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CHARLOTTE -- Virginia Tech and Arkansas' 2016 Belk Bowl meeting pitted two teams capable of putting big numbers on the board, but the first half was more defined by the Razorbacks' dominance and a strange sequence of events that took the officials 12 minutes to sort out.

It was almost a halftime period of its own in the second quarter as officials met with each other, then met with each head coach, then met with each other some more. After a couple of announcements, which confused everyone in the stadium and in the press box, Arkansas was awarded the ball.

Here's what we know:

1) Arkansas decided to punt on fourth down.

Explanation: Probably a wise decision given their field position at the time (the 19-yard line).

2) Virginia Tech muffed the punt return, causing a live ball situation.

Explanation: Hokies return man Cam Phillips made contact with the ball, then it was recovered by Arkansas defensive back Henre Toliver. Toliver appeared to pin the ball on the ground, but never fully had control of the ball before it was ripped out by Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander.

3) Virginia Tech was penalized for holding on the play, and after all of that craziness the decision was that an inadvertent whistle blew the play dead. The holding penalty was applied to the spot of Arkansas' punt, and the Razorbacks kept the ball.

Explanation: Fox Sports' officiating expert Mike Pereira took to Twitter to explain that officials had the chance to review a loose ball, regardless of the whistle -- the NCAA says any whistle, regardless of intent, marks the play dead -- and that Virginia Tech should have received the ball and been penalized for the hold from the spot of recovery.

Arkansas kept the ball, but ended up punting a few plays later. There was no major change to the outcome of the game from this dramatic sequence, just 12 minutes of utter confusion in Bank of America Stadium.