Excorcising the demons
Posted at 7:00 pm on Friday, November 16th, 2007 by Vince[The following post was published at HokieHaven.com on November 16, 2007.]
As the final seconds ticked off the game clock last Saturday at the end of the Florida State game, I could almost hear Tangina from Poltergeist declare to the Hokie Nation that “This house is clean.” We could finally sing, “Ding Dong, the witch is dead!” The proverbial monkey was finally off of our collective back. It had been over 30 years since the last time we beat Florida State – in fact, Coach Beamer had never beat Bobby Bowden – but the last three losses to those hated ‘Noles were particularly bitter. As new members of the ACC, Florida State was the only team we had yet to conquer on the gridiron as an ACC peer.
Those last three games against Florida State (’99 National Championship Game, ’01 Gator Bowl, and ’05 ACC Championship Game) were certainly on our minds last Saturday, and the emotional release after the win punctuated that point. Even though the win was barely a blip on the college football radar, the fact that the students rushed the field after the game demonstrated what the win meant to the program. The Seminoles had seemed to be our nemesis team: when we played them the stakes were high, Bobby Bowden managed to out-Beamer the Hokies, and Tech lost. The 40-21 victory over the Seminoles exorcised those demons, and the Hokies can now only look towards the future.
What exactly does the future hold? Two of the Hokies’ most familiar foes are the only opponents remaining on the regular season slate. Tech has faced Miami every season since 1992, and they have faced Virginia every season since 1970. Recent history has been kind to the Hokies as they are 3-1 against each the last 4 years, but these aren’t your big brother’s ‘Canes and ‘Hoos. Miami has lost their last 2 games, and 4 of their last 5, including a 48-0 woodshed beating at the hands of the Cavaliers. At 5-5, they still need to win one more game to become bowl eligible. With Virginia Tech and Boston College remaining, Miami’s postseason fate remains very much in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Virginia, who had been the posterboy of mediocrity the last few years, has scratched and clawed their way to be amongst the ACC elite. Following an embarrassing loss at Wyoming the first week of the season, the Wahoos went to work and flew under the radar to a 9-2 record with only the Hokies standing in their way to a trip to Jacksonville at the end of the season. Who would’ve thought that the regular season finale in Charlottesville would mean so much?
As for Saturday’s game against Miami, it’s hard to believe that a game against the Hurricanes could mean so little in the grand scheme of things. Virginia Tech’s win over Florida State eliminated Miami from the division race before the ‘Canes could eliminate themselves by losing to UVA. There have been so many memorable games between Tech and Miami that have meant so much. The 43-10 smackdown we gave them in Blacksburg in 1999, the 41-21 loss they handed to us a year later when it was #2 vs #3, the Earnest Wilford drop in 2001 when Miami was #1 on their way to a national championship, and the 31-7 beating we handed to them in 2003 when they where #2 are just a few of some of the great games played between the two schools.
This time Miami isn’t ranked, and the outcome of the game will not affect our quest for an ACC Championship. Even with the reduced stakes, I can’t help but to feel excited about Saturday’s game. Saturday is senior day for one of the more memorable senior classes Virginia Tech football has seen. The likes of Vince Hall, Xavier Adibi, Chris Ellis, Duane Brown, and Eddie Royal will be playing their last game in Lane Stadium. In addition to that, this season has made a turn for the better since the nasty loss to LSU, and this will be the last time that most of the fans will get see this team in person.
At 8-2, the Hokies are just two wins away from yet another 10-win season, and the Hokies control their own fate for their bid at a second ACC Championship. Those dark weeks following the loss in Baton Rouge are nothing but a distant memory, and Tech put together some very nice wins. Even with the QB swap-a-roo (which I have warmed up to), I get the feeling that the team is starting to hit their stride. Hopefully they will build on this momentum and win four more games this season.
Quick Hits
- Did you catch Bobby Bowden’s comments about last weekend’s game? The Roanoke Times reported that the game was one of the three worst physical whippings suffered by any of his teams during his coaching career. That is some high praise, although I’m not entirely surprised by it. That was one of the hardest hitting games I think I’ve ever witnessed.
- ACC Championship Game update: Things are much clearer now. The winner of next week’s Virginia Tech vs Virginia game will play the winner of this week’s Boston College vs Clemson game.
- How about Maryland? Just when I thought they’d end the year with a losing record and have to stay home for the holidays, they pull off one of the biggest upsets in the ACC by knocking off Boston College. They are now 5-5 overall, and with Florida State and N.C. State remaining they have a legit shot at getting bowl eligible.
- While Miami has looked bad the last few weeks, I don’t expect Saturday’s game to be an easy win for the Hokies. It’s a rivalry game, and I get the “wounded animal” sense from the Hurricanes. They were embarrassed last week, and they’re going want to prove to themselves that they’re not that bad.
- Yet another #2 goes down. While writing this column, I watched Arizona upset #2 Oregon on Thursday night. They’re the fourth #2 team to lose this season. (Not to mention the #1′s have been upset.) This has truly been a fun year to watch college football, and I don’t have a clue who’s going to make it to the National Championship Game.