3 things to know for the Belk Bowl
Need a brief primer before you attempt to watch all 40 bowl games this season? We’ve got you covered. Here are three things you need to know about the Belk Bowl.
BELK BOWL
Arkansas (7-5) vs. Virginia Tech (9-4)
Dec. 29, 5:30 p.m. ET
ESPN
— Virginia Tech’s bowl streak — now at 24 straight seasons — carries on even without Frank Beamer. And with a win over Arkansas in the Belk Bowl, the program can reach double-digit wins for the first time since 2011. Year one of the Justin Fuente went about as well as anybody in Blacksburg could have hoped. Fuente, the former Memphis head coach, brought in junior college quarterback Jerod Evans and the Hokies pulled out nine wins and an ACC Coastal title. Evans, who threw for 3,309 yards and 27 touchdowns and ran for a team-leading 759 yards and 10 scores, played a big role in the team’s success. Receivers Isaiah Ford and Cam Phillips both topped the 70-catch mark for the Hokies.
The Hokies won seven games three times and eight games another time in Beamer’s last four seasons. That came after eight straight years with double-digit wins, so it’d be a return to form of sorts if the Hokies could get to 10 wins this year. On top of that, a win over Arkansas would mark the first time in program history Virginia Tech wins a bowl in three consecutive seasons.
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— Inconsistency was a theme to Arkansas’ season. After a 3-0 start, the Razorbacks alternated wins and losses the rest of the way, including a borderline embarrassing 28-24 loss to Missouri (4-8) after blowing a 24-7 lead in the regular season finale. The sentiment around fourth-year head coach Bret Bielema isn’t great right now, especially after a drop off from five SEC wins to three, but a bowl win over the 22nd-ranked Hokies could turn the tides a bit heading into 2017.
Like Va. Tech, a win here would give the Razorbacks three straight bowl wins and a second consecutive 8-5 record.
— Arkansas loves to control the ball. The Razorbacks are second in the nation in time of possession, averaging 35 minutes on offense per game. With that said, Arkansas’ rushing offense is surprisingly average at No. 64 nationally. As a whole, the Razorbacks offense ranks 48th nationally by putting up 437.9 yards per game.
The Hogs, who average more than six yards per play, face a big challenge against the Hokies — especially up front. The Arkansas offensive line has allowed 29 sacks on the year. Tech has gotten to the quarterback a decent amount, but does a ton of damage in the backfield against the run with tackles for loss. The Hokies average 7.9 tackles for loss per game, 10th-best in the country.
Mascot fight: A Hokie is supposed to be a turkey of sorts. And even though turkeys are a bit more nasty than you’d think, a hog would tear that thing apart.
Real predictions:
Graham Watson: Virginia Tech 52, Arkansas 45
Nick Bromberg: Virginia Tech 31, Arkansas 27
Sam Cooper: Virginia Tech 34, Arkansas 27
Chris Herbert: Virginia Tech 38, Arkansas 31
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
