Independence Bowl 2015: Preview, Predictions for Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech
The Virginia Tech Hokies rallied against in-state rival Virginia on rivalry Saturday to win their sixth game of the season and earn retiring coach Frank Beamer one last shot at going out a champion.
The Hokies will be in search of an Independence Bowl title, which fittingly enough, is the first bowl to which Beamer led the Hokies back in 1993 (a win over Indiana). The only thing now standing in Virginia Tech's path is Tulsa.
The Golden Hurricane finished fourth in the American Athletic Conference's West Division with a 6-6 overall record (3-5 in conference play).
Here, we'll take a look at what's coming up in Beamer's 23rd consecutive—and final—bowl appearance with Virginia Tech, right back where it all began: at the Independence Bowl.
Here's what you need to know:
Date: Saturday, December 26, 2015
Time: 5:45 p.m. ET/ 4:45 p.m. CT
Place: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La.
TV: ESPN
Line: TBA, according to OddsShark.com
Keys to Victory for Tulsa
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Continue to Move the Football
Tulsa, despite losing five conference games this season, finished the year ranked third in the AAC in total offense. The Golden Hurricane picked up nearly 503 yards per game in 2015, scoring 35.9 points per game.
Dane Evans led the AAC is passing yards with 3,958 and finished the season second in the conference with 22 passing touchdowns (to just eight interceptions). Continued passing production will be important, particularly against a Virginia Tech team that's pretty decent at defending the pass.
The Hokies gave up just 174 passing yards per game this season.
Limit the Big Plays
One of the biggest factors in bowl games between a team from the "Group of Five" going up against a "Power Five" conference foe is often the power program's ability to extend the field vertically. Virginia Tech certainly has enough playmakers on offense to challenge Tulsa's defense, and early big plays in the Hokies' favor could tip the momentum toward Virginia Tech in a hurry.
Keeping things close early will not only build confidence for the Golden Hurricane, it will also allow them to come up with their own momentum-shifting strikes as the game wears on.
Keys to Victory for Virginia Tech
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Get Travon McMillian the Ball Early and Often
Despite reaching a bowl game by the slimmest of margins this season, Virginia Tech isn't without talent. One young budding star is running back Travon McMillian. He was second among all ACC freshmen this season with 961 rushing yards, but despite his yardage production, he only found the end zone five times this year.
If the Hokies can get him involved in some big plays and get him into the end zone, it will not only go a long way toward putting Tulsa behind the eight ball in this bowl game, but also be a big confidence booster for young McMillian heading into his sophomore season in 2016.
Win One for Frank
Most teams don't need a ton of extra motivation when it comes to bowl games, but if there's one group of guys taking the field this bowl season with more to play for than the average program, it might just be the Hokies.
Not only would a win send Beamer out on top as Independence Bowl champion, it would also stave off Beamer's first losing season since 1992—the year before this amazing 23-year bowl streak began.
If that doesn't get the Hokies up for this one, nothing will.
Players to Watch from Tulsa
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Dane Evans
This kid can pass the football like nobody's business. Virginia Tech hasn't seen a quarterback as prolific as Evans all season, and Evans doesn't miss a lot of his throws, either.
Evans has completed 63 percent of his throws this season, and if he can beat that number on Boxing Day, his Golden Hurricane team will have an excellent shot at spoiling Beamer's swan song.
Matt Linscott
Linscott led Tulsa's defense this season with five sacks (tied for 10th in the AAC) and was third in the conference with 16 tackles-for-loss. His ability to get penetration and make plays in the backfield could give the Hokies fits and will be a crucial part of Tulsa's goal of keeping the Virginia Tech offense off of the field.
Virginia Tech's young offense can often be flustered by negative plays on early downs, and Linscott will need to play a central role in putting the Hokies behind schedule to set up the rest of the Tulsa defense.
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Players to Watch from Virginia Tech
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Travon McMillian
We've already mentioned McMillian, so we might as well list him here as a player you'll want to keep an eye on for Virginia Tech.
McMillian has a bright future for the Hokies, and we might get to see a glimpse of what's to come for the Hokies' offense here in the Independence Bowl. As a freshman, McMillian is still averaging better than 5.2 yards per carry, but he's only found the end zone five times this season despite putting together eight games with 80-or-more rushing yards (including three 100-plus yard games and three more with 96, 98 and 99 yards, respectively).
If the Hokies can get McMillian into the game early—and into the end zone—you have to like Virginia Tech's chances.
Isaiah Ford
Just a sophomore, Ford finished the season leading the ACC with 937 receiving yards. He also led all receivers with 10 touchdowns on the year, making him one of only 23 receivers nationally to reach the double-digit mark in scoring.
Tulsa's pass defense was the worst in the AAC this season and fifth-worst in the FBS, giving up a whopping 293 passing yards per game this season.
We think there's going to be some room for Ford to work his magic. It could be a career day for him in terms of numbers, and a big day against Tulsa will almost certainly mean a big bowl win for the Fighting Beamers.
What They're Saying
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There's little doubt that Beamer is one of the all-time greats in college football coaching history. His 277 wins rank him most among all active FBS coaches and his 23 consecutive bowl appearances as a head coach is unrivaled.
The man who will replace him as the winningest active FBS coach, Notre Dame's Brian Kelly, was just one of many college football personalities to offer up congratulations to Beamer on his career.
In a tweet from November 21, Kelly simply said of Beamer, "Congratulations to Coach Beamer on an amazing career. You've been a role model, mentor and friend."
But the best tribute probably came from the crowd at Lane Stadium, which during Coach Beamer's final home game, chanted what the entire college football world was thinking.
"Thank you, Beamer."
Prediction
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Depending on your perspective, football games are either incredibly complex ballets of poise, precision and power or simplistic, chaotic 60-minute slug-fests. This season's Independence Bowl is shaping up to have a little bit of both.
Tulsa is certainly capable of making some plays, and it's possible the Golden Hurricane could rely on their playmakers to keep things interesting in the first half. But the Hokies simply have too much talent in all of the right places that match up perfectly with Tulsa's weaknesses.
Michael Brewer is playing in his last game as the Virginia Tech signal-caller, and he'll have more than enough motivation to find Ford all evening. And with Tulsa's porous secondary, the Virginia Tech passing game will be the difference-maker.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 41, Tulsa 23
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