Belk Bowl 2018: South Carolina vs. UVA TV Schedule, Time and Odds

One of the hottest quarterbacks in college football takes the field in the Belk Bowl with a depleted squad around him. 

South Carolina junior Jake Bentley is one of the more underrated signal-callers in the FBS, and he gets a chance to star against Virginia in the Saturday appetizer to the College Football Playoff semifinals. 

Although the Gamecocks have been inconsistent in terms of results, Bentley has put up impressive numbers through the air, but in order to continue his run of form, he needs to beat Virginia without top wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who is sitting out the game to prepare for the 2019 NFL draft.

The Cavaliers enter Charlotte, North Carolina, with little momentum after losing a pair of overtime contests to Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech to close out the regular season. 

Virginia boasts an impressive quarterback of its own in Bryce Perkins, who is also the second-best rusher on the Cavaliers roster. 

Belk Bowl Information

Date: Saturday, December 29

Time: Noon ET 

TV: ABC 

Live Stream: Watch ESPN or ESPN app

Odds (via OddsShark): South Carolina -5; Over/Under: 54

Preview

Bentley comes into the Belk Bowl with 1,048 passing yards in his last three games against Chattanooga, Clemson and Akron. 

Sean Rayford/Associated Press

If the Gamecocks capture the victory with ease, Bentley's poise in the passing game will be the reason why. 

However, it will be tough for Bentley to operate without Samuel, who hauled in 62 catches for 882 yards and 11 touchdowns.

A committee of wide receivers led by Bryan Edwards and Shi Smith must step up in Samuel's absence, and if they're able to do so in a seamless manner, Bentley should turn in another impressive outing. 

Performing well in the bowl game is key for Bentley as he creates momentum going into his senior season. 

If the Gamecocks want to take the next step and challenge Georgia and Florida in the SEC East, Bentley needs to be consistent in the pocket and limit his turnovers. 

Defensively, South Carolina has to replace defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and defensive back Keisean Nixon, who are both out due to injuries. 

Kinlaw leads the team in sacks with 4.5, while Nixon holds the Gamecocks' lead in passes defended with nine. 

Look for linebacker T.J. Brunson, who is the top tackler on the South Carolina roster, to be even more active than he normally is, while Steven Montac and R.J. Roderick slide into bigger roles in the secondary. 

With two key figures on the South Carolina defense out, Perkins should be able to exploit some holes in both facets of the offense. 

In his last three games, Perkins has been more effective as a dual-threat player by recording 644 passing yards and 274 yards on the ground. 

Steve Helber/Associated Press

In total, Perkins has four 100-yard rushing games to his name, but the Cavaliers are only 2-2 in those contests. 

In order to achieve success against South Carolina's banged-up secondary, Perkins needs to link up with Olamide Zaccheaus, Hasise Dubois and Joe Reed early to develop confidence while putting points on the board. 

By doing so, the Cavaliers will show they put the heartbreaking defeats to Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech in the past. 

On the other side of the ball, safety Juan Thornhill needs to be a difference-maker for the Cavaliers, as he leads the team in tackles and interceptions. 

If Thornhill disrupts Bentley and the South Carolina passing game with a few pass breakups and even an interception or two, the Cavaliers can break away from their SEC opponent. 

Prediction

South Carolina 33, Virginia 24

Bentley and Perkins will both make plays for their respective sides, and the Belk Bowl should come down to which quarterback makes the biggest impact in the fourth quarter. 

Bentley is more than capable of taking over the contest, and he should take advantage of Virginia's inability to close out games that reared its head at the end of the regular season. 

The Gamecocks should cover in a two-score win, but over bettors will be forced to sweat out their bet until the final drive. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90