Rutgers, Virginia Tech to meet in Russell Athletic Bowl, per report

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights have been invited to and will play in the Russell Athletic Bowl where they will face the Virginia Tech Hokies, Dec. 28, in Orlando, FL, ESPN's Brett McMurphy is reporting. The bowl confirmed McMurphy's report in a press release, though, it did not officially announce the Scarlet Knights' opponent.

The Russell Athletic Bowl is considered the second-best bowl invite a Big East Conference team can receive.

Rutgers (9-3, 5-2) finished its regular season Thursday as Co-Big East champions. The Scarlet Knights had a chance to collect the league's automatic BCS bowl berth, however, lost to the Louisville Cardinals, 20-17, in the regular-season finale.

The loss was the second straight for Rutgers, which finished in a four-way tie in the Big East standings with Louisville, Syracuse Orange and Cincinnati Bearcats. The Scarlet Knights were able to earn a better bowl bid because they defeated both the Orange and Bearcats in the regular season and will more than likely finish higher in the BCS rankings, which will be released Sunday night.

Overall, this is Rutgers seventh bowl berth in eight seasons, however, it will be the first under head coach Kyle Flood.

Virgina Tech (6-6, 4-4) finished in fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division. Early in the season, Sept. 15, the Hokies lost to the Pittsburgh Panthers, 35-17.

Pitt also defeated Rutgers, 27-6, on Nov. 24.

-- For more on the Russell Athletic Bowl, check back to SB Nation New York.