Sure it was Portland State, but a win is a win, and any time you can start a brand new season with a 20-13 victory, you take it — especially coming off a two-win season.

No, it wasn’t pretty, but it goes in the win column, and that’s the bottom line. There are plenty of areas that need work, but the Razorbacks had their share of positives, too.

Here are five things I liked about the game, and three things I didn’t like.

Things I liked

Secondary play

The Arkansas secondary blanketed Portland State’s receivers throughout, and that gave Vikings QB Davis Alexander headaches. He ran the ball far more than he wanted, and it eventually took its toll as Arkansas knocked him out of the game late in the third quarter. Credit the six sacks on Alexander to an outstanding collective effort from a Hogs secondary that picked off three Vikings passes.

Run blocking

The offensive line did an admirable job of opening holes for a running game that churned out 204 yards, particularly early on. Arkansas moved the ball on the ground with authority, averaging just less than 5 yards per carry, and regardless of the competition, that bodes well.

Ben Hicks’ poise in the pocket

The Razorbacks QB displayed the poise of a veteran. Under duress more often than not, especially early, Hicks never panicked in going through his progressions. He even tucked and ran when necessary. His stats weren’t the greatest (14-for-29, 143 yards), but several incomplete passes were the result of timing or drops, and those are mistakes that can be cleaned up with repetition.

Kamren Curl

The Razorbacks’ strong safety was all over the field and handled his duties, whether it was shadowing Vikings receivers or blitzing and disrupting the Portland State offense. His two sacks and one interception in the first half alone allowed for the Razorbacks to maintain a slim lead and keep the Vikings from gaining any momentum.

RB group

The Arkansas running backs, led by Rakeem Boyd, proved to be the difference in the game. Whether they were running behind good blocking up front or catching passes out of the backfield, the trio of Boyd, Devwah Whaley and Chase Hayden played an integral part of the Hogs’ offense and exhibited the skills needed to be the team’s strength moving forward.

Things I didn’t like

Inability to contain Portland State QB early

They cleaned it up a bit later in the game, but early on, Arkansas had trouble containing Alexander. The front seven was afforded plenty of opportunities to pad their sack stats and did an excellent job of pressuring the Vikings QB. But more often than not, Alexander was able to escape pressure and turn potential losses into positive yardage. In fact, Alexander was the Vikings’ leading rusher late into the second half with 27 yards on 10 carries.

Pass blocking

Hicks was harassed constantly, and that was mostly due to poor pass blocking. A relatively new set of receivers that was unable to get open with regularity had something to do with it as well. But the offensive line was porous throughout, and that’s a big concern when you consider the competition.

Timing of Nick Starkel’s debut

Why put a cold QB in a scoring situation late in the first half? Hicks was playing well, had a feel for the game and wasn’t trying to force anything. With a field goal in Arkansas’ back pocket after a turnover, head coach Chad Morris chose that time to give a cold Starkel his first snap. It was an ill-advised decision, and Starkel’s second pass attempt went into the teeth of the Vikings’ secondary and resulted in an interception and no points on the scoreboard when it appeared that the Razorbacks would garner some sort of momentum at halftime.