Virginia Tech will head to Charlotte, North Carolina to play in the Belk Bowl on December 29. The Hokies’ opponent will be the Arkansas Razorbacks out of the SEC. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30, and the game will be televised by ESPN.
Tech finished the season with a 9-4 record after Saturday night’s narrow 42-35 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. After four consecutive years of not winning 10 games, they’ve got a chance to reach that number for the first time since they went 11-3 in 2011.
Arkansas concluded their season with a 7-5 overall record, including a 3-5 mark in the SEC. They outscored their opponents by a narrow 370-369 margin. Here’s a look at their game-by-game results…
Vs. Louisiana Tech: 21-20 W
at TCU: 41-38 W (2OT)
vs. Texas State: 42-3 W
at Texas A&M (AT&T Stadium): 45-24 L
vs. Alcorn State: 52-10 W
vs. Alabama: 49-30 L
vs. Ole Miss: 34-30 W
at Auburn: 56-3 L
vs. Florida: 31-10 W
vs. LSU: 38-10 L
at Mississippi State: 58-42 W
at Missouri: 28-24 L
In the S&P+ advanced statistics, the Razorbacks are rated the #52 team in the country. They are ranked #42 offensively, but only #76 on the defensive side of the ball.
The traditional stats also show that Arkansas has a porous defense. In games against FBS competition, they rank #80 in total defense, allowing 439.2 yards per game. They allow 469.8 yards per game against FBS teams with winning records, and 492.8 yards per game against Power 5 opponents.
Arkansas is coached by former Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema. He holds a 25-25 record in four seasons with the Razorbacks after going 68-24 in seven seasons with Wisconsin.
We'll have more about the matchup in the coming days, so stay tuned.
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