CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith said Tuesday that Virginia Tech's offense includes several facets that will stress his unit.
From quarterback Jerod Evans' run-pass threat, to the diversity of the Hokies' play-action game, to the length and skill level of its receivers and the jet sweep game, Virginia Tech will give Arkansas an array of issues to defend.
"They do a phenomenal job of really stressing you on the perimeter with their skill athletes," Smith said. "They have size matchups on the perimeter. They have quickness matchups they can go to.
"They can read it, the quarterback can keep it inside, or they can hand it off and get to the outside, so we've got to do a really good job of setting the edge and trying to really play assignment option football."
Smith said Evans' ability to make in-play decisions makes him tough to defend.
"We've got to penetrate and try to make plays in their backfield," Arkansas defensive tackle Taiwan Johnson said. "They've got a lot of great skill guys and their O-line blocks very well for the quarterback. Their offense runs through him so we've got to disrupt him."
Coach Bret Bielema suggested the Razorbacks might be able to implement a three-man front to give the Hokies something to adjust to, and Smith said the allotment of personnel is critical to contend with Evans and players like 6-2 receiver Isaiah Ford, 6-7 flex receiver Bucky Hodges, and running backs Sam Rogers and Travon McMillian.
"They have really good size on the perimeter, especially in the red zone, that we've got to be prepared for," Smith said. "The fade balls, things of that nature. I think the quarterback makes some good decisions down there as well."
Defensive end Jeremiah Ledbetter said the Hogs have worked on things that haven't been on their tape.
"We've got a little wrinkle for Virginia Tech," Ledbetter said. "I don't want to say too much about it, but we've got some things in the game plan for them to watch out for."
Nice place
The Razorbacks held a walk-through Tuesday at Bank of America Stadium, which is the home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers.
"It's cool to play in a stadium a lot of great players play in on the next level," senior nose guard Taiwan Johnson said. "Hopefully, it's a stadium I can play in in the future. I loved being in there."
It will be the second NFL stadium Arkansas has played in this season. The other is AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, where Texas A&M beat the Razorbacks 45-24.
While AT&T Stadium is known for its gigantic video board over the field that spans the 20-yard lines, senior cornerback Jared Collins said Bank of America Stadium has some impressive screens, too.
"They've got two of the biggest video boards I've ever seen," Collins said. "That stadium is really nice, and we look forward to playing in it."
Service day
Arkansas and Virginia Tech performed community service duties Tuesday during Belk Bowl activities. Both teams visited Levine Children's Hospital, where a selection of Razorbacks performed and recorded the Arkansas fight song for viewing by the entire hospital.
"I was at the hospital, interacting with the kids and making their day better," Arkansas cornerback Jared Collins said. "That's a great thing, and I really enjoyed it. It means a lot helping the community and makes us all feel good and makes them feel good, also."
The Hogs and the Hokies also went to the Second Harvest Food Bank and helped fill more than 2,500 food bags for children in need.
3 in a row
Arkansas established a school record by winning bowls in back-to-back seasons for the first time last year with a 45-23 victory over Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl.
The Razorbacks are aiming to extend the streak and go 3-0 in bowl games under Bret Bielema in Thursday's Belk Bowl against Virginia Tech.
"If you've got a chance to make history, you want to do that," senior receiver Keon Hatcher said.
"That would mean a lot," senior defensive tackle Taiwan Johnson said. "Ever since Coach B[ielema] got here, the program has changed. It's changed for the better in my eyes. I think getting another bowl win will definitely propel this team moving forward, and it shows what he's done."
Fab Ford
Arkansas cornerback Jared Collins said Virginia Tech 6-2 receiver Isaiah Ford, a junior who holds school records with 2,911 receiving yards, 204 receptions and 24 touchdowns, will be a tough matchup.
"I think he stacks up there with the top receivers I've faced," Collins said. "He looks really good on film. He can run good routes and he also stretches the defense and runs the deep ball. He has very good hands."
Quick change
The team of Drew Morgan (tire change), Deon Malone (hydraulic lift) and DJ Dean (gas) rolled through several rounds unbeaten with the top time of just over 10 seconds in the pit stop challenge on Monday evening at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
That was until the team captained by Jared Cornelius pulled a surprise at the end. The team of Cornelius (tires), Dwayne Eugene (lift) and Dominique Reed (gas) turned in a time of 9.25 to upset the favorites, who also had a sub-10 second time, in the finale.
The Razorbacks were supposed to compete against Virginia Tech in the pit stop competition, but the teams did not know the time turned in by the Hokies, who held their competition earlier in the afternoon.
Bobby's boys
Virginia Tech special teams coordinator James Shibest, a former Arkansas receiver and a Razorback assistant coach with Bobby Allen from 2000-07, said one of his lasting memories is seeing Allen throwing the ball to his sons Brandon and Austin before and after practices.
Brandon Allen was the three-year starting quarterback for Arkansas from 2013-15 and is now a rookie with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Austin Allen, a junior, is Arkansas' current starting quarterback.
"Give Bobby Allen a lot of credit, because all he did in his free time was throw that ball around with his boys and coach them up," Shibest said. "I've always respected how much time he devoted to his kids. I'm proud of those guys, watching how they've grown up. It's pretty darn cool. They've been really good players, but they're good people, too."
Foster in the Rock
Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster has spent a lot of time in Little Rock as the only four-time finalist of the Broyles Award, which since 1996 has been presented annually to the nation's top assistant coach.
Foster won the award -- named in honor of former Arkansas coach and athletic director Frank Broyles -- on his fourth try in 2006.
"I thought maybe the fourth time he was nominated, he might go, 'I'm not coming unless you tell me I'm winning,' " said David Bazzel, who created the Broyles Award. "But he never said that. He was just very humble and appreciative of us."
Foster, in his 30th season as a Virginia Tech assistant coach, including 22nd as defensive coordinator, has helped the Hokies to a 247-147-4 record over that span.
"Bud Foster is so respected throughout college football," Bazzel said. "We're really proud to have him as one of our Broyles Award alumni. Everybody in the business appreciates how good he is, and he's still grinding."
Belk history
Arkansas and Virginia Tech will meet in the sixth Belk Bowl on Thursday, but the bowl has been around since 2002 under different names.
The Charlotte-based bowl began as the Continental Tire Bowl in 2002, with Virginia upsetting No. 15 West Virginia 48-22 in the inaugural game. The fourth edition of the game changed to the Meineke Car Care Bowl in 2005, when North Carolina State blanked South Florida 14-0. That name remained until the 2011 game, a 31-24 victory for North Carolina State over Louisville.
The Belk Bowl moved to an SEC vs. Atlantic Coast Conference matchup in 2014, and the SEC holds a 2-0 record since then. Georgia downed Louisville 37-14 in the 2014 game, while Mississippi State thumped North Carolina State 51-28 last year behind Dak Prescott's bowl-record 380 passing yards and four touchdowns.
Big whiskers
The Arkansas kicking specialists have not disappointed at the Belk Bowl, carrying on their annual tradition of sporting interesting facial hair for the occasion.
Punter Toby Baker has a massive handlebar mustache that blends into a stout beard. Snapper and holder Matt Emrich has a supersized beard sprouting from just his chin that has been growing since the spring.
Students show up
Arkansas student attendance at six on-campus games totaled a school-record 39,623 this season, an average of 6,604 per game. The total represented an increase of more than 55 percent from last season, the university said in a release.
Single-game attendance by students surpassed 8,000 for three games this fall, with a high of 8,628 for the season opener against Louisiana Tech, and also 8,299 for the Alabama game.
Sports on 12/28/2016