It wasn’t the prettiest of victories and the game was a lot closer than the score indicated, but the Auburn Tigers took advantage of their many opportunities and methodically pulled away from Arkansas 34-3 on Saturday.

It was a good bounceback effort, though Auburn took some time to get things going. Here are five things I liked about the win at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and three things the Tigers will want to improve.

Things I like

1.Resolve: That’s just another way of saying that the Tigers kept plugging away until something good happened. Not much was going right on offense, but all phases of the game contributed and that made for shorter fields. Defensively, the Tigers did just enough to keep the Razorbacks off the scoreboard, making big stops at opportune times.

2. Special teams: This was a phase of the game that gave Auburn a boost. Arryn Siposs averaged 47.2 yards on five punts, forcing the Hogs to go the length of the field. On the flip side, Ryan Davis returned two punts for 84 yards, including a 48-yarder, that set up the Tigers offense in excellent field position. Even better for Tigers fans, Noah Igbinoghene returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Add to that a blocked punt by Jordyn Peters, making his first career start, and Auburn had several short fields with which the offense took advantage of.

3. Defense – bend but don’t break: Yes, Arkansas possessed the ball for 32:29, and outgained Auburn 290-225. But when it mattered, the Tigers defense rose up. Arkansas was just 3-for-17 on third downs and the Auburn defense only twice allowed red zone penetration. And of those two times, the Tigers gave up just a lone field goal. Seven tackles for loss, two sacks, and nine quarterback hurries were key, as were the two turnovers the defense forced.

4. Passing efficiency: Quarterback Jarrett Stidham was not called upon to win the game. But he was an efficient 15-for-22 passing for 134 yards. And he did not turn the ball over.

5. PAT record: Anders Carlson must improve on his field goal kicking, but the younger brother of former Tigers kicker Daniel Carlson hit all four PAT kicks. And with them, Auburn now holds the SEC record for consecutive PAT kicks with 241, also the longest current streak in the nation. The younger Carlson is 13-for-13 for his career on PAT kicks.

Things that could be improved upon

1.Lethargic offense: Auburn mustered 225 yards on offense, their fewest in 16 games. The Tigers had just two possessions in each half where they possessed the ball for more than five plays. The Tigers held the ball for just 27:31 and earned 13 first downs, one by penalty.

2. Offensive line/protection: The running game has already been discussed, but the Auburn line had trouble at times keeping Stidham upright. The Tigers QB was sacked four times. That can’t happen against some of the better teams in the SEC if the Tigers hope to get back in the championship race as they did a year ago.

3. Run game?: The Tigers rushed for a season-low 91 yards. That’s the lowest total since the Peach Bowl loss to UCF, and the lowest in a regular-season game since the 38-yard total last season against Clemson. Granted, the Tigers had some short fields on Saturday, but the offense certainly didn’t dominate Arkansas as the score might indicate. Auburn averaged only 2.5 yards per carry with JaTarvious Whitlow’s 49 yards on 13 carries (with two touchdowns) leading the team.