Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 11 No. 3 | January 2019

22 Inside Hokie Sports A cold, stubbornly steady rain fell throughout New Year’s Eve afternoon, and it only added to the dreariness that engulfed Virginia Tech’s football players and coaches. In a game that was almost emblematic of the season, Tech put together several extensive pockets of quality play, but injuries and mistakes doomed a team with literally no margin for error. As a result, the Hokies saw their 2018 season end with a 35-31 loss to Cincinnati in the Military Bowl played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. Tech went into the game hoping for a repeat of its 2014 Military Bowl performance against the Bearcats, one in which J.C. Coleman, Joey Slye and a good defense surged in the second half to a 33-17 victory. A much different Hokies’ squad led late in the fourth quarter this time only to see Cincinnati tailback Michael Warren score on an 8-yard run with 1:29 remaining to give the Bearcats the lead. They then sealed the victory with an interception of Tech quarterback Ryan Willis with 33 seconds to go—a play that set off a boisterous celebration on the Cincinnati sideline For the first time since 1992, Tech finished a season with a losing record. “That’s a fair question, but I’m not going into that right now,” Tech coach Justin Fuente said when asked what needed to change within the program for the program to get back to its winning ways. “I think it’s important that we do a great job of examining ourselves. We’ve got to create a culture of unselfishness and discipline, where guys believe in each other and do the right thing, and continue to develop these young people. It’s up to us to set the stage for that and cultivate that and start Jan. 22 [when classes resume].” Fuente received a follow-up question about the Hokies’ culture, and he clarified his point. “I think it could always be better,” he said. “My point is that the guys we have, the guys that finished the season, were great examples of it. We were awfully short-handed out there. Awfully short- handed. We can’t be that short-handed again next year.” Tech found itself short-handed rather quickly in this game, as tailback Steven Peoples and defensive tackle Ricky Walker went out with injuries in the first half—and never returned. Deshawn McClease and Jalen Holston picked up the slack for Peoples, combining to rush for 142 yards, with McClease rushing for 102 of that. Yet no one seemed to be able to replace Walker, and maybe no one could. He was Tech’s heart and soul this season, and perhaps it came as no surprise that the Bearcats scored all three of their second-half touchdowns on the ground, specifically up the middle. The final one came in the final two minutes. The Hokies led 31- 28, but Cincinnati marched 64 yards in just five plays and scored on Warren’s 8-yard run to take a 35-31 lead. The Hokies drove to the Cincinnati 48 on the ensuing drive, but on second-and-10, Willis’ pass was intercepted by James Wiggins, thus ending the game. “The kids played hard,” Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said. “We gave up a couple of plays, and that’s the nature of the game these days. With a group that’s fought their tail off … we were short-handed tonight. You lose Ricky Walker early. We needed his discipline and toughness inside there at the end. “It was disappointing. We make a play and don’t finish—on either side. We didn’t respond on either side of the ball, and that’s disappointing right there. We had an opportunity to go up two scores, and we didn’t, and then we didn’t respond defensively. That’s kind of how we’ve been this year, just up and down that way.” Late score lifts Bearcats past TECH in MILITARY BOWL Ryan Willis accounted for three scores and Deshawn McClease ran for more than 100 yards, but the Hokies’ missed opportunities hurt in a 35-31 defeat by Jimmy Robertson