Finals are over and Commencement is only a couple of days away. In Blacksburg, it's a time to relax, head downtown, get drunk and nostalgic. In between sips of your Rail or chugs of an icey cold mug of beer from Sharkey's (what we called The Tank back in the day) you'll most likely talk about the parties you got thrown out of, that bar you snuck into, the epic comeback in beer pong and unforgettable wins in Lane Stadium.
For those of you who enrolled in September 2006 you've been privileged to watch one of the most exciting and excellent periods of Virginia Tech football. The Hokies won at least ten games a season, 41 games in all, two ACC Championships and never lost to UVa. You may have not seen a National Championship game, but you lucky bastards never had to live through a collapse like in 2003. However, even during the Grant Noel, Bryan Randall and Marcus Vick years I got to watch some memorable football that I'll never forget.
These are my three favorite moments from when I was an undergraduate.
3) '04 Virginia Tech–Maryland
Lane was so loud that evening the sound waves took enamel off of my teeth. Even though Maryland limped into the game at 4-5 they were coming off of back-to-back 10+ win seasons and determined to prove they were still the big boy in the ACC. And all we did was score, score and score some more. When we went up 28-3 at the start of the second quarter, the game ended, the party started and airplane bottles of bourbon were passed around.
2) '02 Virginia Tech–LSU
This game took place during the beginning of the SEC meets ECW movement, ESS-EEE-CEE, ESS-EEE-CEE... I remember the Wednesday before the game walking through the commuter lot on my way off campus when I noticed it was inhabited by a shanty town of RVs and citizens draped in purple and gold yelling, "Geaux Tigers!", at any trespassers. Tensions and hostilities reached a boiling point on Friday night when a brawl broke out downtown between a mob of Tigers and Hokies. As for the game itself, Beamer Ball won the day. Knocking off the defending SEC Champions had a lasting effect. We proved to ourselves we had the athletes to compete with the best in the country.
1) '03 Virginia Tech–Miami
To anyone who wasn't there, I'd have to describe the atmosphere and noise on that November night as organized chaos. As students our goal was to will a victory over Miami after a disappointing loss to WVU and we'd do it by making as much noise as possible by any means necessary. It sounded like a miniature siren was embedded in each of my ears. There were no individual voices, just a collective. It was beautiful, and we all know the outcome.
Students were jumping from the sides of the east stands to bypass the dogs and cops. Once I was on the field, I slapped every hand I could and took two "complimentary" Hokie Waters.
So, graduates and alumni alike, I ask you, what's your favorite Hokie football movement? Leave 'em in the comments (register here first if you haven't).
Comments
'03 Miami is competitive in sustained volume.
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Wilford
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My top 3
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Legendary
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Top 3
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'02 alum, but have to disagree that it was bigger than UVa.
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My how things have changed.
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Awesome
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my 3+
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Mine would have to be
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Favorite Moment
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UNC in 2010
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Miami '03 is the reason I went to VT
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My Top 5
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That should be
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My Picks
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That had to have stung.
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My memories
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