Call them the Groundhogs.
After years of lighting up Southeastern Conference secondaries with a dynamic passing attack installed by former coach Bobby Petrino, new Arkansas coach Bret Bielema abruptly changed that Saturday in his Razorbacks coaching debut with the power-rushing attack he was known for at Wisconsin.
The result?
Two running backs combined for 282 yards -- 151 for Jonathan Williams and 131 for freshman Alex Collins -- in a 34-14 win over Louisiana-Lafayette. And while a big rushing performance could be expected against Sun Belt Conference competition, placing two rushers well over 100 yards each served notice that Arkansas' offensive plan this season will be a relatively simple one.
Williams averaged 8.4 yards per carry, while Collins averaged 6.2. And Arkansas' push on the offensive line was suffocating for the Ragin' Cajuns. The two backs combined for only one rushing yard lost on the entire day.
Look for continued big performances from the pair, as Arkansas' schedule will continue to be on the soft side early in the season (Samford next week, Southern Miss on Sept. 14).
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
