Virginia set to play Minnesota in Music City Bowl
The University of Virginia football team is set to play the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Presented by Bridgestone at The Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 30.
The Cavaliers are 6-5 overall this season and are appearing in their fourth consecutive bowl game. Overall Virginia is making its 16th bowl appearance in school history and the first in this bowl. Minnesota is 7-4 this season and is also appearing in a bowl game for the fourth year in a row.
The Gophers (7-4) will be appearing in their fourth consecutiv
e bowl game for the first time in school history and this will also be the program’s sixth bowl appearance in the past seven seasons. The Gophers will join Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin as the only Big Ten teams to play in a bowl game in six of the past seven seasons.
Minnesota has won each of its past three bowl games. The Gophers defeated Arkansas, 29-14, in the 2002 Music City Bowl, defeated Oregon, 31-30, in the 2003 Sun Bowl and won the 2004 Music City Bowl with a 20-16 victory over Alabama. The Gophers have also participated in the 1999 Sun Bowl and the 2000 Micronpc.com Bowl during head football coach Glen Mason’s nine seasons at Minnesota.
This is the first meeting between the Cavaliers and the Golden Gophers. This marks the Cavaliers’ 16th bowl game overall and the fourth consecutive under fifth-year head coach Al Groh. Virginia has won six bowls in its history, including two under Groh. Minnesota joins Virginia in appearing in a bowl the last four seasons. This is one of eight bowl games where both teams have played in a bowl for at least the last four years.
Both teams have been ranked periodically during the season but come into the game unranked. Virginia finished the regular season with a 6-5 overall record, including 3-5 in the ACC. Minnesota finished seventh in the Big Ten with a 7-4 overall record and a 4-4 league mark.
