Slept On It: Virginia

Virginia Tech's victory over Virginia Friday was seemingly the perfect ending to one of the more trying seasons in recent memory. As always, the defense showed up to play, yet still managed to give up a late go-ahead score to the Hoos. However, unlike so many previous games that ended in VT losses, on Friday the much maligned Hokie offense come to the rescue in the waning minutes. That was especially surprising given the offense again sputtered through most of the game before it found its stride late in the third quarter thanks to a well executed drive that ended in a Cam Phillips touchdown.

I hate the thought of losing to UVa, and as the years pass and the consecutive wins add up, I find myself dreading kickoff of the annual Commonwealth Cup matchup regardless of each team's record. Many highly ranked national prospects reside in Virginia, making it more imperative than ever that the Hokies lock down these recruits to continue to re-build the program. The last thing that any of us want to see is Virginia re-take the Cup, enabling them to lay claim to Virginia and give credence to Virginia Head Coach Mike London's sales pitch. However, with each passing victory over the Hoos, London's spiel becomes more folly than battle cry.

In my eyes, this was UVa's best shot at retaking the Commonwealth Cup and they failed. They faced a reeling Hokies squad rife with injuries, uneven quarterback play, a defense susceptible to occasional breakdowns and the first significant level of uncertainty surrounding Frank Beamer in almost two decades. Friday's win marked the beginning of a second Decade of Dominance. I hope the Hoos are ready for it.

In the spirit of the holiday season, I thought it would be apropos to give thanks for Friday night's victory over the Hoos, which capped what has arguably been the most trying season of Virginia Tech football in 20-plus years.

I'm thankful for the tens of thousands of fans that braved the cold on Friday night, decked out in burnt orange and chicago maroon and screaming their lungs out from start to finish.

I'm thankful for Michael Brewer and his inherent warrior-like character. Both he and backup / Wild Turkey quarterback Brendan Motley endured numerous hard hits. Brewer was able to gut it out and lead the Hokies on the game-winning drive with under three minutes to play. As Brewer has gone, so has this Hokies offense, and Friday night saw an inspired effort from a guy who was constantly under duress. Love him or hate him, Brewer deserves some serious respect for the cojones he displayed against the Hoos.

I'm thankful for all of the seniors that have proudly represented Virginia Tech over the four or five years in Blacksburg (six if you're David Wang). Guys like Caleb Farris and Willie Byrn have been warriors, giving their all and serving as great ambassadors for the program and university despite what most consider suboptimal seasons.

I'm thankful for Bucky Hodges and Sam Rogers. Nothing else needs to be said.

I'm thankful for the phenomenal defensive performance that stymied a capable UVa offense. Aside from a few isolated big plays from the Wahoo offense, the Hokies defense kept the unit largely in check. UVa RB Kevin Parks was completely dominated by the Hokies front-seven, and OC Steve Fairchild had few answers for a dominant performance from Tech's d-line. Dadi Nicolas, Ken Ekanem, Corey Marshall and Nigel Williams lived in UVa's backfield. It was a display we have largely come to expect, but who doesn't take great pleasure in watching our defense plant poor Hoos into the turf play-after-play?

I'm thankful for Virginia Athletic Director Craig Littlepage, who earlier in the week promised to bring back Mike London for at least one more year.

I'm thankful for Scot Loeffler's playcalling over the final 20 minutes. I have absolutely no idea where it came from or where it was the previous 40, but the Hokie offense showed a level of competence late in the third quarter that I had begun to think we might not see again for another 9 months under the leadership of an entirely different coordinator. The running game became consistently successful and the passing designs helped Brewer stay on his feet long enough to find open receivers. After almost 7 consecutive quarters without a touchdown, Brewer put a stake in the dysfunction with a 36-yard wonder strike to Cam Phillips. Nicely put, Loeffler's offense has performed inconsistently this season. While execution, injuries and inexperience have surely contributed, the lack of a clear offensive identity and an inability to do one thing well may have doomed Loeffler after only two seasons in Blacksburg. One thing's for sure: aberration or not, Lefty deserves credit for the way he handled the offense down the stretch against the Cavs.

I'm thankful for J.C. Coleman's perseverance. Joe wrote all that needed to be said about J.C. and the 2014 season. Not many guys could endure such a strange year, going from afterthought through nine games to feature back in the final three. Without his renewed purpose and explosiveness, this team very well may have finished 0-3 down the stretch.

I'm thankful for Thanksgiving leftovers sandwiches.

I'm thankful for Augie Conte and his extraordinary effort late in the game at right tackle. Stacy Searels needed to make an adjustment after experiencing two-and-a-half quarters watching converted offensive lineman Wade Hansen get abused by UVa DE Max Valles. Having spent the majority of the season at guard before losing his starting spot in a line shakeup prior to the Miami game, Conte stepped in to relieve Hansen and did an admirable job helping keep Michael Brewer upright. When you take into account the potential pitfalls of a game-ending injury to another quarterback, Conte may have deserved a game ball for his performance.

Most of all, I'm thankful for the opportunity to watch this team play one more game. You likely spiked a television remote in frustration this season. You might have sworn never to watch another Hokie football game until 2015. Watching other offenses put points on the board with ease probably made you rage. It was far from the prettiest season of Virginia Tech football, but it was Virginia Tech football. The thought of an already far-too-long offseason being longer was difficult to stomach — let's all give thanks to the effort this team put forth Friday night to extend this season one more month.