The Cincinnati Bearcats and the Virginia Tech Hokies will meet for the Valero Alamo Bowl on Monday, December 31.
The game is a rematch of the 2014 Military Bowl, which the Hokies won 33-17. Virginia Tech also holds the advantage over Cincinnati with a 6-4 record out of the ten meetings between the two teams.
For the 2018 clash, the winner will likely be determined by how well executed, or defended, the ground game is. Virginia Tech was regularly gashed by the run game of their opponents in 2018, ranking them 105th nationally in rushing defense, which is good news for the Bearcats. Cincinnati (10-2) is ranked 18th in the nation for rushing yards per game, averaging 238 ypg.
Much of that success lies with running back Michael Warren who leads the Bearcats with 1,163 yards on the ground, including a 151-yard performance against South Florida. Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder can run, too. Ridder has 574 yards and five touchdowns to go with 2,359 passing yards.
For the Hokies (6-6), quarterback Ryan Willis passed the 5,000-yard mark for his collegiate career this season and threw for 22 touchdowns this year. The Virginia Tech offense relies on a trio of wide receivers that racked up over 1,700 yards with sophomore Damon Hazelton leading the way.
2018 Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman
Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium — Annapolis, Maryland.
Date: Monday, December 31
Time: Noon ET
TV: ESPN | Live stream: WatchESPN, fuboTV (free trial available)
Satellite Radio: ESPN Radio, VT Feed: ESPNU Radio
Odds: Cincinnati -6; Over/Under: 53.5
Prediction:
Jon Kinne (Athlon Sports): Cincinnati 28, Virginia Tech 17
"The season wasn't pretty but Virginia Tech did qualify for a bowl game for the 26th year in a row and with Florida State missing the postseason this year, the Hokies now hold the longest active bowl streak. Looking back, this fall's step back was a bit predictable. The Hokies lost a ton off last year's defense both through natural attrition and suspensions. Plus, though Ryan Willis played very well following the Josh Jackson injury, the offense had to regroup this season after all-time leading receiver Cam Philipps used up his eligibility. With very few upperclassmen on this team, 2019 should be a breakout year for Virginia Tech and the Military Bowl could act as a springboard to next season. But Cincinnati is ready now. Head coach Luke Fickell's team has talented young players like Desmond Ridder and Michael Warren, but also experience on both sides of the ball. Virginia Tech will find it difficult to throw the ball against the Bearcats and find it even harder to run successfully. The balance of the Cincinnati offense will allow Fickell's team to move the ball more smoothly against the Hokie D. In a game that is close in the third quarter, Cincinnati pulls away late to take the 2018 Military Bowl."
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