The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

CHRIS Ferguson and the Cincinnati Bearcats learned their bowl destination last night as they look to conclude their milestone season on a high note.

The Bearcats will face the Virginia Tech Hokies in the 2018 Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman, benefiting the USO on Monday, December 31, 2018 inside Navy-Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.

The game kicks off at noon and will be broadcast live on ESPN.

The Bearcats and Hokies face off in a rematch of the 2014 Military Bowl, won by Virginia Tech. The Hokies also have a 6-5 edge in the all-time series.

Cincinnati finished the season 10-2, 6-2 in the American Athletic Conference after winning a combined eight games the last two seasons. It was their first 10-win season since 2012.

Ferguson, a 6’5” 303-pound senior offensive lineman, won the starting job at right tackle in the offseason and went on to start 11 games. He was also one of 10 members of the Bearcats football team to earn his degree (criminal justice) last April.

As a freshman, he was initially recruited as three-star recruit on the defensive line, following his senior season at Lake Nona High School in Orlando, Florida when he recorded 17 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

After a redshirt true freshman season, he shifted to the offensive line but did not see playing time in the 2015-17 seasons.

The Bearcats return to postseason play for the first time since the 2015 Hawai’i Bowl and will play in its 18th bowl game all time and 10th in the past 13 seasons.

The Bearcats are going for just the third 11-win season in the programme’s 131-year history and have an 8-9 all-time postseason record.

Virginia Tech (6-6) will be playing in a bowl game for the 26th consecutive season, the nation’s longest active streak and the third-longest streak in NCAA history.