Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech: Score and Reaction for 2015 Independence Bowl

In head coach Frank Beamer’s final game, Isaiah Ford became a record-breaker.

Ford became the first 1,000-yard receiver in Virginia Tech Hokies history and set an Independence Bowl record with 227 receiving yards as the Hokies sent Beamer off in style with a stunning 55-52 win over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Saturday night.

One of the greatest college football coaches of all time announced Nov. 1 he would retire at the end of the season. He led the Hokies to 23 straight bowl appearances—the fourth-longest streak in college football history.

Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer threw for 344 yards in the win, and the Hokies sent out a euphoric tweet afterward:

The only thing missing from this game was Russell Crowe yelling to the Shreveport, Louisiana, crowd, “Are you not entertained?”

Because the first half was a smorgasbord of points and big plays, the teams scored an astounding 28 points in less than four minutes. Three of the four touchdowns came on plays longer than 45 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown pass from Brewer to Ford that helped Virginia Tech tie the game at 14-14 with 11 minutes, 42 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Ford became Virginia Tech's single-season leader in receiving yards with this grab while also becoming the first player in program history to record a 1,000-yard season. The Hokies tweeted about Ford’s historic achievement:

It was such a hectic first quarter that ESPN.com’s Andrea Adelson accomplished a bunch of important things during that time:

The 45-31 halftime score was the highest combined point total for a bowl game in the history of college football, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Virginia Tech was able to score at will because because Tulsa was not prepared for the speed and physicality of the Hokies offense. Virginia Tech scored on two straight possessions to open the second quarter on drives of 10 and seven plays, respectively, thanks to touchdown runs by Bucky Hodges and Travon McMillian.

Greg Stroman scored another touchdown less than two minutes later, returning a punt 67 yards to give Virginia Tech a 45-21 lead with 7:11 remaining in the half.

Tulsa’s one-dimensional offense was able to put points on the board but not as consistently and efficiently as Virginia Tech. The Golden Hurricane made it a 14-point game at halftime after a late D’Angelo Brewer touchdown, but the damage had already been done. Not only were the points there, but Jon Solomon of CBS Sports also pointed out the yards also came in bunches:

The Golden Hurricane found a way to make it a tight game late in the fourth. After trailing by 21 points in the third, Tulsa stormed back to make it a three-point game with 3:47 to go after Dane Evans hit Keyarris Garrett for a 36-yard touchdown.

Tulsa got the ball back with less than two minutes left, but Dadi Nicolas sacked Evans on fourth down to preserve Beamer's final win.

Beamer goes out on top with 280 career wins at the Division I level, and 238 of those came at Virginia Tech. Though Beamer was known for his defense and special teams over the years, it took an offensive explosion in a game that featured 1,161 total yards of offense and 57 first downs for him to secure his final win.

It's probably not what Beamer expected, but at least he can now head off into the sunset.

Postgame Reaction

Shreveport is the third-largest city in Louisiana. It's not the first city to come to mind when asked to describe the state.

It was also the city where Frank Beamer coached his first bowl game as Virginia Tech's head coach in 1993. After this, though, Shreveport may become the top destination for the Beamer family, per VT Football:

Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer shared his thoughts on Beamer after playing his final game as a college quarterback Saturday:

Despite being up 21 points in the third quarter, along with Tulsa cutting it close, it doesn't matter to Beamer how the Hokies won it:

None of that would be possible without the play of Ford, who finished yards shy of breaking the school record for most receiving yards in a game:

Beamer ends his coaching career with one amazing streak of 23 straight bowl games and 23 straight winning seasons. He's put a lot of miles on himself, but the hard work has paid off:

"

Beamer [on his 280th win]: “I feel like an old man up here, a lot of fourth quarters … I’m a fortunate guy."

— VT Football (@VT_Football) December 27, 2015"