Virginia Tech Football: Hokies fall to Cincinnati in rainy Military Bowl

3. Virginia Tech better than the 6-7 record they posted in 2018

Yes, Virginia Tech ends the 2018 campaign with a losing record after they fell in the Military Bowl. But the Hokies were a far better team in 2018 than their 6-7 finish would indicate at first glance, and Justin Fuente’s team is in good shape for the future.

The offense has been there all season for the Hokies, as they were held under 21 points only once this season. Unfortunately for Justin Fuente’s crew, the defense simply failed to match the productivity of the offense in 2018. The inability to stop Cincinnati’s offense, even though the Bearcats were forced to rely on their backup quarterback, proved fatal for their hopes of finishing with a winning record.

With only two seniors in their defensive two-deep, though, some growing pains were to be expected from the defense. After the baptism by fire in 2018, though, the unit could make a major leap in 2019 thanks to the experience.

And with Willis back next year and players like Deshawn McClease looking to take on a bigger role, Virginia Tech could be in the thick of a wide-open ACC Coastal race in 2019. Even though they lost the Military Bowl, the Hokies proved against Cincinnati that they were better than a losing record would seem to reveal.