Belk Bowl: Arkansas vs. Virginia Tech Predictions

In SEC Football by Blake Lovell

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Location: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC

Date and Time: December 29, 5:30 PM ET (ESPN)

The Arkansas Razorbacks were not a model of consistency this season.

After winning three straight games to start the 2016 campaign, the Razorbacks couldn’t string together back-to-back wins the rest of the way.

You simply never knew what you were getting out of Bret Bielema’s team.

Arkansas took down No. 12 Ole Miss on October 15, then turned around the next week and got hammered 56-3 at Auburn.

Then there was the end of season sequence that featured a 58-42 win at Mississippi State, which was followed by blowing a 24-7 lead at Missouri to lose 28-24.

On the bright side, if the trend holds heading into bowl season, that means the Razorbacks will beat the Hokies in Charlotte.

Unfortunately, that won’t be an easy task.

Justin Fuente undoubtedly sparked new life into the Virginia Tech program with an impressive nine-win season in his first year on the job. It’s the first time the Hokies have won that many in a season since winning 11 games in 2011.

Despite losing a couple of head-scratching games to Syracuse and Georgia Tech during the year, Virginia Tech gave Clemson a game in the ACC championship.

And even with the loss, that momentum and motivation should carry over into the Belk Bowl.

The biggest strength for Virginia Tech is its defense. Bud Foster’s crew finished 30th in the country in points allowed (22.7 PPG) and 42nd in rushing defense (148.5 YPG).

However, defense isn’t exactly Arkansas’s biggest strength. There are serious questions about this Razorback defense heading into this game, especially when you consider the challenges that Virginia Tech quarterback Jerod Evans presents.

Evans threw for 3,309 yards this season to go along with 27 touchdowns through the air. He also added 10 rushing scores to his total.

The one-two combo of quarterback Austin Allen and running back Rawleigh Williams III will allow Arkansas to break through Virginia Tech’s defense at times, but stopping Evans and company is undoubtedly a huge concern.

And since we have no idea which Razorback team will show up in this game, the Hokies are the safer pick to find victory in Charlotte.

Belk Bowl Prediction: Virginia Tech 34, Arkansas 27

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