Pop Watson and Virginia Tech couldn’t muster much against Minnesota in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. (Ivan Morozov)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Virginia Tech fell to Minnesota 24-10 in Friday’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Bank of America Stadium.
The Hokies (6-7) drew first blood but were sacked five times and struggled on both sides of the ball against the Gophers (8-5), who controlled the majority of the game.
Tech scored first through Collin Schlee. He replaced Pop Watson at quarterback after the third series and led a composed eight-play, 80-yard drive that ended in his three-yard scamper into the end zone. In his final collegiate game, the redshirt senior hit wideout Ayden Greene for a 67-yard chunk play that set up the opening score.
Minnesota fifth-year kicker Dragan Kesich missed a 33-yard field goal on the team’s third possession, slicing it low and wide right, but the Golden Gophers eventually found the end zone behind some trickeration. On first-and-goal from the 10, running back Darius Taylor caught a pitch and threw a touchdown to wide receiver Elijah Spencer.
Tech’s young defensive backs were picked on a little bit on that series. True freshman Joshua Clarke was called for a questionable pass interference penalty and was beat on a 35-yard pass from Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer to Le’Meke Brockington, though the ball popped out when he hit the ground. The play was not reviewed. Hokies sophomore safety Braylon Johnson was beat on the touchdown pass in the end zone.
Minnesota found some steam after that, and Brosmer found Spencer for his second touchdown on third-and-8 from the Tech 12-yard line. He was under intense pressure and barely got the pass off. The Gophers had other gains of 18 and 20 yards on that drive.
A third consecutive score — this one a 28-yard run from Taylor — made it 21 unanswered for the Gophers. The Hokies appeared to be out of position on the run, and Taylor popped it outside and was untouched as he raced down the sideline.
Tech responded in exciting fashion to end the first half with a 60-yard field goal from John Love as time expired — tied for the second-longest kick in school history. The redshirt sophomore had the wind at his back and used it to sneak the kick just over the bar. He was 3-for-4 from 50-plus yards in 2024.
Virginia Tech quarterback Collin Schlee found the end zone in his final collegiate game — the Hokies’ lone touchdown against the Gophers. (Ivan Morozov)
Tech’s special teams had quite the night. On top of Love’s field goal, punter Peter Moore booted a 69-yard punt in the third quarter — a career-long in his final collegiate game. Those two players both earned All-ACC honors this season.
It was a quiet rest of the game, with the lone score coming from Kesich. After Moore’s punt, Minnesota took 9:20 off the clock on a 15-play, 66-yard drive that culminated in Kesich’s 44-yard field goal.
The Hokies had some life offensively when they pulled out a reverse, which true freshman wide receiver Keylen Adams took 47 yards to the Gophers’ 20-yard line. However, Tech stalled and turned the ball over on downs after Schlee’s fourth-and-7 pass to Stephen Gosnell fell incomplete.
Minnesota gave Virginia Tech one final chance by throwing an interception to Dante Lovett, the first of his career, but the Hokies couldn’t do anything with it as Watson threw it right back. He tried to force the issue with his back against the wall on fourth-and-14 but his pass, intended for Takye Heath in the corner of the end zone, fell into the hands of Gophers defensive back Za’Quan Bryan.
Minnesota finished with 403 yards to Tech’s 223. Brosmer was 18-of-29 for 211 yards and a score while Taylor added 113 yards and a touchdown on the ground on 20 carries (5.7 average). Jaren Mangham accounted for 57 yards on nine totes, too. As a team, the Gophers averaged six yards per play and 4.6 yards per carry.
Tech’s quarterbacks were a combined 10-of-18 for 149 yards. Schlee had the team’s lone touchdown. It was a solid evening for Greene, who racked up 115 receiving yards on six of the team’s 10 catches, including the 67-yarder.
Box Score: Minnesota 24, Virginia Tech 10
