During the Hokies' stay in Charlotte for the Belk bowl, we will be updating this blog on Hokiesports.com. If you are looking for hard news, well, this is not the place. We will be attempting to provide the readers with an inside look at all that goes into bowl week. We hope its informative, fun and, just maybe, a little unusual.Gallery: (12/31/2019) 2019 BELK BOWL
The Halftime Blog – Tuesday, December 31, 2019 – 1:45 p.m.
Thought we'd pop in here at the half with a few notes and observations. The Hokies lead Kentucky, 17-14.
Brian Johnson, wearing the No. 25 for the Hokies today, got the scoring started with a 54-yard field goal. That is his career-longest and the first 50+-yard field goal for a Hokie since Joey Slye kicked a 50-yard field goal at Miami on Nov. 4, 2017.
Speaking of Slye, Tech's all-time leading scorer and current kicker for the Carolina Panthers, stopped by the team hotel last night and is here rooting on his Hokies today. Some great symmetry between Joey and Brian.
For Hokies fans, make sure to search out replays of the two touchdown receptions. Both, one by Damon Hazelton and one by Dalton Keene, are truly highlights. Also, Deshawn McClease is having another good bowl game, as he has rushed for 61 yards on six carries thus far. On defense, Rayshard Ashby has been credited with nine total tackles in the first half.
Jimmy Robertson will have a full wrap-up after the game on Hokiesports.com. complete with a photo gallery. And the folks at HokieVision will also have a wide array of video highlights and moments.
Until then, Go Hokies!
The Game Time Blog – Tuesday, December 31, 2019 – 12 p.m.
It's that time! Hokies vs. Kentucky in the Belk Bowl. ESPN. Noon.
LET'S GO HOKIES!
Make sure to follow all our social accounts for all the inside info from here at Bank of America Stadium. Time to shut this blog down for a while.
Gallery: (12/30/2019) 2019 BELK BOWL EVE ACTIVITIES
The Media Day Blog – Monday, December 30, 2019 – 3:00 p.m.
Not much to report on Monday. This is "Friday" on the football calendar, one day before the big game. Things go away from fun side trips and events and move to game prep. It's just about that time.
This morning, Coach Fuente, along with Rayshard Ashby, Reggie Floyd, Hendon Hooker, Dalton Keene and James Mitchell, met with the assembled media from both schools at the Belk Bowl Media Day. Both teams were in attendance and the media got some one-on-one time with each of the players.
After we hustled back to the hotel, Coach Fuente, Coach Foster, Hooker and Ashby had a meeting with the announcers from both ESPN and ESPN Radio, which will broadcast tomorrow's game. This happens before every game, both home and away. The television crew is doing their first Virginia Tech game this season, but the ESPN Radio crew broadcast multiple Tech games this season in their usual roles on the ACC Network.
Meetings will take up most of the rest of the day, except a short period for the team to head over to Bank of America Stadium for a brief chance to get onto the game field. This is the only time for this, as this stadium hosted the Carolina Panthers – New Orleans Saints NFL game yesterday.
The photo gallery above this blog shows many sights from Monday's happenings around Virginia Tech at the Belk Bowl, including the pep rally at the Epicentre and a PACKED Tech Talk Live in the lobby bar of the Westin Charlotte. Thank you to all the Hokies that showed up for that great event.
We'll check back tomorrow before the game. Until then, Go Hokies!Gallery: (12/30/2019) 2918 BELK BOWL MEDIA DAY
The Hall of Fame Blog – Sunday, December 29, 2019 – 9:10 p.m.
Let's wrap up Sunday with a quick blog about the second half of the day.
The team completed its final "full" practice before the Belk Bowl in the afternoon, before returning to the team hotel. As the buses pulled away from the local host facility, the equipment and video staffs worked hard at packing the truck with all the assorted paraphernalia needed to conduct meaningful practices away from Blacksburg.
After a short rest and some free time around the hotel, the players got a treat, as both teams took part in a Belk Bowl reception at the nearby NASCAR Hall of Fame. Good food was, of course, on the menu and the teams got to spend some time in the exhibit area.
Following the reception, it was back to the hotel for the night. Monday will be a busy day, as it is "Friday" by the football calendar.
Belk Bowl Media Day begins at 10 a.m. at the Charlotte Convention Center. Coach Fuente and selected players will take part. Then, back at the hotel, the television production meeting will take place, as Coach Fuente, Coach Foster and a few players will speak with the ESPN game announcers.
In the early afternoon, there will be a walk-through and then plenty of meetings. At 5 p.m., there will be a special edition of Tech Talk Live with Jon Laaser and Mike Burnop, along with Coach Fuente, in the SoCo Bar and Restaurant in the Charlotte Westin.
More meetings will round out the day, in final preparations for the meeting with Kentucky in the Belk Bowl on Tuesday.
We'll check back in after media day, but until then, Go Hokies!
Gallery: (12/29/2019) 2019 BELK BOWL NASCAR HALL OF FAME VISIT
The Helping Hands Blog – Sunday, December 29, 2019 – 11:20 a.m.
On Sunday morning, before the Hokies went to practice, they spent some time doing something very impactful. The entire team, coaches and staff went to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.
Service to the community is a big part of not only Virginia Tech Football, but athletics and the University as a whole. The school motto, "Ut Prosim" means, "That I may serve." This team takes that very seriously.
During our time at the food bank, the team put together more than 1,500 back packs with food that are distributed each week to Charlotte area school children who are in need. Between the two competing teams in the Belk Bowl, more than 3,000 back packs were filled.
Sixty million pounds of food go through the food bank each year, helping to feed those in need throughout 20 counties in North and South Carolina. One in four people in Charlotte need some assistance and this service is of great importance.
The food bank is a part of Feeding America, a nation group also affiliated with Feeding America Southwest Virginia. If you want to help, please log onto www.secondharvestmetrolina.org. Or, if you want to help closer to home, please contact your local feed bank.
After the spirited filling of the back packs (yes, there was a competition between the right side and the left side), the team loaded the buses and headed north to the practice facility for our typical "Thursday" practice.
Tonight's activities will include a trip to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. But, you can sense we are getting closer to game day.
Check on Hokiesports.com this afternoon for a complete story on the team's trip to the food bank by our own Jimmy Robertson, which will include notes and quotes. There will also be a photo gallery from David Knachel on both the release and this blog. Until then, Go Hokies!
Gallery: (12/29/2019) 2019 BELK BOWL TRIP FOOD BANK
The Going Fast Blog – Saturday, December 28, 2019 – 1:15 p.m.
What an apt title for this update. This morning, the team got on buses and headed north of town to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Belk Bowl and the Speedway hosted one of the most unique experiences I've ever been a part of in bowl week activities.
After a team photo in the "Winner's Circle", the team was invited to get a helmet and join one of a host of drivers in a NASCAR race car and take a few laps around this historic track, which opened in 1960.
The drivers, part of the NASCAR Racing Experience, took each player that wanted to go, and there were quite a lot, around the mile and a half. Upon exiting the car, you didn't need to ask any of the players how much they enjoyed the experience. It was written in their smiling faces.
The highlight of the morning was NASCAR driver Jeb Burton, who volunteered to drive today, taking head coach Justin Fuente and defensive coordinator Bud Foster around the oval. Burton, a huge Virginia Tech fan, wanted to be part of this experience and probably had more fun that the players, coaches and staff.
We would to take this opportunity to congratulate Jeb and his fiancé, Brandi, who will tie the knot in 14 days (in the Commonwealth). All the best from the Hokies!
To say it was fast, well that's an understatement. To say it was LOUD, well, you could hear that said because it was SO LOUD! The track is expansive and the grandstands are monstrous. Quite a spectacle for both sight and sound.
After the players finished their trips around the track, they were treated to lunch in the Paddock Area and then got on the buses for the short trip to the practice site.
As we mentioned last night, after practice and a little free time around the hotel, the team will have a second big event of the day, as they go to a local Belk store for a shopping spree. It's not all hard work, although there is plenty of that to go around.
Check back with Hokiesports.com later this afternoon, as Jimmy Robertson will have a story with notes and quotes about the morning. Also, on our various platforms, our outstanding HokieVision crew should have scenes from the track, which included the use of a GoPro. Can't wait to see all that.
Until our next posting, Go Hokies!
Gallery: (12/28/2019) 2019 BELK BOWL SPEEDWAY EXPERIENCE
The End of the Day Friday Blog – Friday, December 27, 2019 – 10 p.m.
The team saw a close game at the Spectrum Center, as OKC defeated the Hornets, 104-102, behind 27 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, first cousin of Hokies great Nickeil Alexander-Walker. But we digress.
Saturday is shaping up to be a busy and fun day for the team. After breakfast and some meetings, the team will head over to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Several players and coaches will get to get into NASCAR cars and take a spin around the world-famous track. One of the drivers is noted Virginia Tech fan Jeb Burton. These cars go FAST! This is always a highlight of the Belk Bowl week.
After the speedway, it's off to full practice No. 2 for the Hokies. Fun is fun, but the business of this trip is to win the game and you know this team will be prepared come Tuesday. After the closed practice, the team will grab a snack before heading back downtown.
On Saturday night, while the coaches and administrators have a reception given by the bowl, the team is off to a local Belk store to go on a shopping spree for their bowl gifts. While all bowls provide gifts for the players, this experience is quite unique, as the players get to select some of their own gifts. It makes it much more personal and memorable.
We'll check back in after the visit to the speedway. We are expecting the creative team will have some truly special videos from this event, so keep checking all our platforms. Until then, Go Hokies!
The First Practice Blog – Friday, Dec. 27th, 2019 – 1:30 p.m.
The first practice in Charlotte is in the books and the Hokies are on the buses heading back downtown to the hotel.
It was a good first practice, and Tech got a lot accomplished in many areas in prep for the Belk Bowl match-up with Kentucky on New Year's Eve.
Today was the only media availability for the team at the practice site. After practice was completed, Coach Justin Fuente and players Jarrod Hewitt and Deshawn McClease spoke to the assembled writers and TV crews, discussing all things VT Football and the Belk Bowl. Cameras were allowed access to shoot a couple of periods early in practice to get some footage to use throughout the week.
After changing, the players, coaches and staff grabbed some tacos for lunch to eat on the way back to the hotel. Some free time awaits the team back at the hotel.
This evening, the players will get a special treat, as they will head down the street to the Spectrum Center to see the Charlotte Hornets host the Oklahoma City Thunder in an NBA game.
Later this afternoon, check back to Hokiesports.com, as Jimmy Robertson will delve deeper into today's practice and there will be a photo gallery included. We'll hit you back later this evening to give a bit of an overview on what should be a very busy and fun Saturday for the team. Until then, Go Hokies!
Gallery: (12/27/2019) 2019 FOOTBALL BELK BOWL PRACTICE 1
The Travel Day Blog – Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019
Some came on the buses out of Blacksburg. Some traveled on their own from home, whether by car or plane. But all have made it to Charlotte to begin on-site preparations for the 2019 Belk Bowl. The game, against Kentucky, will be played on Dec. 31, 2019 at noon in Bank of America Stadium and be televised live by ESPN.
The first order of business after arrival on Thursday, after checking into the hotel, was a team run at the practice site in Charlotte. This served as a chance to knock off some of the rust accumulated since the last practice on Dec. 22 in Blacksburg. Real on-field preparations begin on Friday morning.
After the run, the team returned to the hotel for dinner. Plenty of good food was available for the entire travel party. Players taking part in Winter Classes also had a meeting and the players have a little free time before curfew.
Bright and early on Friday morning, meetings will be held before the first Charlotte practice at 9:45 a.m. More to come on Friday's activities later.
Well, that will do it for tonight here in the Queen City. Along with this blog and other stories on Hokiesports.com, make sure to follow all our other platforms. Until tomorrow, Go Hokies!Gallery: (12/26/2019) 2019 BELK BOWL TRIP DAY 1