The Virginia Tech Hokies (6-6) face the Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-5) on Friday in the latest installment of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The Hokies you’ll see on Friday look dramatically different from the group that defeated the Virginia Cavaliers last month to become bowl-eligible.
Most of Tech’s top players are gone, leaving the bowl game as an opportunity for young players to step up and show their worth ahead of the 2025 season. Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck recently referred to Duke’s Mayo Bowl as “pre-spring ball,” which is a perfect way to describe most bowl games these days.