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AFCA All-American Chris Long and his Cavalier teammates will face AFCA All-American Michael Crabtree and his Texas Tech teammates. |
Virginia has waited a long time for its return to college football’s biggest bowl day – 14 years to be exact – but this year’s Cavaliers will play on the first day of the year after an impressive 9-3 regular season. UVa was tabbed as the ACC’s No. 3 selection Sunday, joining Big 12 representative Texas Tech in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl on Jan. 1. The game is at 1 p.m. in Jacksonville, Fla.
“The offer of a bid to participate in the 2008 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl is exciting and is the type acknowledgement that comes from a successful regular season,” Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage said in a news release. “The coaching staff and players have done a great job in 2007 showing their character and work ethic. Those qualities will again be shown in the bowl game. Our goal is to get our fans equally excited about the game and that they will support the team by attending the January 1 game in Jacksonville.”
The Hoos’ last appearance in a New Year’s Day bowl was 1994 when they fell to Boston College 31-13. You have to go back three more years to find UVa’s last, and only, chance in the Gator Bowl. On Dec. 29, 1991, Virginia squared off with Oklahoma in Jacksonville, losing 48-14. In that contest, quarterback Matt Blundin threw two touchdown passes, one to Tyrone Davis and another to Terrence Tomlin.
This is the Cavs’ first New Year’s Day game under coach Al Groh, who has a 3-1 record in bowl game at UVa. The Cavs won two Continental Tire Bowls (48-22 against West Virginia and 23-15 against Pittsburgh) and one Music City Bowl (34-31 against Minnesota) under Groh. The lone loss in a postseason game in Groh’s tenure came in 2004 when Fresno State squeaked out a 37-34 overtime win in the MPC Computers Bowl.
Adding a fourth win will be challenging against an explosive Texas Tech squad that won eight games this season, including a 34-27 win against then-No. 3 Oklahoma the last time out. The Sooners, of course, went on to win the Big 12 Championship.
The Red Raiders have played in three previous Gator Bowls, including a 28-19 win in 1973 against Tennessee in their last appearance. Tech has won four of its last five bowl games. Under coach Mike Leach, the Raiders have made the postseason eight times. In total, TT owns the Big 12’s longest bowl streak with 15 straight appearances.
“I have always believed the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl is one of the best games of the bowl season,” Leach said in a news release. “The opportunity to play on a national stage against a great conference is one of our goals each season. The Gator Bowl is a great reward for the efforts put forth by our staff and student-athletes this season. We look forward to facing the Virginia Cavaliers in Jacksonville.”
