Arkansas got a statement win against Texas Tech on the road in Lubbock. Head coach Bret Bielema called it a “transformation” for the Hogs.

Here are the five biggest takeaways from the Razorbacks’ first win against a Power 5 conference since Oct. 13, 2012.

Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams is a top-five RB duo in NCAA – If there was any question about how good Williams and Collins could be this season, those have been answered after yesterday’s performance. The duo combined for 357 yards and seven touchdowns on 49 carries. Give credit to the offensive line for creating the running lanes, but the physical running nature of both Williams and Collins looks nearly impossible to stop. Granted their biggest games haven’t come against SEC defenses, but you can’t deny the dominance these two have shown over the last two weeks. They were the only duo to return with 900 rushing yards each last season and with they way things look, they’ll easily surpass that number in 2014.

Defensive backs stepped up in pass coverage – As rough as the secondary looked at times yesterday, it was obvious the return of senior cornerback Tevin Mitchel played a big part in the second-half turnaround for the Hogs’ defensive backs. Coming into the game, Arkansas had only six pass breakups, but the Hogs recorded 10 pass breakups against Texas Tech alone. You knew that the Red Raiders would test a questionable Hogs’ secondary and they did. Quarterback Davis Webb threw 45 passing attempts for just 252 yards. More importantly, the secondary made plays when they needed it the most and took advantage of some poor decisions by Webb. A key interception late in the second quarter led to the Hogs’ go-ahead score at the end of the first half and then true freshman Henre’ Toliver picked off another Webb pass in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for Arkansas. It was a step forward for Arkansas’ weakest position group in a key game.

Tackling is still an issue for Hogs’ secondary – The secondary was great in pass coverage, but at the same time there were obvious issues with tackling. Several times, linebackers and defensive backs had trouble wrapping up the Texas Tech skill players. They need to stop going for strips and wrap up the ball carrier. Plays like that will really come back to bite them against teams like Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama.

Brooks Ellis is a rising star – The Hogs’ middle linebacker stood out again for the Razorback defense in their 49-28 thrashing of Texas Tech. He was excellent in pass coverage, registering four pass breakups, two more than the next player on the team. Several of those pass breakups should have been interceptions, too. He forced a key turnover in the 1st quarter, squaring up the running back along the edge and knocking the football out. Arkansas recovered the ball in Texas Tech’s red zone and the turnover led to Arkansas’ first score of the game. For a team that was desperately searching for a playmaking linebacker last season, Ellis has certainly risen up to the challenge in 2014.

Arkansas can still make a bowl game – It was this game in Lubbock that Arkansas fans had circled on their calendars a long time ago. The Hogs didn’t disappoint and are still in good position to reach a bowl game this season, a huge step forward for a team that failed to win a conference game last season. They’ll still need to upset a few SEC teams along the way, but yesterday’s performance proved they’re more than capable of doing just that.