FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas is playing Virginia Tech for the first time in the Belk Bowl on Dec. 29, but Razorbacks offensive coordinator Dan Enos knows what it feels like to face Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster.
"Very familiar with his work, and his reputation is well-deserved," Enos said. "He's an outstanding coach.
"There's a reason he's been there as long as he has. He's had a lot of success."
Foster is in his 30th season as a Virginia Tech assistant coach -- including his 22nd as defensive coordinator -- and has helped the Hokies to a 247-147-4 record over that span.
Enos, in his second season at Arkansas, went 0-3 with Mid-American Conference teams against Virginia Tech.
At least in Enos' third game against Foster's defense -- when Enos was Central Michigan's head coach -- the Chippewas scored in a 45-21 loss in 2010 at Blacksburg, Va.
Virginia Tech beat Western Michigan 31-0 at Blacksburg in 2001 and 30-0 at Kalamazoo, Mich., in 2002 when Enos was the Broncos' quarterbacks coach.
The Hokies have finished in the top 25 nationally in total defense 15 times under Foster, including first in 2005 and 2006 when Virginia Tech opponents averaged 247.2 and 219.4 yards per game.
Foster's defenses also have finished in the top 25 nationally for fewest points allowed 16 times, including first in 1995 (10.5) and 2005 (12.9).
"Defensively, Bud Foster and what he's done is second to none," said Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema, a former defensive coordinator. "They bring multiple looks and coverages, so we've got our work cut out for us."
This season, the Hokies are 19th in total defense (342.8 yards per game) and 29th in scoring defense (22.7 points per game).
"They're an SEC caliber defense, and I say that with the highest compliment because I feel that our league has tremendous defenses," Enos said. "I think Virginia Tech is in the same category as the best defenses we've played this year, from a statistical standpoint and a personnel standpoint."
Arkansas has played four SEC teams ranked in the top 20 in total defense: No. 1 Alabama, No. 6 Florida, No. 13 LSU and No. 20 Auburn.
"It never gets any easier," Enos said. "We play against good people every week, and this will be no different."
Foster won the Broyles Award in 2006 as the nation's top assistant coach and also was a finalist in 1999, 2001 and 2005.
"He's known as an excellent defensive mind," Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith said. "His defenses play extremely hard.
'They tackle well. They run to the football. They're aggressive in nature. They'll blitz you. They'll get after you.
"He's somebody I have a lot of respect for as a defensive football coach."
Foster followed Frank Beamer from Murray State to Virginia Tech in 1987 and had hoped to succeed him as the Hokies' coach. But Athletic Director Whit Babcock wanted to hire an offensive-minded coach and went with Justin Fuente from Memphis.
Fuente and Babcock convinced Foster to remain as Virginia Tech's defensive coordinator with a raise to $925,000 and the added title of associate head coach.
"One of the beautiful draws about this opportunity was I believed that hopefully it potentially came with the best defensive coordinator in all of America," Fuente said when he was hired at Virginia Tech. "And I'm awfully happy that he's agreed to stay on with us and help us continue what Coach Beamer started."
Former Georgia Tech center Sean Bedford -- the first Burlsworth Trophy winner in 2010 -- played against Virginia Tech as a two-year starter, and this season he saw the Hokies in person as the Yellow Jackets' radio color analyst when Georgia Tech won 30-20 at Blacksburg.
"Any time you play a Bud Foster defense, you've got to know they're going to be extraordinarily well prepared," Bedford said. "They take a bunch of guys who aren't going to be the most heralded recruits in the country, but they maximize their talent, they develop them and they make them incredibly fundamentally sound.
"When I went up against a defensive tackle from Virginia Tech, I knew I was going to have to out-leverage him and was going to have to get under him with my hands just perfect.
"You know they're going to be extremely well-coached, but you also know they're going to make adjustments. They're going to recognize what you do, and they're not afraid to sell out completely to stop what you do best and make you do your second-, third- or fourth-best option."
Virginia Tech junior middle linebacker Andrew Motuapuaka leads the Hokies -- who play a 4-2-5 scheme -- with 106 tackles and is tied for the team-high with three interceptions.
Senior nose tackle Woody Baron has 17 1/2 tackles for losses of 65 yards, and sophomore Tremaine Edmunds had 17 tackles for losses of 62 yards.
"I know Arkansas has had some success throwing the ball this year," Bedford said. "I imagine Virginia Tech is going to create pressure in some exotic ways with different blitzes."
Enos said Foster's defenses have "changed quite a bit over the years" as he plays to the Hokies' strengths.
"Good coaches adapt to their personnel," Enos said. "I'm sure when he has lock-down [cornerbacks], he plays a certain way. When he has safeties that are good blitzers, he's going to put them in position to be successful.
"When he's got great rush ends, he's adapted to those things. For example, they have two guys on their team that have 17 tackles for loss on the year. Obviously, he's doing things from a tactical standpoint to get those guys in position to make those plays.
"He does a good job of getting his best players 1-on-1 matchups in blocking schemes."
Foster having 15 bowl practices and extra time to study game tapes concerns Enos, he said.
"The thing that's a little bothersome for me is he's going to have so much time to prepare," Enos said. "So who knows what wrinkles we're going to see come the 29th."