Football

The Military Bowl game vs. Cincinnati - updated 12/29 at 11 a.m.

The photo gallery from Tech's Military Bowl win is up. Re-live the big 33-17 season-ending win

A photo posted by VT Football (@vthokiefootball) on Dec 12, 2014 at 3:12pm PST

Virginia Tech Postgame Notes

• Virginia Tech wore white helmets, with white jerseys and white pants today. Tech is now 14-4 under head coach Frank Beamer in this combination.

• Today's game was Virginia Tech's first football game ever on Dec. 27.

• Head coach Frank Beamer coached from the press box today with associate head coach Shane Beamer handling the acting head coaching duties on the side line. In 28 seasons, this was just the second time Frank Beamer was not on Tech's sideline for a game. In 1989, Billy Hite filled in as the acting head coach when Frank Beamer was sidelined following coronary angioplasty surgery and had to miss a home game versus Tulane.

• Detrick Bonner started his 40th consecutive game this afternoon, tied for the eighth-longest streak under head coach Frank Beamer for a position player.

• Virginia Tech started on defense with three linemen, two linebackers and six defensive backs with Greg Stroman getting his first career start in the defensive backfield. Stroman also played on offense in the game, making him the first Tech player this season to play offense, defense and special teams.

• Cincinnati kicker Andrew Gantz missed a field goal on the game's first possession. It was the 14th missed field goal by Tech's opponent this season.

• All-American Kendall Fuller recorded his second interception of the season in the first quarter and the eighth of his career.

• J.C. Coleman's rushing touchdown in the first quarter extended Virginia Tech's scoring streak to 256 games. The streak is the sixth-longest active streak in the FBS and the 12th-longest of all-time in the Division I-A/FBS history.

• Chuck Clark recorded his first collegiate interception in the first quarter.

• Joey Slye connected on a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter, a new career long for the freshman. He topped that with a 49-yard field goal to end the first half. That 49-yard field goal is the longest Hokies' field goal in bowl history, passing Chris Kinzer (1986 Peach vs. NCSU) and Matt Waldron (2009 Chick-fil-A vs. Tennessee) who had 46-yarders. The 49-yard field goal was also the longest in Military Bowl history. Slye's four field goals tied the Tech bowl record for made field goals in a game (Justin Meyer, 2012 Sugar Bowl vs. Michigan) and were a new Military Bowl record.

• With his three receptions in the game, freshman Isaiah Ford finished the season with the third-most receptions in a season by any Tech player with 56. The school record for catches in a season is 61, held by Jarrett Boykin, which he set in 2011 as a senior. The other seven Tech players to catch 50 or more passes in a season were all juniors or seniors when they accomplished the mark.

• Bucky Hodges had three catches in the game to give him 45 for the season, falling one short of Mike Burnop's tight end record of 46 receptions in the 1971 season.

• Tight end Ryan Malleck caught his second touchdown pass of the season to open the third quarter.

• Greg Stroman's 12-yard fumble return for a touchdown was the third of such kind in Tech's bowl history. Lawrence Lewis had a 20-yard return against Indiana in the 1993 Independence Bowl and Jim Barron had a 20-yard return against Texas in the 1995 Sugar Bowl. Stroman became the 90th different player under Beamer to score on defense or special teams. The touchdown was the 139th touchdown on defense or special teams under Beamer and the 86th by the defense (27th fumble return).

• J.C. Coleman rushed for a Tech bowl-record 157 yards in the game, breaking the mark of 153 yards set by Kevin Jones (California, 2003 Insight) and Darren Evans (Cincinnati, 2009 Orange). He's the 12th Tech player to break the century mark in a bowl game.

• Virginia Tech is now 2-0 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, having also beat the Navy Midshipmen 14-0 in 1995.

• Twenty-six of Virginia Tech's 36 touchdowns on the season were scored by freshmen (28 of 36 by underclassmen). Freshmen scored 251 of 313 points this year for Tech - 80.2 percent - the most of any FBS school.

• The win gave Virginia Tech (7-6) its 22nd straight winning season. Tech's last non-winning season came in 1992, when the Hokies went 2-8-1. The 22-season stretch of non-losing seasons is the 19th-longest in NCAA history (Penn State has the record at 49 seasons from 1939-87), but is still four shy of the school record. Tech had 26 non-losing seasons from 1894-1919.

A photo posted by VT Football (@vthokiefootball) on Dec 12, 2014 at 12:37pm PST

A photo posted by VT Football (@vthokiefootball) on Dec 12, 2014 at 11:46am PST

Virginia Tech Halftime Notes

• Virginia Tech is wearing white helmets, with white jerseys and white pants today. Tech is 13-4 under head coach Frank Beamer in this combination.

• Today’s game is Virginia Tech’s first football game ever on Dec. 27.

• Head coach Frank Beamer will coach from the press box today with associate head coach Shane Beamer handling the acting head coaching duties on the side line. In 28 seasons, this will be just the second time Frank Beamer is not on Tech’s sideline for a game. In 1989, Billy Hite filled in as the acting head coach when Frank Beamer was sidelined following coronary angioplasty surgery and had to miss a home game versus Tulane.

• Detrick Bonner started his 40th consecutive game this afternoon, tied for the eighth-longest streak under head coach Frank Beamer for a position player.

• Virginia Tech started on defense with three linemen, two linebackers and six defensive backs with Greg Stroman getting his first career start in the defensive backfield. Stroman also played on offense in the game, making him the first Tech player this season to play offense, defense and special teams.

• Cincinnati kicker Andrew Gantz missed a field goal on the game’s first possession. It was the 14th missed field goal by Tech’s opponent this season.

• All-American Kendall Fuller recorded his second interception of the season in the first quarter and the eighth of his career.

• J.C. Coleman’s rushing touchdown in the first quarter extended Virginia Tech’s scoring streak to 256 games. The streak is the sixth-longest active streak in the FBS and the 12th-longest of all-time in the Division I-A/FBS history.

• Chuck Clark recorded his first collegiate interception in the first quarter.

• Joey Slye connected on a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter, a new career long for the freshman. He topped that with a 49-yard field goal to end the first half. That 49-yard field goal is the longest Hokies field goal in bowl history, passing Chris Kinzer (1986 Peach vs. NCSU) and Matt Waldron (2009 Chick-fil-A vs. Tennessee) who had 46-yarders. The 49-yard field goal was also the longest in Military Bowl history.

• With his two receptions in the first half, freshman Isaiah Ford moved into a tie for third for receptions in a season by any Tech player with 55 (Ernest Wilford, 2003). The school record for catches in a season is 61, held by Jarrett Boykin, which he set in 2011 as a senior. The other seven Tech players to catch 50 or more passes in a season were all juniors or seniors when they accomplished the mark.

• Bucky Hodges had 3 yards receiving in the first half to give him 520 yards for the season, inching closer to the school record for reception yards in a season by a tight end. Mike Burnop had 558 yards receiving in the 1971 season in 11 games. Hodges also had two catches in the first half to give him 44 for the season. Burnop had 46 receptions in that 1971 season.

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The Pre-Game Blog

Greeting from Annapolis, Maryland, and Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, site of the Military Bowl presented by Northrup Grumman. Tech will take on Cincinnati at 1:02 p.m., with the game being shown nationally on ESPN. The Hokies changed hotels last night, moving from the Mayflower Renaissance in downtown D.C. to the Hilton BWI. This is the first time in a few years the team has done this, but it’s not unprecedented.

Coach Frank Beamer made it to the team hotel as promised and is on site today, looking ready to go. Former Hokie quarterback and current Baltimore Raven Tyrod Taylor came by the hotel and wished the team good luck as the team went through last-minute preparations for Cincinnati today.

There isn’t much new news to report this morning. Shane Beamer will act as the head coach with Frank Beamer on headsets from the press box. This will be the first time since 1989 that Frank hasn’t been on the Tech sideline for a game. In 1989, Billy Hite filled in as the acting head coach when Frank Beamer was sidelined following coronary angioplasty surgery and had to miss a home game versus Tulane.

After wrapping up ESPN interviews last night, Shane Beamer told hokiesports.com that Trey Edmunds is ready to play and will see a significant amount of action today. This will be his first game back since fracturing his clavicle against North Carolina on Oct. 4. Additionally, Jerome Wright (knee) is cleared to play, but will likely only be used in an emergency. Expect a running back rotation of J.C. Coleman, Sam Rogers and Edmunds.

A photo posted by VT Football (@vthokiefootball) on Dec 12, 2014 at 1:23pm PST

Photo gallery from VT's final day of preparations for the Military Bowl

Photo gallery from the afternoon tour of the national monuments

After practice and lunch, members of the team and official party were treated to a guided tour of some of the monuments around Washington, D.C. The group stopped at the White House, the Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial before heading back to the hotel for Christmas Dinner.

A photo posted by VT Football (@vthokiefootball) on Dec 12, 2014 at 2:03pm PST

Photo gallery from the Hokies' visit to the Armed Forced Retirement Home

Tech group visits Armed Forces Retirement Home

A group of Virginia Tech football players spent a portion of Christmas Day visiting with military veterans at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in downtown Washington, D.C.

The Armed Forces Retirement Home is a retirement center with facilities and services designed with veterans in mind. For those who meet eligibility requirements, there are no costly initiation or registration fees, and the monthly user fees are affordable.

The group of Tech players was those dealing with injuries and who will not play in Saturday’s game against Cincinnati. It included tight end Kalvin Cline, offensive linemen Jon McLaughlin, Colt Pettit, Braxton Pfaff and Kyle Chung, linebacker Sean Huelskamp, safety Desmond Frye, tailback Shai McKenzie, defensive back Terrell Edmunds, and quarterback Chris Durkin.

The players spent more than an hour bowling with the veterans at the bowling center within the facility.

“It makes you appreciate everything that they’ve done for you,” McLaughlin said. “Me being from Fork Union [Military Academy] and knowing how hard it is with the training – and mine was the watered down version. It makes you appreciate that there are people who are serving for you or have served.

“I think it meant a lot to them, and it meant a lot to me as well. To see older people who have been through a lot, they’re still enjoying themselves and enjoying life. It means a lot.”

The trip was especially meaningful for Cline, the lone Hokie on the team who serves in the university’s Corps of Cadets.

“I’m a part of it,” Cline said. “I haven’t served yet, but I know what they went through. It’s awesome to be around people that have been down the same path I’m going. It’s a great feeling for me.

“To come and give them a day out of the year and spend some time with them is really special. From what I saw, they really enjoyed being around us and having people care about them on Christmas is a great feeling for them – and a great feeling for us, too.”

The rest of the team practiced at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Alexandria early this afternoon. They returned from practice and went on a bowl-sponsored trip that tour the National Mall and monuments in the area.

The players, coaches and families will enjoy a Christmas dinner at the team’s hotel this evening.

Photo gallery from the Christmas Eve hypnotist show

Photo gallery from Virginia Tech's practice on Wednesday

Hokies move to Redskins facility for practice

The Virginia Tech football team spent the afternoon practicing at the Washington Redskins’ indoor facility in Ashburn, Virginia, because of the rain that hit the area on Wednesday. The facility is nearly an hour drive from the team’s hotel in Washington, D.C.

The Hokies practiced for nearly two hours – their longest scheduled practice this week, as they continue preparations leading up to the Military Bowl game on Saturday.

Tech’s players have played in pro stadiums before, but very few have been in an NFL team’s practice facility. Mike linebacker Chase Williams has. The Northern Virginia native spent much of his time at the Redskins’ facilities over the years when his father worked for the Redskins.

“They didn’t have an indoor facility back then,” he said. “ I guess they weren’t allowed to put permanent structures up in flood lands in this area.

“It’s cool for a lot of these guys to come in and practice at a pro facility. For me, it’s just another field. But it’s cool to be back.”

The Hokies returned to their hotel following the practice.

For some other nuggets from the day’s events:

• The Voice of the Hokies, Bill Roth, and his sidekick, Mike Burnop, have the schedule set for a special Military Bowl edition of Tech Talk LIVE, which will air Friday night.

Joining Roth and Burnop will be director of athletics Whit Babcock, wide receivers coach Aaron Morehead, defensive line coach Charley Wiles, tight ends coach Bryan Stinespring, defensive backs coach Torrian Gray and running backs coach Shane Beamer.

The show runs from 7-9 p.m. ET from Edgar Bar & Restaurant at Mayflower Renaissance (http://edgarbarandkitchen.com). The show will air on Virginia Tech IMG Sports Network radio affiliates, and can also be heard on digital platforms TuneIn and HokiesXtra.

• Like Dadi Nicolas, Tech defensive tackle Corey Marshall submitted paperwork to the NFL Draft Advisory Board to get an evaluation on his draft stock in the event he were to forgo his senior season. The board assesses whether a player could be drafted in the first round, in the second round, or should return to school. Previously, the categories also included advising that they could be drafted as high as the third round; that they could be drafted, but not in the first three rounds; or that they would not be drafted.

Nicolas and Marshall, both redshirt juniors, figure to hear from the advisory board within the next week.

• The players were appreciative of the Military Bowl’s event in which the players got to tour the U.S. Capitol Building on Wednesday morning.

“It was pretty cool,” Marshall said. “The tour, the whole way that they set it up, that whole experience was pretty cool. I’ve never experienced anything like that before, so it was definitely a good experience.”

Marshall wasn’t alone. Very few Tech players have seen the sights in Washington, D.C., even those who live in the area. For example, David Wang, who grew up less than an hour from the nation’s Capitol, had not been to the building.

The bowl games receive a lot of criticism, but such trips are a positive part of the bowl experience.

“I think that’s one of the best things about bowl games,” Wang said. “You really learn about what a city has to offer. Me, being so close to home, I never really thought about going to places like that. I’ve always been so close to it, and I’ve always been so focused on football and other things. To be able to take some time and go to that, it’s a cool deal that we get. It’s awesome.”

• The players were slated to spend their Christmas Eve as a bowl-sponsored show involving a hypnotist. Curfew remains at midnight.

A photo posted by VT Football (@vthokiefootball) on Dec 12, 2014 at 7:43am PST

Gallery from the Virginia Tech U.S. Capitol Building tour

Hokies visit U.S. Capitol building

The Virginia Tech football team spent nearly two hours Wednesday morning visiting the historic U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

The trip included a team photo inside the Capitol Visitor Center, and then the travel party watched a 13-minute video that took the group on a journey through the country's struggle to establish the world's first truly representative democracy. It also served as an introduction to the magnificent building that houses the U.S. Congress.

The tour served as a history lesson of sorts for the group. They got to see where the “crypt” was located. The crypt is a small chamber in the basement of the building that was designed to entomb the body of George Washington, the first president of the U.S. Washington’s family, though, insisted that Washington remain interred at his home at Mount Vernon.

The group also got to see the Rotunda, the large, domed circular room in the center of the Capitol building. The dome currently is undergoing restoration, as the photos in the gallery above illustrate.

The group also saw National Statuary Hall, which originally was where the House of Representatives met (before the nation grew and the number of elected officials necessitated a bigger meeting area), and the Old Supreme Court Chamber where the Supreme Court originally met before moving into its own headquarters in 1935.

For a photographic look at the tour, please check the gallery above.

Hokies arrive in Washington, D.C., for day 1 of bowl week

The Virginia Tech football travel party arrived in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday afternoon, as the Hokies get ready for on-site preparations for their Military Bowl game against Cincinnati on Saturday.

Most players drove from their hometowns, though a few rode on the two buses that brought the coaches, administrative staff and their families from Blacksburg on Tuesday morning. All arrived by the bowl-mandated 4 p.m. deadline.

The big news of the day, though, concerned Tech head coach Frank Beamer. The athletics department released that Beamer had been cleared by his doctors to coach in the game. He will fly to Annapolis, Maryland, on Friday and coach from the coaches’ box during the game.

Beamer underwent surgery in early December for an issue with his throat. He has spent the past two weeks recovery, though he has attended a few practices and a couple of staff meetings.

“He’s good,” Tech associate head coach Shane Beamer said. “He was in the office yesterday watching video with us. He’s well enough to get on some of our players who weren’t executing the right way on some of our special teams. He was in our staff meeting. Everything we’re doing the next two days in practice, he was in the meeting on that. We’re full speed ahead.”

Shane said the Hokies’ preparations haven’t suffered because the longtime head coach hasn’t been around. Frank Beamer has always given his assistants leeway to coach as they feel best, and Tech’s veteran staff knows exactly how the boss man would handle preparations for a bowl game.

“It’s different, but the system’s been in place long enough and the staff’s been in place long enough that we know what he wants done,” Shane said. “Even though he wasn’t on the practice field, we were executing what he wanted done. The practices were planned for a month. Bud [Foster] handles the defense, and Scot [Loeffler] handles the offense. I’ve been taking more of a lead as far as handling the team on a day-to-day basis, talking to them before practice, taking more of a lead on special teams, but it’s things we were prepared for, and it’s all gone pretty smooth.”

Here are a few more nuggets on the day:

• John Ballein, Tech’s associate AD for football operations, oversaw a team meeting that centered on the team’s schedule for the next couple of days. Two members of the Secret Service spoke to the team, in addition to the head of hotel security at The Mayflower, the team’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

One of the Secret Service members was Korey Irby, a former Tech player who played from 1994-97. Irby was a whip linebacker, serving mainly in a backup capacity behind Brandon Semones.

Irby and the other Secret Service member told the players which areas of Washington, D.C., to avoid and basically to use common sense.

The players were told repeatedly that curfew was midnight. That meant being in one’s room by midnight, not in the hotel.

• One Tech player is quite familiar with Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the site of the Military Bowl. Kendall Fuller, the Hokies’ All-American cornerback from Baltimore, Maryland, said he played five or six games at the stadium during his career.

“I think we won every game,” he said.

Fuller’s final high school game was at this stadium. He led Good Counsel to the state championship, and he’s looking forward to returning to a site that has brought him many fond memories.

“Just being around something that you’re familiar with will definitely be fun,” Fuller said.

Tech receiver Cam Phillips and kicker Michael Branthover, a pair of Maryland natives, also have played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

• Following a dinner and reception sponsored by the bowl, the Tech football team attended the Washington Wizards-Chicago Bulls basketball game on Tuesday night at the Verizon Center as part of a bowl-sponsored function. The game marked the second professional game taken in by Tech quarterback Michael Brewer in Washington, D.C. He said four or five years ago he and his family traveled to Washington to watch the Dallas-Washington NFL game. Brewer, from Lake Travis, Texas, is a huge Dallas Cowboys fan.

Speaking of the Redskins, the Tech football team will practice at the Redskins indoor facility on Wednesday because of the threat of rain. Shane Beamer jokingly warned a few players to behave themselves.

“Some of you diehard Redskins fans like Willie Byrn and Sam Rogers, try to contain yourselves,” he said. “And some of you Dallas fans, like Michael Brewer and Bruce Garnes, try to behave.”

• The Tech football team and travel party will tour the Capitol building on Wednesday. Several of the coaches, including Beamer, are history buffs and are looking forward to visiting some of the sites in the nation’s capitol.

“I’m excited to see all the things,” Beamer said. “Now, having three kids under the age of 6, they kind of take priority. So I think zoos and places like that may take precedence over any monuments or historical sites that I want to see.”

Time to head to the bowl!

The early gameweek prep worked completed this morning as the team wrapped up its 11th practice in Blacksburg and will now turn its attention to travelling to Washington, D.C., Tuesday morning. The team has already had its Monday and Tuesday practices and now will handle the rest of the week on the road. Players are allowed to drive themselves to the bowl, as many will head straight home after the game and will already be close to home. A few buses will also leave Blacksburg in the morning carrying any players who don't want to drive on their own and staffers.

The players will have to park their cars at the high school in Alexandria that Tech will practice at and have to turn in their keys, so there's no worry about them getting the urge to explore the area via car while up there. There will be a team meeting at 4:30 p.m., followed by a bowl reception and then players will have the option to go to the Bulls/Wizards game tomorrow night.

On Wednesday, the team will take a tour of the U.S. Capitol before practicing in the afternoon. That night, they'll have a bowl event featuring a hypnotist. On Christmas Day, the team will practice in the morning and several of the injured players who won't play will go visit some retired veterans as part of the community service outreach. That afternoon, the team will take a bus tour of some of the monuments around D.C.

On the 26th, the team will have its walk-thru, attend a bowl luncheon and then the dress squad will change hotels to lock in on the game and get away from the distractions. It's all in preparation for the 1 p.m. kickoff on the 27th against Cincinnati in Annapolis. Be sure to check back frequently for updates as hokiesports.com looks to give the best coverage of the Hokies' trip to D.C/Annapolis.

Tech increases number of practices in preparation for bowl game

Sunday’s practice will mark the 10th practice in the past 11 days for Virginia Tech, as it prepares for its Military Bowl game against Cincinnati on Dec. 27 in Annapolis, Maryland.

The Hokies also will practice on Monday before leaving Tuesday to head to Washington, D.C., where they will be staying in the days leading up to the game. The players were given Friday off because of graduation.

In Washington, the Hokies will practice four times, including the walk-thru the day before the game. All told, the team will have practiced nearly 15 times before taking the field against Cincinnati.

“We’ll have practiced more than any bowl game here recently,” defensive coordinator Bud Foster said.

Why is that? Well, for starters, Tech has not played well in bowl games the last two years. The Hokies lost 42-12 to UCLA last year in the Sun Bowl and won an ugly 13-10 overtime game against Rutgers in the 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl. The staff wants a sharper team when the Hokies take the field against Cincinnati, according to Foster.

“Part of that is wanting to keep our timing and wanting to stay sharp,” he said. “I know this is an important bowl game for how we feel in the offseason and momentum and those kinds of things. The earlier practices were to keep our timing, but starting this past Monday, we started our game planning.

“I think we’ve had some of our best practices of the year. I thought the kids continued to improve down the stretch. They’re practicing that way right now. We’ve got a lot of kids back, and they’re excited about what the future holds for them. We’ve got a great opportunity with this bowl game to grow with this defense.”

On the other side of the ball, offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler wants every practice he can get. Tech loses just three senior starters on offense following this season, and bowl practices are often tone-setters for the next spring practice, perhaps more so than preparation for the upcoming bowl game.

“Any extra work that Cam [Phillips] can get and Isaiah [Ford] can get and some of the guys that have been redshirting can get is invaluable,” Loeffler said. “This has been a great time to get our young guys better and try to get some of the pieces back together from the injuries that we had occur during the season.”

Loeffler remains bullish on Tech’s offense, even though the Hokies have struggled this season (93rd nationally in total offense). Injuries really wrecked the season, but the staff hopes to get most of those players back.

“I think we’re beyond close,” Loeffler said. “Like I said at the beginning of the year when we beat Ohio State, are we anywhere near where we needed to be? No. What’s misfortunate about the whole thing is that you’re hoping after that win in week 2 that you were able to keep improving, but things did not go our way in the injury department and you had to do what you had to do to get to a game and try and compete.

“I think it crucial to go out and compete with everything we’ve got [in the Military Bowl]. We’ve got to find a way to make enough plays to get a victory. Are we where we want to be health-wise? We are nowhere near close, but you’ve got to find a way to make enough plays to win. That’s the difference between winning and losing. We found a way to make enough plays against Duke. We made enough plays to beat Virginia. We didn’t make any plays in the Wake Forest game. We’ve got to find ways to help our guys make plays. We’ve got to coach well and help our guys out.”

The Hokies and Bearcats kick off at 1 p.m. on Dec. 27.

Before Game Week ... Graduation

The Hokies have practiced for eight days in a row, but have taken a break today for a good reason: graduation. Several current and former members of the Virginia Tech football team are graduating today and will walk in the ceremony inside Cassell Coliseum. Current members graduating are:

Derek Di Nardo
Caleb Farris
Laurence Gibson (2nd Degree)
Kyshoen Jarrett
Dadi Nicolas
David Wang (Master’s)

For Wang, this is his third degree as he already completed two undergraduate degrees in his six years here. Nicolas is a junior who could return to the program next year, but is testing the waters of the NFL Draft.

Additionally, former players Brent Benedict and Trey Gresh are graduating today. Benedict was forced to retire from football right before preseason camp due to blood clots in his leg. Gresh did an internship on Wall Street up in New York City last summer and finished up work this fall.

Of the 16 departing seniors on the 2014 roster, there are 12 Hokie graduates, with four others slated to graduate in the spring.

In 11 of the past 13 years, Tech has graduated at least 70 percent of its class.

Gresh's graduation helps another number. From 2001-2013, there were 229 senior Tech football players on the roster with 214 earning their degree, 93.4 percent. By the time this year is over, 78 of 80 seniors since 2010 will have graduated from Tech.

The Tech football program scored 977 for its multi-year APR – its highest score ever. Tech eclipsed its previous best score for the seventh straight year, and the Hokies’ 977 score ranked fifth in the ACC behind Duke (992), Clemson (983), Georgia Tech (983) and BC (981).

The team will resume practice Saturday and go three days in Blacksburg before departing for the Military Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 23.

Virginia Tech bowl guide available for fans

The 2014 Virginia Tech bowl guide is now available online for Tech fans interested in the Hokies’ road to the Military Bowl vs. Cincinnati on Dec. 27. The guide features a schedule of pregame activities, a listing of IMG’s coverage of the game and game recaps from this past season.

To look at the guide, click here - www.HokiesMilitaryBowlGuide.com.

Military Ties

Virginia Tech has numerous players with ties to the military, including tight end Kalvin Cline who is currently in the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. Below is a list of some of the Hokies whose families represent this great country.

Players
Player: Family Member; Branch
Alford, Dewayne: Dewayne Alford (father); Army
Baron, Woody: Jordan Baron (brother); National Guard infantry
Caleb, Joel: Jarrett Bailey (cousin); Army
Callas, Joe: Alex Callas (father); Navy; Walter Sumpolec (grandfather); Navy
Clark, Chuck: Charles Clark, Sr. (father); Navy
D’Antuono, Eddie: Carlton Scherlhorn (grandfather); Army; Patrick English (cousin); Army
Di Nardo, Derrick: James Di Nardo, Jr. (grandfather); Navy
Farris, Caleb: Damien Farris; Army
Gibson, Laurence: Michelle Gibson (mother); Army
Haynes, Jeremy: Ryan Haynes (cousin); Army
Huelskamp, Sean: Kenneth Huelskamp (grandfather); Navy
Jones, Greg: Scott Jones (father); Army
Ludwig, Mitchell: Matt Ludwig (father); Army
Motuapuaka, Andrew: Siaosi Motuapuaka (father); Army
Osterloh, Parker: Mitchell Murch (grandfather); Marines
Reavis, C.J.: Cary Reavis (father); Army
Shegog, Anthony: Darnell Shegog (father); Navy
Slye, Joey: David Slye (father); Air Force
Snell, Zach: Jake Belote (cousin); Marines
Taylor, Quinton: Travon Taylor (brother); Air Force
Teller, Wyatt: Rick Teller (father); Army
Trimble, Josh: Jeremy Trimble (brother); Army; Jordan Trimble (brother); Army; Justin Trimble (brother); Army
Vandyke, Ronny and Devin: Vanessa Addy (sister); Army
Walker, Ricky: Jose Garcia (stepfather); Navy
Ward, Ross: William Ward (grandfather); Air Force
Willenbrock, Jack: Stephanie Willenbrock (mother); Army; Pierce WIllenbrock (brother); Army; Grayson Redford (grandfather); Navy
Williams, Chase: Roger McCarroll (grandfather); Army

Virginia Tech a great fit for Military Bowl

Virginia Tech has strong ties to the military and is proud to have a chance to play in the Military Bowl, which will be played in Navy's Stadium on Dec. 27. The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets (VTCC) is the military component of the student body at Virginia Tech. Cadets live together in dormitories, march to meals in formation, wear a distinctive uniform on campus, and receive an intensive military and leadership educational experience similar to that available at the United States service academies.

Virginia Tech is one of six Senior Military Colleges in the nation, with the Corps of Cadets currently standing over 1,000 strong – the largest number since 1968. Tech is one of three public universities in the country with both an active corps of cadets and “civilian” lifestyle on campus.

The Corps is proud to partner with all branches of ROTC (Navy, Marine, Army and Air Force) and commissions over 75 percent of its cadets into the military. The Citizen-Leader Track produces leaders who serve the nation in both the public and private sectors.

The university has been producing military leaders since 1872, and more than 100 graduates have been promoted to General and Flag Officer rank. Seven former Hokies have earned the Medal of Honor.

The Pylons represent the values that all our graduates take with them – Brotherhood, Honor, Leadership, Sacrifice, Service, Loyalty, Duty and Ut Prosim (our University motto – That I May Serve). Throughout history, 430 Virginia Tech students/graduates have given the ultimate sacrifice and are honored on the Pylons.

With Hokie Heroes deployed around the world, the sun never sets on a graduate of Virginia Tech and the Corps of Cadets serving our nation.

Sophomore tight end Kalvin Cline is a proud member of the VTCC, balancing time on the football field with his duties to the Corps.

Since 1872, the Corps of Cadets has produced outstanding leaders for the Commonwealth and the Nation. Seven of its alumni have earned the Medal of Honor and over 100 of its graduates have been promoted to General and Flag Officer rank.

On game days, the Corps is a visible part of the experience. Members of the Corps of Cadets receive the American flag, Virginia flag and the team’s Spirit flag after the Hokies take the field for every game, home and away.

Hokie Heroes, Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets graduates serving in the military around the world, are recognized on every football game radio broadcast.

The Corps of Cadets Color Guard presents the colors at every game in Lane Stadium.

The Regiment marches onto the field for pre-game ceremonies in Lane Stadium.

The Highty-Tighties, the Regimental Band, perform at halftime or pregame.

Virginia Tech is honored with numerous flyovers, almost all of which are coordinated by Corps alums and many of which are flown by Corps alums.

Skipper, the Corps of Cadets’ cannon, is one of the most visible, and certainly the loudest, parts of game day at Virginia Tech.

Brewer to get reacquainted with Tuberville

Tech quarterback Michael Brewer and Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberville go way back, all the way back to the days when Tuberville was recruiting Brewer – just not for the Bearcats.

Tuberville coached at Texas Tech for three seasons and recruited Brewer out of Lake Travis High School in Lake Travis, Texas. Brewer was a part of four state championship teams at Lake Travis, and threw for 2,865 yards and 26 touchdowns his senior season.

Brewer wasn’t considering Texas Tech until Tuberville got hired.

“The first time I visited Texas Tech was when [Mike] Leach was there,” Brewer said, referring to the former Texas Tech coach who was fired. “I wasn’t committed or anything like that. I had my visit and started visiting some other places. I wasn’t considering Texas Tech heavily, and then Coach Tuberville came to my school and I started talking to him.

“I really like what he was all about and his background. He was a huge reason why I ended up at Texas Tech. I think he’s a great coach and have a tremendous amount of respect for him. I played for him for two years and I haven’t seen him since.”

Tuberville left following Brewer’s redshirt freshman season, taking the Cincinnati job after being wooed there by current Tech AD Whit Babcock.

Tuberville oversees a potent Cincinnati offensive attack, and Brewer said the Hokies needed to be ready for anything and everything.

“They call him a riverboat gambler for a reason,” Brewer said. “Don’t be surprised if he comes out with an onside kick or a fake punt or field goal or something. I don’t know what it is yet, but he’ll have something.

“He’s not afraid to go for it on fourth-and-3 from your own 35 and stuff like that. It was really fun playing for him. I enjoyed it. I learned a lot for him. It’ll be good seeing him again.”

Hokies dominate Allstate social media challenge

Allstate wrapped up its #ItsGood2Be social media challenge this past Sunday, and Virginia Tech – and more importantly, its fans – dominated the company’s fall-long social media event.

On Aug. 25, Allstate kicked of the challenge to celebrate the universal spirit of school pride and competition. From that date to this past Sunday, fans could show their school spirit by tweeting things such as why their college football program was the best using the #ItsGood2Be hashtag along with their school hashtag. Each week during the regular season, Allstate rewarded the school with the most fan conversation on Twitter with $10,000 in scholarship donations.

Of the 15 opportunities to win, Virginia Tech won 13 of those, reaping $130,000 for scholarships.

Tech fans also showed their school spirit by gobbling up tickets for the Hokies’ bowl game against Cincinnati to be played in Annapolis, Maryland, on Dec. 27. Hokie Nation purchased all of the program’s allotment within the first 36 hours of going on sale.