2023-12-06 19:24:16
BLACKSBURG – For the first time in the Brent Pry era, Virginia Tech football is going bowling.
The Hokies, who went 6-6 (5-3 ACC) in the regular season, will face No. 23 Tulane (11-2, 8-0 AAC) in the Military Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Tickets are now available to the public, starting at $70.
How to Follow
TV: The game will be televised on ESPN. The announcing crew will be released at a later date.
Radio: The Virginia Tech Sports Network, including its flagship station 105.3 FM “The Bear” in Blacksburg, will carry the contest over the airwaves. Bill Roth will handle play-by-play duties while Mike Burnop provides color commentary and Zach Mackey reports from the sideline.
Streaming: Catch the game online at ESPN.com and in the ESPN mobile app.
Live Audio: Listen to live audio coverage of the matchup at HokieSports.com/Watch or in the HokieSports mobile app.
Live Stats: Monitor the game through live stats on HokieSports.com, including play-by-play updates and full team and individual statistics.
Social Media: Stay connected with the Hokies on Twitter (@HokiesFB), Instagram (@hokiesfb) and Facebook (@VirginiaTechFB).
Remember Your First
Tech’s upcoming game marks its 35th bowl appearance in its storied history, starting way back in 1947. Six Virginia Tech head coaches have coached in a bowl game, which includes interim head coach J.C. Price in the Hokies’ most recent bowl in 2021. Pry will try to start his bowl record on the right side, which Tech’s last two full-time head coaches were able to do. He has coached in 14 bowl games over the course of his career as an assistant or GA, including two with the Hokies – 1995 Sugar Bowl and 1996 Orange Bowl.
James Kitts 1947 (L, 18-6 Cincinnati in Sun Bowl)
Jerry Claiborne 1966 (L, 14-7 Miami in Liberty Bowl)
Bill Dooley 1981 (L, 20-10 Miami in Peach Bowl)
Frank Beamer 1993 (W, 45-20 Indiana in Independence Bowl)
Justin Fuente 2016 (W, 35-24 Arkansas in Belk Bowl)
*J.C. Price 2021 (L, 54-10 Maryland in Pinstripe Bowl)
*interim
Familiar Stage
The Hokies are familiar with the Military Bowl, with their third appearance taking place later this month. Tech is 1-1 in the bowl game and, ironically, played Cincinnati twice (2014, 2018). With a lot of Virginia Tech alums living near Annapolis, Hokie Nation has always shown out and is expected to be in attendance once once more at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000 capacity).
Keeping the Momentum
In its last outing, Tech put on a clinic offensively, racking up a season-high 55 points on its way to an emphatic 55-17 win over in-state rival Virginia in the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash. The point total was also the most scored by the Hokies in their series versus Virginia. Tech hopes to keep it going, coming off of its best game yet. Earlier in the season, Tech played well following its 30-13 win over Wake Forest, with defeating Syracuse 38-10 the next game.
Player to Watch
Defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland: Known as APR, the 6-foot-3, 244-pound specimen earned All-ACC honors following an impressive regular season. Powell-Ryland recorded the most sacks by a Hokie since 2014 (9.5) and led the team in TFLs (13.5), forced fumbles (3) and quarterback hurries (7). This past weekend, he posted on social media that he will be returning for another season in Blacksburg and not enter the NFL Draft. Expect him to be a difference-maker in the Military Bowl.
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