Here’s some quick thoughts on Arkansas’ statement 49-28 road victory against Texas Tech in Lubbock.

What it means: The Razorbacks finally get that statement win they’ve been searching for since Bret Bielema arrived in Fayetteville. The 2013 Hogs wouldn’t have won this game, it’s as simple as that. Going into this game, this was a game Arkansas desperately needed to win and they rose to the challenge. Today’s performance by the Hogs was the exact kind of football he wants out of his team – pounding the rock and controlling time of possession. It was a textbook win by Arkansas today and their chances of a bowl game are still very much alive.

What I liked: There’s no doubt that Arkansas’ physical rushing attack and the way they controlled the time of possession was the difference in the outcome. Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams dominated all game. Williams ran for 146 yards and four touchdowns, while Collins contributed 211 yards on the ground and two touchdowns of his own. After the first three weeks of the season, I’d feel comfortable in putting the Collins/Williams duo up there Georgia and Alabama’s running back duos. Arkansas’ 1-2 run combo is among the best in the nation.

Impressively, Arkansas also kept the ball away from Texas Tech’s Air Raid offense, taking up nearly two-thirds of the game on offense (Arkansas – 40:45, Texas Tech – 19:15). To give you an even better idea of just how long Arkansas controlled the time of possession, when Texas Tech started their second drive of the second half, the Red Raiders only had the ball for one drive, which lasted 2:15. No matter how quick or how explosive an offense is, they can’t score if they don’t have the ball.

“It’s isn’t always pretty, but it sure is a lot of fun,” Bielema said about his team’s performance after the game. “That’s how we’re going to win games.”

Give some huge props to Bret Bielema and his staff for what I’m sure he and his staff would consider a textbook victory.

What I didn’t like: Arkansas once again struggled with missed tackles. Too many times were Texas Tech’s skill players able to get extra yardage, thanks to the Hogs not being able to wrap up. Thankfully for the secondary, the Arkansas offense kept Texas Tech’s offense off the field for much of the second half. Fortunately for Arkansas’ sake, they have two weeks until they play Texas A&M in a game where they’ll need to vastly improve on their tackling.

Key play: Alex Collins’ 84-yard run with just under 11 minutes to go in the 4th quarter. The run itself was great, but it was set up by the relentless beating the Texas Tech defense took the entire game. It was the Hogs’ seventh rushing touchdown of the night and is the epitome of how much more physical and dominant they were at the line of scrimmage than Texas Tech. Collins’ touchdown run essentially sealed the victory for Arkansas, giving the Hogs a 21-point lead with 10:56 left in the 4th quarter.

What’s next: Arkansas continues its non-conference play with a home game against Northern Illinois. The game will be televised on ESPNU and will kick off at 7 p.m. ET.