Here are the five biggest takeaways from the Razorbacks’ shutout victory over No. 8 Ole Miss:

  • Back-to-back shutouts: The Arkansas defense is the midst of quite the stretch right now. For the first time since they joined the SEC in 1992, the Hogs shut out back-to-back conference opponents. Robb Smith’s defense was dominant in all phases; the front seven wreaked havoc on three Ole Miss quarterbacks, the secondary made some huge plays when the Rebels were threatening to score and Arkansas got off the field on third downs. It was as good a defensive effort as we’ve seen in the SEC this season.
  • Turnover city: Arkansas’ dominance was thanks in part to six Ole Miss turnovers. Any team that finishes plus-five in turnover margin will win, and the same was true on Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville. Tevin Mitchel and Rohan Gaines both picked Bo Wallace off in the end zone, in addition to three Rebels fumbles.
  • Austin Allen serviceable: Brandon Allen went down before the half with a lower back injury that kept him out the rest of the game. His younger brother, Austin, went the rest of the way for the Razorbacks and he played quite well for Jim Chaney. Austin Allen finished three-of-five for 65 yards and made some big throws in key moments to extend drives. Bret Bielema expects Brandon Allen to return prior to Friday’s game against Missouri, but if he can’t, Austin showed he’s plenty capable of leading this offense.
  • Hogs playing with confidence: This Arkansas team is a team with a lot of confidence right now. Senior Trey Flowers said following the win that the Razorbacks’ mission this week was to show that last week’s win over LSU wasn’t a fluke, and did they ever. The Hogs parlayed last week’s momentum to an impressive showing on Saturday afternoon and will be as confident a team as there is in the SEC heading to Columbia, Mo., next week.
  • Arkansas is coming: The Razorbacks are a team that has defeated LSU and Ole Miss, and kept top-10 opponents in Alabama and Mississippi State close. Arkansas is now bowl eligible and has a real chance to win three consecutive games. This team is gunning for 2015, and is looking like a a legitimate threat in the SEC West next season. Bret Bielema’s doing a great job in Fayetteville and will have a great team on his hands next season.