Maryland, Virginia Tech set to battle in 2021 Pinstripe Bowl
Since its inception, the New Era Pinstripe Bowl has become one of the premier bowl games on the holiday schedule. The game has also constantly become one of the most exciting games of the season, adding to the prestige and history of the annual matchup at Yankee Stadium.
"All these bowl games have been great, and as Mark tells you, there's always most of them have had finishes that have come down to the last minute or two of the game," said Yankees president Randy Levine.
The first installment of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl featured Syracuse and Kansas State in the Bronx in 2010. A back-and-forth game with two offenses on fire in the cold of the New York City air ended with an Orange 36-34 win after Kansas State failed on a two-point conversion.
The first overtime game in the bowl's history took place in 2014 between Penn State and Boston College, two major football programs in the Northeast. Christian Hackenburg led the Nittany Lions from behind on two separate occasions in the fourth quarter to force extra time. A touchdown pass from the future Jets quarterback to Kyle Carter and a Sam Ficken extra point gave Penn State a 31-30 win for this first New Era Pinstripe Bowl trophy.
2015 featured the second overtime ending in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Duke picked up their first bowl victory since the 1961 Cotton Bowl after a 44-41 win over Indiana in a game that featured over 1,200 yards of total offense. Duke had three players who rushed for over 100 yards, but Indiana's Devine Redding set a Pinstripe Record with 227 yards on the ground.
The 2021 New Era Pinstripe Bowl between Maryland and Virginia Tech is set up to be a classic. Maryland and head coach Mike Locksley is the seventh Big Ten team to play in the bowl's seven-year association with the conference. Virginia Tech attempts to end the season on the right foot with interim J.C. Price leading the Hokies into Yankee Stadium.
There will be fireworks and excitement on December 29th between Maryland and Virginia Tech that will only add to the stature of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.