2016 Belk Bowl
The 2016 Belk Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game played on December 29, 2016. The game featured the Arkansas Razorbacks of the Southeastern Conference and the Virginia Tech Hokies of the Atlantic Coast Conference. It was the first appearance in the Belk Bowl for both teams.[4]
| 2016 Belk Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 15th Belk Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
 Opening kickoff at the 2016 Belk Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 29, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Bank of America Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Charlotte, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Cam Phillips (Virginia Tech) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Virginia Tech by 7[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Blue Honey [2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Brandon Cruse (Big 12) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 46,902 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Payout | US$1,700,000[3] | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | TV: Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham, Dr. Jerry Punch Radio: Taylor Zarzour, Charles Arbuckle, Dari Nowkhah | ||||||||||||||||||
Teams
Arkansas
Prior to kickoff, Arkansas announced that senior tight end, Jeremy Sprinkle would be suspended for the bowl game.[5] Sprinkle had been arrested for shoplifting earlier in the week.[6] On Tuesday, all players from both teams received a $450 gift card to purchase merchandise from a Belk store within a 90 minute timeframe. Sprinkle allegedly took more than he was allowed and was suspended by the Arkansas athletic department.[7]
Virginia Tech
With its 2016 Belk Bowl appearance, the Virginia Tech football team extended its bowl streak to 24 consecutive games. The streak is the longest active bowl streak recognized by the NCAA.
Game summary
Scoring summary
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Statistics
| Statistics | ARK | VT |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 14 | 25 |
| Plays-yards | 65-314 | 78-402 |
| Third down efficiency | 2-14 | 7-14 |
| Rushes-yards | 34-36 | 44-159 |
| Passing yards | 278 | 243 |
| Passing, Comp-Att-Int | 18-31-3 | 21-34-2 |
| Time of Possession | 31:14 | 28:46 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARK | Passing | Austin Allen | 18/31, 278 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Rawleigh Williams III | 12 car, 34 yds | |
| Receiving | Keon Hatcher | 6 rec, 105 yds | |
| VT | Passing | Jerod Evans | 21/33, 243 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Jerod Evans | 22 car, 87 yds, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Cam Phillips | 6 rec, 115 yds |
References
- "College Bowl Game Odds". ESPN. December 7, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
- https://twitter.com/bluehoneymusic/status/808759759763632128
- Bowl payout
- Bitter, Andy. "Virginia Tech will play in Belk Bowl against Arkansas". Roanoke Times. BH Media Group. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
- "Jeremy Sprinkle - Arkansas Razorbacks roster". arkansasrazorbacks.com. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- Kordsmeier, Karella (29 December 2016). "U of A suspends Jeremy Sprinkle, will not play in Belk Bowl". nwahomepage.com. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- Kersey, Jason (29 December 2016). "Arkansas' Jeremy Sprinkle suspended after alleged shoplifting attempt". seccountry.com. Retrieved 29 December 2016.