The Razorbacks (7-5) will square off in Charlotte at the Belk Bowl against 22nd ranked Virginia Tech (9-4) on December 29th at 4:30 CST on ESPN.
This will be the first meeting between the two schools. Looking at the numbers, it is a compelling match-up. Justin Fuentes has adopted some “Beamer Ball” concepts. He retained Bud Foster, the architect of the Virginia Tech defense since 1996.
Part of Beamer Ball includes being sound in special teams, the Hokies are solid in that area lead by James Shibest, former Arkansas receiver. The Hokies offensively will run the ball with QB Jerod Evans as well as their RB’s. They are efficient in the passing game while having big play ability.
Arkansas is traditionally known as a smash-mouth style program. The Razorback RB’s, Raleigh Williams III and Devwah Whaley, are big, strong, and elusive. The RB tandem has shown big play ability especially as the season has progressed. Dan Enos has Austin Allen as well as the WR’s playing at a pretty high level.
Arguably, the defense is the weak link on this team. The Razorbacks have struggled the last two years under Robb Smith while returning most of the defensive starters in 2016. They are especially vulnerable to the mobile QB and big plays.
More from Razorbackers
- Nike’s latest Arkansas Razorbacks shoes are a must-have
- Believe it or not, Arkansas football has never played these FBS teams
- Arkansas vs UConn Prediction and $1,000 BetMGM Promo
- Arkansas vs. UConn, NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: How to watch, odds, predictions
- When was the last time Arkansas won the NCAA Tournament? (Odds to win March Madness)
Let’s look at how they compare statistically beginning with overall national rankings…
Total Defense:
Arkansas: 75th / Virginia Tech 19th
Total Offense:
Arkansas 50th / Virginia Tech 42nd
Here are some key stats related to the match-up…
3rd Down Conversions:
Both teams convert 3rd downs at 42%, however, VT has much better 3rd down defense. Holding opponents to a 27% conversion rate which is 3rd nationally. Contrarily, Arkansas is giving up 3rd down conversions at a 44% clip, ranking 107th nationally. Hence, this is a huge key to the game for Arkansas.
Red Zone Offense:
Arkansas converts on 78% of their opportunities while VT is ahead of the Hogs, converting 88% of their chances.
Red Zone Defense:
VT leads in this category as well, however, there is still a lot left to be desired. They allow their opponent to score 81% of the time as opposed to Arkansas’ 83%. Arkansas is yielding 7 more Touchdowns.
Penalties:
It’s is pretty even here. Hogs have 1 more penalty than the Hokies but the Hokies have more penalty yardage at 611 as compared to the Razorbacks 605.
Conclusion:
Offensively, the Razorbacks are pretty even with the Hokies, both teams hovering between 40th-50th in the nation. Neither team has players that jump off the stat sheet. Isaiah Ford is the player the Razorbacks have to account for. He is the big play guy for Virginia Tech averaging 13.7 yards per play while racking up 1,037 yards receiving and 7 touchdowns. Cam Phillips and Bucky Hodges will also help Jerod Evans in the passing game. Evans leads the team in rushing with 759 yards, followed by Trevon McMillian with 637 yards rushing. Evans has 27 passing TD’s with 7 interceptions and 10 rushing TD’s.
It is probably safe to say VT is the better team. They finished as the Coastal Division Champs and then gave the mighty Clemson Tigers all they wanted in the ACC Championship Game, only to come up short. They have had a great first season under Justin Fuentes.
Must Read: Tyzilla Talks Arkansas' Win Over Houston (Video)
So what does Arkansas have to do to win? They have to stop the Hokies on third down, simple as that. If VT converts 3rd downs at a 44% clip and holds Arkansas to 27%, it will be a long day at the Belk Bowl for the Razorbacks.