Belk Bowl
South Carolina (7-5) vs Virginia (7-5)
Charlotte, North Carolina
December 29 – 12:00 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
It was an ugly finish to the season for a Virginia team that at one point looked like the cream of the Coastal Division crop in the ACC. The Cavaliers lost three of their final four games, including a most disheartening defeat to Virginia Tech, running their losing streak against the Hokies to a 15th straight season.
Virginia does have the playmakers to keep things interesting in the Belk Bowl, with dual-threat QB Bryce Perkins and electric WR Olamide Zaccheaus.
Even still, it’s hard to see the Cavaliers keeping pace with South Carolina, even with Deebo Samuel’s decision to skip the bowl game and prepare for the NFL Draft. Even without Samuel, junior QB Jake Bentley has plenty of weapons to spread the ball around to, led by Bryan Edwards.
The Gamecocks’ offense, even in defeats, seemed to hit its stride late in the season. Bentley put up over 500 passing yards against one of the best defenses in the country in the loss to Clemson. Look for him to continue his strong play, and for South Carolina to roll past Virginia in the Belk Bowl.