17 victory against No. 3 Arkansas

Long after the 93,108 fans left Tiger Stadium Saturday, a simple message on the large screen in the north end zone hovered over the field – 12-0.

No. 1 LSU's game against No. 3 Arkansas was more than a 41-17 victory for the Tigers. It meant more than the Golden Boot trophy returning to Baton Rouge and a spot in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

It meant a perfect regular season, the first since 1958, when LSU won its first of three national championships.

"We have done so much together," said sophomore defensive end Sam Montgomery. "We've overcome adversity off the field. The world has doubted us over and over again. We've beaten the world and the naysayers. We've shut everybody up."

In the same way LSU had battled all year, the Tigers fought for their final win of the regular season. LSU trailed Arkansas 14-0 with 12:11 remaining in the first half. LSU hadn't won a game after trailing by two touchdowns since 2008, when the Tigers came from behind to beat Troy.

Facing its largest deficit of the season, these Tigers refused to quit.

"I knew we could do it," Montgomery said. "We just had to go out there and dominate them. We were down to start with, and a tear ran down my face. I knew I had to go back out there and do it for the team."

Following Arkansas' second touchdown – a 47-yard fumble recovery by Alonzo Highsmith – the LSU offense responded with a momentum shifting drive. The Tigers traveled 77 yards in 14 plays, and freshman running back Kenny Hilliard – who led the team with a career-high 102 rushing yards -- capped it off with a 6-yard touchdown run.

A quick three-and-out by the defense on the next series forced the Razorbacks to punt to sophomore cornerback and punt returner Tyrann Mathieu. The Honey Badger took the kick 92 yards and evened the game at 14-14.

The Razorbacks would never lead again.

"It made the statement that that lead was not going to stand up," said LSU coach Les Miles.

Four offensive plays later, Mathieu stripped Arkansas running back Dennis Johnson, which gave LSU the ball with about two minutes remaining in the half. Senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson – who threw for 208 yards and one touchdown – completed four of five passes on the drive, including a 9-yard pass to junior wide receiver Russell Shepard to take a 21-14 lead into halftime.

"We had to keep our focus," said junior wide receiver Rueben Randle, who led the team with 134 receiving yards. "We put ourselves behind like that. We just kept our focus, and went out and did the little things right that we were messing up."

The rest of the game belonged to the LSU defense. The Tigers allowed 89 yards of total offense in the second half and the Razorback offense held the ball for less than nine minutes in the final frame.

Arkansas junior quarterback Tyler Wilson, who led the SEC in nearly every offensive category heading into the game, found himself scrambling for his life throughout most of the contest. LSU racked up five sacks, led by sophomore defensive end Barkevious Mingo who brought down Wilson twice behind the line.

"[Wilson] wasn't getting the protection he needed," Mingo said. "It was forcing him to make some bad decisions. That was the game plan going in."

As they have done in so many of their victories this season, the Tigers turned to their run game in the second half to ice the victory. Jefferson and sophomore running back Spencer Ware each contributed a rushing touchdown in the second half and helped pace LSU for 286 rushing yards.

"The offensive line and wide receivers, everything we do goes to those guys because they're doing the hard job," said sophomore running back Michael Ford, who ran for 96 yards. "We just run through the big holes they have for us."

LSU's victory Saturday seemingly clears the path for the Tigers to reach the BCS National Championship. Many expect LSU to reach the title game regardless if they win or lose against Georgia in the SEC Championship.

But the Tigers haven't considered taking Georgia lightly. They have their sights set on more than being 12-0.

They want a SEC title.

"I just want you to know something," Miles told the media following the game. "There would be no way that this team could come to Atlanta and not play their best."

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Contact Hunter Paniagua at hpaniagua@lsureveille.com