Hokie ClubVirginia Tech football is only two weeks away from playing in its first bowl game with Brent Pry at the helm. The Hokies are slated to play No. 23 Tulane on Wednesday, Dec. 27, in the Military Bowl presented by GoBowling.com.
Organized by the Military Bowl Foundation, the National Capital Region post-season bowl game benefits current and former service members.
Formally known as the EagleBank Bowl, the DC Bowl Committee signed Northrop Grumman as the bowl's new title sponsor in 2010, thus creating its current name, 'Military Bowl'.
The football program in Blacksburg has an illustrious history with bowl game attendance, with a 27-bowl-game streak that lasted from 1993 to 2019. The meeting with the Green Wave in Annapolis, Maryland, will be the team's latest bowl game showing since the Pinstripe Bowl in 2021.
Tech will make its third appearance in the Military Bowl and its first since 2018. The Hokies split their first two visits to the Military Bowl, both matchups against the Cincinnati Bearcats within a four-year span.
In its inaugural bowl game appearance on Dec. 27, 2014, Tech faced Cincinnati at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in front of 34,000+ fans. In a 33-17 victory over the Bearcats, running back J.C. Coleman rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown, while kicker Joey Slye connected on all four of his field goal attempts.
Tech's defense forced three turnovers, with two interceptions by defensive backs Chuck Clark and Kendall Fuller and a fumble return touchdown by Greg Stroman that essentially sealed the victory.
J.C. Coleman scores a touchdown
Greg Stroman returns fumble recovery
Joey Slye kicks a field goal
Ricky Walker signals motion
Four years later, the two programs met once again, and Hokie Nation found themselves watching a back-and-forth affair. Tech scored first on a 21-yard pass from quarterback Ryan Willis to wide receiver Eric Kumah. The teams would continue exchanging touchdown blows with a 14-14 score going into halftime.
The Hokies opened the third quarter with a 28-yard field goal by kicker Brian Johnson and responded to the Bearcats' 40-yard touchdown run with a 14-play 72-yard scoring drive to take a 24-21 lead.
Following Cincinnati's 75-yard touchdown drive to open the fourth quarter, Tech would rebuttable once more with a 5-yard rushing touchdown by Willis for his third score accounted for on the day.
After a nine-minute stalemate, the Bearcats scored six more points with 1:29 left on the clock. The Hokies were unable to answer Cincy's touchdown once more on their final offensive possession, falling short 35-31 in a competitive outing.
Ryan Willis scrambles for yardage
Khalil Ladler attempts to tackle Ridder
Steven Peoples stretches for the endzone
Tech bottles up the run
Five years later, another six-win Tech team will face another 11-2 program in Tulane. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Virginia Tech athletics announced its allotment of Bowl tickets is sold out. Fans still interested in attending the bowl game are encouraged to visit SeatGeek, the official secondary market of Tech athletics.