Coming off a 9-4 season, the team's best finish in a decade, Arkansas football picked up right where it left off. The Razorbacks hosted Cincinnati for a top-25 matchup in Fayetteville on Saturday, a game that delivered on the hype. Arkansas mounted a 14-0 lead at halftime, and held on to win 31-24 in a hard-fought game.

A non-conference victory over a ranked opponent in Week 1, especially one that made the College Football Playoff last season, is always impressive. The Bearcats may have lost a lot over the offseason, but they are still a talented team with a great head coach. Arkansas fans should be proud of their team for pulling out such a gutsy win over a quality opponent.

This game may have been the first game of the season, but it showed what the Razorbacks could be in 2022. With that in mind, here are a few key takeaways from Arkansas' win over Cincinnati.

3. The defense is strong, when healthy

For the first half and change, the Razorbacks smothered the Bearcats' offense. Arkansas shutout Cincinnati in the first half, holding the Bearcats under 200 total yards. The Bearcats made it into Razorback territory consistently, but could not erase the donut on the scoreboard.

Then Arkansas' injuries on defense started piling up, and that's when the floodgates opened. The Razorbacks lost both nickel cornerback Myles Slusher and safety Jalen Catalon, a preseason First Team All-SEC selection, to injury midway through the game. With the secondary depleted, Cincinnati was finally able to generate some momentum on offense.

The Bearcats scored their first touchdown early in the fourth quarter, just after Catalon left the game. They then kept up the pressure as quarterback Ben Bryant finished with 325 yards and two scores on the day.

The Razorbacks proved they can keep offenses at bay with their performance early on. However, they'll need to be healthy to keep the SEC's most powerful offenses at bay. That's no fault of Arkansas, though; few teams can withstand nearly half their starting secondary going down in the same game.

2. KJ Jefferson is legit, and so is Arkansas' offense

Jefferson broke out in 2021, his first season as a full-time starter. Then a redshirt sophomore, Jefferson completed 67.2% of his passes for 2,676 yards and 21 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He was also a threat on the ground, adding 664 yards and six touchdowns rushing.

If Saturday's game was any indication, Jefferson has plenty more in the tank this season. The redshirt junior lit up the Bearcats' defense with 223 yards and three touchdowns through the air. He also tore it up as a rusher, adding 62 yards and another touchdown.

Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman praised his quarterback after the game, especially Jefferson's ability to perform when it matters.

“Seems to me like when the game gets a little tighter, a little closer, when he's really got to take over the game, he's got the knack to do it,” Pittman told reporters in a postgame press conference.. “Seemed to me like most every time we need him to win the game, he makes some kind of play.”

Jefferson wasn't the only Razorback who showed out; the entire offense was clicking to the tune of 447 total yards. Raheim Sanders ran hog wild for 117 yards, averaging nearly six yards per carry. Tight end Trey Knox led the way in receiving with six catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns.

Arkansas needs to be strong in all three phases of the game to keep up with some of the juggernauts on its schedule. While it's still very early, the Razorbacks made a great first impression on Saturday.

1. The Razorbacks can compete in the SEC West

The SEC West has been the best division in college football for many years, and this year is no different. Alabama and Texas A&M both started the season in the top-10, while Arkansas and Ole Miss are ranked in the high teens and early twenties, respectively. LSU, Auburn and Mississippi State may not be as strong as in seasons, but are still capable teams in their own right.

Even in a best-case scenario, Arkansas would be in a dog fight for the SEC West title with three other great teams. The Razorbacks will need to stay at the top of their game all season to have a chance in the gauntlet of the division. The team is still a work in progress, but first impressions were very strong.

The Razorbacks are an old-school team in the sense that their offense revolves around the power-running game. Arkansas showed that identity on Saturday, rushing for 224 yards, one more than the team had passing.

The Razorbacks' offensive game-plan makes them a hard team to stop. With how tough the competition is, Arkansas will need to dominate on the ground to have a chance to win the best division in college football.