Gopher fans can start making their travel plans
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-5) have a date with the Virginia Tech Hokies (6-6) in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Friday, Jan. 3, in Charlotte, North Carolina. This will be the Gophers’ first ever trip to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, and the first ever meeting between these two programs.
The game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT and be televised on ESPN.
The Hokies are in their third year under head coach Brent Pry, who was previously the defensive coordinator at Penn State. Virginia Tech finished 8th in the Atlantic Coastal Conference and needed a rivalry win over Virginia in the final week of the regular season to secure bowl eligibility.
Minnesota could have multiple players opt out of the bowl game. Quarterback Max Brosmer and offensive lineman Quinn Carroll have both confirmed they plan to participate. Gophers with NFL prospects are less likely to play, including offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery, defensive end Jah Joyner, wide receiver Daniel Jackson, linebacker Cody Lindenberg, and cornerback Justin Walley.