For the third time in the last decade, the Hokies are heading to Charlotte for the postseason.
Virginia Tech will play Minnesota in the Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. It's a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Friday, Jan. 3, and will be televised by ESPN.The Hokies (6-6) and Golden Gophers (7-5) have never met.
It's Tech's second straight bowl trip under Brent Pry, back in a city that the program knows well. The Hokies have twice played in what was formerly called the Belk Bowl, both under Justin Fuente. They lost to Kentucky 37-30 on a late Lynn Bowden Jr. touchdown pass in 2019 and rallied from a 24-0 halftime deficit to beat Arkansas 35-24 in 2016.
Minnesota is making its fourth consecutive bowl appearance and sixth overall under head coach P.J. Fleck, who has a 57-39 record in eight years with the program. The Gophers tied for seventh in the Big Ten this season with a 5-4 record, highlighted by wins against USC, Illinois and rival Wisconsin.
Quarterback Max Brosmer (2,617 yards, 17 TD, 5 INT), running back Darius Taylor (873 yards, 9 TD) and receiver Daniel Jackson (75 catches, 863 yards) pace a Gophers offense that's struggled, ranking 112th nationally in yards per game.
However, Minnesota has one of the country's best defenses, allowing 290.9 yards and 17.5 points per game, figures that rank seventh and 11th nationally, respectively. Linebacker Cody Lindenberg (94 tackles) and defensive backs Koi Perich (5 interceptions) and Justin Walley (2 interceptions, 10 passes defended) were All-Big Ten selections.
The teams have one common opponent: Rutgers, who they both lost to. Virginia Tech fell to the Scarlet Knights 26-23 at home in September and the Gophers lost to them 26-19 on the road in November.
The game offers a chance to end the season on a high note â and a messy one. The winning coach traditionally gets doused with mayonnaise out of a jug after the game.
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