Virginia Tech 12/31 12:00 ESPN

[swilsonsp4]

Here are a few good notes from today's Military Bowl:

UC had 7 tackles for loss; VT had none.

11 different receivers caught passes, with only Trent Cloud hauling in as many as 3.

LB Ty Van Fossen, a true FR from Columbus St. Francis De Sales, because of injuries made his debut, registering an important Pass Defended in the 4th quarter. Thank you for the new 4-game allowance rule to avoid blowing a red shirt.

Ryan Jones hit all 5 of his PAT's, mostly dead center.

The Cats averaged 7.1 yards on 36 carries. The Hokies put up 5.0 on 45 runs.

UC were fortunate to have recovered all three of the fumbles. VT went for strips on almost every tackle.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Between the penalties, injuries and scoring plays, I thought the game would never end. I'm sure the fans in the stadium, soaking wet with temps in the 40's, felt it more than I did while sitting in my lounge chair at home.

It's a whole lot more fun watching a team playing with heart. After Michael Warren got clocked early, he came back with flames shooting from his ears. He couldn't be stopped. Just think back to that disastrous, listless 2016 season in which the Cats, rudderless, were noncompetitive in almost every game. Thank you Coach Fickell for putting together a fun team to feel a part of.

[bearcatbret]

I know Warren deserved the MVP but K. Lewis should have won in for recovering two fumbles and one for a TD. I am sorry that he could not have finished his senior year and the game.

[Gilenerm]

Great win for the 'Cats. I'm glad there is so much excitement building around this team this year. This game was one of the more entertaining that I've seen all bowl season. To be honest, all the games New Year's Eve were pretty good, but it started with the Cats getting a win.

UC is going to lose a lot in the trenches, but we got to see quite a bit of the backups throughout the year and I think we'll be alright on the Defensive side. The O-line had a ton of false start penalties with Trout and Campbell this past year. They were great when they didn't false start, but way too many penalties by the seniors. Hopefully, we get some discipline with the replacements for next year. It will be interesting to see how they develop over the off season.

Get your tickets now for next year. It's going to be a lot of fun!!

[Carin's Dad]

"It's a whole lot more fun watching a team playing with heart."- swilsonsp4

Isn't that the truth? It was like that all season. And that's why last year's basketball team was so fun to watch.

[coach]

Fun, fun trip. Obviously Warren and Lewis have been studs all year long, but i have to give the game ball to Moore. He hasn't played a heck of a lot, but on a very sloppy day he held it to one turnover, and had the presence to bring the guy down and not let him score which turned out to be one if not the play of the game. Defense obviously picked him up by getting the stop, but he got right back out there and as he did all day picked up some nice yardage with several big runs. No sacks all day. Congrats on a great season to all the players and coaches.