Minnesota beats Virginia Tech 24-10 in Duke's Mayo Bowl for 8th straight bowl victory | TribLIVE.com
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Minnesota beats Virginia Tech 24-10 in Duke's Mayo Bowl for 8th straight bowl victory

Associated Press
| Friday, January 3, 2025 11:16 p.m.
AP
Minnesota wide receiver Elijah Spencer dives in for a touchdown during the first half of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Friday.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Max Brosmer threw for 211 yards and a touchdown, Darius Taylor ran for 113 yards a TD and also threw for a score and Minnesota extended its bowl winning streak to eight with a 24-10 victory over Virginia Tech on Friday night in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

Elijah Spencer had six catches for 81 yards and two TDs for the Golden Gophers (8-5). They improved to 6-0 in bowl games under coach P.J. Fleck, who got the bowl’s traditional mayo bath after the game.

Backup quarterback Collins Schlee ran for a touchdown, and Ayden Greene had six catches for 115 yards for the Hokies (6-7). They have lost five of their last six bowl games.

The Golden Gophers outgained the Hokies, 403-223.

With Minnesota up 24-10, Dante Lovett intercepted Brosmer to give the Hokies the ball at the Minnesota 15 and a last chance at a comeback midway through the fourth quarter. But the Hokies couldn’t convert as Za’Quan Bryan intercepted William Watson’s pass in the end zone, essentially sealing the game with 4:24 remaining.

Schlee and Watson split time at quarterback for Virginia Tech, with neither eclipsing 100 yards passing.

The Hokies failed to pick up a first down in three series under Watson, so coach Brent Pry switched to Schlee, and he provided instance offense with a 67-yard strike to Greene to set up his own 3-yard touchdown run.

But the Hokies couldn’t sustain the momentum.

Minnesota rattled off 21 consecutive points behind Spencer, a transfer from Charlotte, who hauled in a 10-yard halfback option pass from Darius Taylor and a 12-yard TD toss from Brosmer over the middle on back-to-back possessions. Taylor then made it 21-7 when he raced around left end on a 28-yard run.


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