Go to the battlefield firmly confident of victory and you will come home with no wounds whatsoever.
- Samurai general Kenshin Uesugi (1530-78)

“Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be swamped with it yourself. Before you can move their tears, your own must flow. To convince them, you must yourself believe.”
~ Winston Churchill

If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?
--Vince Lombardi

Stopping run, Hagans key for Virginia Tech
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
November 27, 2004

BLACKSBURG- Stop the run. Contain Marques Hagans. Virginia Tech’s mission this afternoon sounds simple when the 11th-ranked Hokies collide with rival Virginia for the 86th time. While the assignment’s instructions appear from the outside to be easy - just sic ‘em - it’s going to be a little more complicated in shutting down the 16th-ranked Cavaliers’ offense.
Two of the nation’s highest scoring offenses (Tech averages 34.7, UVa averages 31.9) square off against two of the nation’s top dozen defenses (Tech is ranked sixth in the country, UVa is 12th).
But the Hokies believe this one, with no less than a share of the ACC title and a shot at the BCS at stake, boils down to whether their defense can stop Virginia. Tech couldn’t last November, taking a beating in Charlottesville.
“I remember [the Cavaliers] being able to do whatever they wanted to do to take control of that game and being more physical than we were,” Tech defensive tackle Jonathan Lewis said. “I think they’re one of the most athletic offensive lines we face, guys who can move around, can come out and get on defensive backs. This is going to be a tough game at the point of attack as well as movement.”

Speed and power
The Hokies boast an attacking defense with speed on the outside in Xavier Adibi and Darryl Tapp, and power on the inside from Jim Davis and Lewis.
Both will be required to stop Virginia’s ground game. The Cavaliers are the ninth-best running team in America, averaging 246.6 yards per game. UVa’s 31 rushing touchdowns are 12 more than any other ACC team.
Junior tailback Wali Lundy has 16 of them to lead the league. Together, Lundy and senior tailback Alvin Pearman have been a two-headed monster this season. Together, the duo has picked up almost 5,000 yards on the ground in their combined careers. They’re versatile, having collected 228 receptions between them for more than 2,000 yards.
If that isn’t enough to disturb Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster’s sleep patterns, then Hagans, the Cavaliers’ highly mobile quarterback is.
“I think Hagans presents a lot of problems,” Hokies head coach Frank Beamer said. “He’s a dangerous ball carrier. He’s dangerous when the play breaks down. That’s kind of the way people felt about us when Michael Vick was here. Sometimes our best plays were when [plays] broke down. I think that’s what’s happening with Virginia right now with Hagans.”

Playmaker
Hagans is one of those special quarterbacks who can make chicken salad out of chicken feathers. Just like Beamer said, when plays break down, Hagans is a threat to take it to the house.
Against Clemson, Miami and Georgia Tech, to name a few, Hagans turned sure-fire sacks into huge gains for the Cavaliers because of his ability
to move and think on the fly. His Houdiniesque escapability has terrorized opposing defenses and will keep the Hokies on their toes.
Some teams have put “spies” on Hagans this season, essentially a quick linebacker who is assigned to shadow every move the Virginia quarterback makes. If Tech does so, Adibi would likely be the one.
“Our number-one objective is to stop the run, then stop Hagans,” Adibi said. “Virginia has probably the best tandem of running backs we’ve faced all year and probably the best
offensive line.”
Hagans leads all ACC quarterbacks in yards per play with a 7.4 average. He has been extremely accurate in UVa’s “East Coast” offense this season, which relies heavily on short passes. Obviously, he is a threat as a runner, something the Cavaliers may have to exploit with designed runs against the Hokies.
“We have to do our best to contain him and keep him in the pocket and try to force him to beat us with his arm,” Tapp said.
That’s one of the ways Miami and Florida State beat Virginia. The Cavaliers’ offensive line didn’t get the job done in those two games and Hagans was forced to throw the ball more than he wanted.
Because Virginia does not have playmakers at wide receiver, no real deep threats, then speedy defenses like the Hurricanes and Seminoles have been able to single up on Wahoo wideouts, and stuff the box to slow the run, putting extra pressure on Hagans.
While Hagans has an extremely strong arm, using that rifle to put the ball where some quarterbacks only wish they could, he hasn’t exhibited the kind of poise in the pocket that predecessor Matt Schaub possessed.
Of course they’re different types of quarterbacks. Schaub was classic dropback. Hagans is mobile, relying heavily on bootlegs to open up the offense and spread the defense.
But unless Hagans uses his feet as much or even more than his arm today, he may not be as effective against the speedy Tech defense. It’s the feeling here than Hagans can pick up five or more yards almost any time he wants to, simply by tucking and running to daylight.
If everything else shuts down as Tech plans, then Hagans may be the only option the Cavaliers have to loosen up the Hokies’ defense so that the other moving parts work as designed.
Tech’s defense respects UVa’s offense, particularly the experienced Cavaliers’ offensive line. If the Wahoos are to walk out of Lane Stadium today as co-champion of the ACC, then it will have meant that Virginia’s offensive line whipped Virginia Tech’s defense.
Anything less and a shot at the title is lost.

High stakes
Share of ACC title on the line as Cavaliers, Hokies square off
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
November 27, 2004

While the date that Virginia coach Al Groh pointed to changed, the mission never did.

Groh's goal was to get to Nov. 1 and remain in the "hunt for an ACC title."

After a win over Maryland, the date was pushed back.

Virginia (8-2, 5-2) slipped up against Miami, losing 31-21, and it suddenly looked like 'mission impossible.' But the Cavaliers recovered last week at Georgia Tech with a 30-10 victory, which made it 'mission possible.'

With a win today over in-state rival Virginia Tech (8-2, 5-1), Groh will finally be able to say 'mission accomplished.'

While the stakes are higher, it is still a rivalry game. More importantly, thanks to ACC expansion, it is also a conference game.

"I don't know that it changes the rivalry. That would be hard to do," Groh said. "It adds to what is at stake with the game. As I said last week, and I will always say, the sole purpose for being in a conference is to try to win your conference championship. So now that the [Virginia Tech] game every year is going to count toward that, it just raises the stakes on the outcome of the game. And in this particular year, because what is at stake is first place, you can't have a much bigger pot on the table than that."

A win at jam-packed Lane Stadium today in Blacksburg will give Virginia a share of an ACC title with Florida State and the winner of the Dec. 4 game between Virginia Tech-Miami.

That would leave Virginia with an outside shot at earning a BCS bid for the first time in school history.

But there's no need to look ahead.

Virginia Tech enters today's game riding an emotional high. The 11th-ranked Hokies have won six straight games, including a 55-6 blowout over Maryland on Nov. 25.

The Hokies also have the revenge factor working in their favor.

Last year in Charlottesville, UVa's rallied for a 35-21 victory over the Hokies. The win gave the Cavaliers their first Commonwealth Cup since 1998.

"They got the trophy. We want it back. Plain and simple," Virginia Tech linebacker Mikal Baaqee said. "We're going to be ready. I'm going to enjoy this ? it's Virginia time."

Virginia Tech feels better about its chances today thanks to a strong senior season from quarterback Bryan Randall.

Randall has passed for 1,480 yards this season and is ranked fourth in the ACC in total offense and passing efficiency.

His play has helped him emerge as a candidate for ACC Player of the Year honors.

"I think Bryan Randall has done more for his team than any other quarterback in the conference," Groh said.

Randall's play has impressed members of Virginia's defense too.

"Bryan Randall is good. He is very impressive," said Virginia cornerback Marcus Hamilton. "It's going to take a lot of film study to try to contain him."

Defensive end Brennan Schmidt agreed.

"I have a lot of respect for Randall. He's a smart player, he's a great leader and he can run and make plays," said Schmidt, who sacked Randall last year in the third quarter. "He's done a great job for them this year."

While Randall has clicked, Virginia Tech has run the ball with success. In four of the past five games, the Hokies have rushed for over 200 yards.

While tailback Mike Imoh will be a game time decision, backup Cedric Humes started the first three games this year and has rushed for 390 yards.

Virginia Tech's defense has given the Hokie offense some help as well.

They have stopped the pass and slowed the run. Virginia Tech's defense is ranked second in the ACC in pass defense and fourth in the league in run defense.

The Hokies also rank third in the nation in scoring defense (13.1) and pass efficiency defense (96.21 points); sixth in total defense (269.6); and eighth in turnover margin.

The Hokies stiffest challenge will be to stop Virginia's lethal ground game.

Florida State has been the only team all year that proved they could stop the Cavaliers rushing attack.

With a combination of senior Alvin Pearman and junior Wali Lundy, Virginia is averaging 246.6 yards per game, which ranks ninth in the country.

If the Cavaliers post a plus-200 yard rushing game today, a victory could be obtainable. Under Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech is just 14-49 when they are outgained on the ground.

With a win today the Cavaliers would finish the regular season with nine wins, the first time since 1998. They would also finish as co-ACC Champions for the first time since 1995.

"It's like a storybook ending. I couldn't be written any better. We're going down there to face a tremendous challenge," said Virginia offensive lineman Elton Brown. "We are facing a team with a hometown crowd so we will have to bring our 'A' game."

Virginia Tech will have to win today's battle in the trenches if it hopes to keep chances of an ACC championship alive.
By Randy King
981-3126
The Roanoke Times

Today's clash with archrival Virginia will mark the final appearance in Lane Stadium for Virginia Tech's 19 seniors.

The Hokies' elder statesmen couldn't have asked for a much better setup for their home finale, senior defensive lineman Jim Davis said.

"I'm glad the UVa-Virginia Tech game is my last home game," Davis said. "I think it's going to be electric. I think it's going to be a buzz in the air. The whole state is going to be watching. I mean, who wouldn't? I think it's just going to be a heavyweight championship fight-type deal."

Indeed, this UVa-Tech meeting is no lightweight affair. Both enter the ring with strong credentials - Tech (8-2, 5-1) is ranked No. 11; Virginia (8-2, 5-2) is No. 16. In addition to the usual state bragging rights perks, the winner will gain at least a share of the ACC title, plus keep alive its hopes for a possible BCS bowl berth.

Ring the opening bell and let the fight begin.

Like many in the Tech camp, the 6-foot-3, 265-pound Davis thinks this bout is going to be settled among the big boys in the trenches, particularly the matchup pitting the Cavaliers' skilled and experienced offensive line vs. the Hokies' havoc-wreaking defensive front.

"What more do you want, man?" Davis related. "You want a fistfight, why not up front? The line of scrimmage, let's start it there."

Davis, who sat out last season because of a torn pectoral muscle, said it's imperative that he and his D-line mates come out swinging this time. That wasn't the case last year in UVa's 35-21 victory in Charlottesville, which Davis had trouble watching on his apartment television back in Blacksburg.

"They dominated us up front, it's no way around it," said Davis, whose return this season has been a huge factor in Tech's defensive turnaround. "Our coaches made it no secret to us. You look at the film, you cut it back, and we were pretty soft and they beat us up front and they won the game.

"I think that's been the tell-tale secret of this whole series, whoever wins up front wins the game. I know our guys are gonna be so ready, so much more ready than last year, more prepared for what UVa has to offer. I know they're as good as advertised and they're athletic and they can move, but so can we. It's not all about them, it's about us also."

Virginia's line, which is led by 6-3, 338-pound All-American candidate guard Elton Brown, has yielded an ACC-low 12 sacks this season and paved the way for the country's ninth-ranked rushing offense (246.6 ypg) that produced 31 touchdowns on the ground. Meanwhile, Tech's No. 6-ranked defense has allowed only seven rushing TDs all season.

"They're an awesome line; they've been together for three years," Davis said. "In most of the film I've seen, they've pretty much dominated their opponents. I think the games when they've struggled the most is when they lost."

Tech, which has yielded more than 145 yards on the ground only once this season (166 at Georgia Tech), must put the clamps on UVa's 1-2 rushing tandem of Alvin Pearman and Wali Lundy.

"Stopping Pearman and Lundy is definitely our main focus," Davis said. "Virginia's a run-first team and they like to get those big offensive linemen pulling and get 'em on the outside on the corners and use their size to their advantage. Our job is to penetrate, be disruptive. I'm just gonna get back there and knock guys out of the way. I'm gonna lay it on the line.

"There's not gonna be anything left of me when I get finished with this game."

This Tech defense, paced by end Darryl Tapp, is much better than the one UVa spanked last November. The Hokies' linebackers, who repeatedly missed tackles and got beat on short passes to the UVa backs and tight end Heath Miller last year, have talented redshirt freshmen Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall this time.

"Linebackers will play a huge role," said the fleet Adibi, who not only will "spy" on UVa quarterback Marques Hagans, but also try to help keep Miller from going wild again.

The Tech defense, which has gotten better down the stretch, knows its task today.

"They were more physical than us last year and we can't let that happen again," said junior tackle Jonathan Lewis, whose play inside has been huge in Tech's six-game winning streak. "I just remember them being able to do what they wanted to do, being able to take control the game. Just watching the tape kind of gets your juices flowing."

Bowl scouts from the Sugar, Peach, Gator and Champs Sports Bowl will be in attendance today. Today's winner figures to earn a bid to the Dec. 31 Peach Bowl, where it would face a Southeastern Conference foe, most likely Florida or Alabama.

The Hokies, of course, want to go Sugar. With a win today and next week at Miami, Tech would likely to be heading to New Orleans for a third time in 10 years.

"Everything is all lined up, man," Davis said. "It's a fairy tale waiting just waiting to happen right now, and, hopefully, it will end the right way.

QB Hall leads Gretna
Christiansburg leads 36-26 with 8:59 left, but for the second time in two weeks, the Hawks refuse to lose.
By Aaron McFarling
981-3124
The Roanoke Times

CHRISTIANSBURG - Christiansburg linebacker Nick Buck stared at his locker, the 49-42 defeat to Gretna still painfully fresh. He quietly listened to a question so many players had heard the past four years.

Had he ever seen anyone like Gretna quarterback Vic Hall before? Buck paused, then shook his head.

"No," he said. "Nobody like him before."

In the end, that's what this wild Region 3 Division 3 championship game came down to. The Blue Demons had rallied and fought and won games like this one so many times this season, but Hall wouldn't let it happen on Friday.

Hall had six touchdowns - three rushing, three passing - including the game-winning strike with 12 seconds remaining as the Hawks ended Christiansburg's magical season in front of a packed house at Evans L. King Field.

The Hawks (12-0) extended their winning streak to 26 games and secured themselves a spot in the Division 3 state semifinals.

With 220 yards rushing and 125 yards passing, Hall now has more than 13,000 total yards in his four-year career. The University of Virginia recruit ranks fifth nationally on the all-time list in that category.

"It's just a hard deal, because you try to get pressure and he runs the football," Christiansburg coach Tim Cromer said. "If you sit back, he's accurate. He's very good. You don't put up that many total yards in your career and not be a good football player."

Gretna needed every bit of Hall's production. The Blue Demons led 36-26 with 8:59 remaining after Christiansburg's Chad Chapman scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the night.

Still, nobody on either sideline thought this one was over at that point - least of all Hall, who credits a former coach for his calmness in tough situations.

"He said the No. 1 thing to being a great player is just keeping your poise," Hall said. "No matter what's going on around you, no matter how the game's going, you've got to keep your poise."

Hall did, throwing a 45-yard TD pass to Matt Short less than two minutes later to help close the gap to 36-34. After an interception by Tyon Bennent set up a short field, Hall ran one in from 10 yards out to give Gretna its first lead of the game.

Christiansburg came right back with a 65-yard touchdown drive of its own, tying the score at 42 with 2:27 remaining when quarterback Andrew Hoffer sneaked across the goal line.

"We have the best guys in the state on this team, heart-wise and character-wise," Christiansburg linebacker Shawn Asconi said. "You can't find anyone that's going to dig in as deep and find the heart to do what we did. I mean, no team's come this close to them."

But no team's completely found a way to stop them, either, and that trend continued. Hall drove the Hawks to the 9-yard line with 16 seconds left, then found wide receiver Jason Myers wide open in the end zone on the next play to win it.

Christiansburg had built its lead with a 292-yard rushing attack, led by Jeff Dawson (104 yards) and Nick Thompson (70). Wide receiver Jacques LaBoone had 126 receiving yards for the Blue Demons (9-3).

"We don't have any great football players, but we've got a lot of good ones," Cromer said. "And as a team, they're pretty daggone good. They played really well this year. I think we exceded expectations this year.

"When you do that, that's exciting."

Gillen’s popularity tied to timeouts
Elton Brown mistaken for Elton Brand
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

Credit first-year Virginia football beat writer Jay Jenkins for the best observation of the past week.

The first half was coming to a close at the Virginia-Georgia Tech game and I made some comment about Al Groh’s decision not to call timeout — either before a Georgia Tech punt with 2:20 left or after taking possession.

“Maybe he was saving it for Pete,” Jenkins, from the Charlottesville Daily Progress said.

I was en route to Atlanta and had not seen the UVa men’s basketball opener the previous night against Robert Morris, but Jenkins’ comment hit home as I watched the Cavaliers play 10th-ranked Arizona.

There were still three minutes remaining when UVa coach Pete Gillen called the last of his five allotted timeouts. Two of three timeouts he called in the first half were at a time when there would have been an officials’ timeout on the next dead ball.

I’m convinced, if Virginia ever decides to part company with Gillen, as it almost did last year, its alienation will have started with Gillen’s illogical use of timeouts.

“Pathological,” was the adjective one reporter on press row used Friday night.

Gillen called three timeouts in the first half Wednesday night against Appalachian State, with one of them — again — coming when the next stoppage would have brought an official one.

I’ve known Gillen for 27 years. I like him. I don’t want to see him lose his job. I’ve kidded him in person and criticized him in print about the timeouts but nothing that I, or anyone else says or does, seems to make any difference.

He just seems destined to drive people crazy.

BECAUSE OF Thanksgiving deadlines, readers of The Roanoke Times and some other daily newspapers received only a bare-bones account of Virginia’s 77-60 win over Appalachian. Mine was filed with three minutes left in the game, with a space left for the final score.

What the readers missed was an observation by Appalachian State post man Clint Deas, who said of Virginia senior Elton Brown. “He’s probably the best player we’ve played.”

Keep in mind, Appalachian State had played in one game, a 79-49 victory over Erskine College, a Division II with a colorful nickname, the Flying Fleet, matched only by its colorful dateline, Due West, S.C.

So, if Brown was “probably” the best player Appalachian had faced, exactly who were the other contenders for that distinction? Considering that Brown had 24 points and 12 rebounds (just shy of his career highs of 26 and 13), maybe the most amusing part of Deas’ quote was his choice of the word “probably.”

When apprised of Deas’ comment, all Gillen could say was, “Erskine is burgeoning.”

APPALACHIAN COACH Houton Fancher, overheard chuckling about Deas’ comment while waiting in the wings to be interviewed, had his own take on Brown’s performance.

“If he’s 250 [pounds], I’m 340,” said Fancher, who, in reality, couldn’t weigh much more 140. “If Elton Brown gets it one-on-one in the post, he can outscore anyone in the country. We’ve called him Elton Brand all week. Our players have. He’s a lot like Elton Brand.

“He can’t jump over a phone book, but he could finish over anybody. He’s really skilled.”

GILLEN ON HIS team’s lack of fire: “Arizona didn’t beat us Sunday, but they almost beat us Wednesday. I blame myself and I blame the seniors. They’ve got to be invested in the team; they’ve got to take stock. In warm-ups, one of the coaches said, ‘I don't like it.’ ”

WHAT MADE ME curious Wednesday was the performance of senior Devin Smith, who was 1-for-5 from the field, with all of the attempts from 3-point range, and contributed three points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes.

Gillen said there was nothing physically wrong with Smith but I had anticipated the Cavaliers shooting the ball better from 3-point range than they have to date. UVa is 7-for-32 on 3-pointers in the last two games, with freshman point guard Sean Singletary going 0-for-7.

THE WORD I’M getting is that the likelihood of Virginia signing or pushing for 6-5 Brian Moten is not high. Moten, a former all-state player from Michigan who is playing for a Cincinnati postgraduate team, committed to UVa earlier in the fall but did not sign as the result of academic issues.

Civility lives amid trash talk in Tech-U.Va. rivalry
Cavalier vs. Hokie
Cavalier vs. Hokie

By LON WAGNER , The Virginian-Pilot
© November 27, 2004

Salt and pepper. Left and right. Big and small. Cat and dog.

U.Va. and Tech.

Think of them as comedian George Carlin once compared baseball and football – as opposites that define each other.

Virginia is “Mr. Jefferson’s University.” Virginia Tech is Michael Vick’s university.

U.Va. graduates sometimes refer to their alma mater as The University, as if there is no other. Virginia Tech grads humbly call their school “Tech.”

U.Va. has The Lawn. Tech has the DRILLFIELD.

The mascot for The University, harrumph, is the Cavalier, a word that can mean haughty and arrogant. The mascot for Tech is the Hokie, a word and a bird that someone made up.

Virginia’s campus could be described as nestled in the fluffy Piedmont mountains. Tech is hard against the rugged Appalachians.

Of course, many would say the differences have faded through the years, it’s all a bunch of stereotypes, the two Virginia universities have more in common now than ever before.

But those who would say that would not be football fans.

The rivalry goes back to, ah, who cares. By now, both sides know where they stand.

“We’re the ones in overalls and flannel shirts,” says Chris Jennings, president of the Tidewater chapter of Virginia Tech alumni, laughing at the image.

“We know they don’t all wear overalls,” says Brent Haden , president of the U.Va. Club of Tidewater , “but we sure as heck treat them like they do.”

When Haden thinks of a Hokie:

“If I were doing free-word association, I’d say 'castrated turkey.’ ”

Then again, Virginia fans for years have donned blazers, shirts and ties for games. Many still do, although coach Al Groh last year asked fans to get grittier and louder – in short, a little less cavalier and a little more you know what.

How could a Hokie fan see those outfits and not think “elitist?” How could Virginia fans travel to Blacksburg for games, see the agricultural school and not think “Cow college”?

They couldn’t; they didn’t.

“They always gave the impression of looking down the nose at us,” says Ed Collins , a 1966 Tech graduate. “When I was in school, it was part of who you had to be – you had to hate the Cavaliers.”

Collins lived in Charleston for a dozen years and points out that the Tech-U.Va. rivalry is not as uncivil as South Carolina and Clemson. But the rivalry in Virginia has intensified recently with the Cavs getting better and Tech joining the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Most Virginia and Tech fans know people who attended the other university, and will offer a few niceties before tearing into their rival. Collins will say only so much, because of friends and relatives who are U.Va. alumni.

What if some year Tech is out of the running early, and the conference champion would be decided by a game between Virginia and Miami?

“You’re not going to put my name next to this are you?” Collins says.

Say no more.

“On top of that,” he adds, “I don’t like Miami all that much.”

Haden still remembers one of his first Virginia games. He was 18 , which U.Va. students call a “first year” instead of a “freshman.” Virginia upset Clemson, a huge victory at the time, and students carried the goal posts onto the historic Lawn in front of the famous Rotunda.

“By the way, that’s another thing,” Haden says, “U.Va. has the Rotunda. I don’t know what they have.”

Society can thank Virginia grads for Pulitzer-prize-winning poetry and books, for prosecuting John Gotti , for holding Cabinet posts, directing the FBI, for the state’s two U.S. senators, for discovering a vaccine for yellow fever.

It can thank Tech grads for inventing the vaccination needle to eradicate smallpox, modern orthodontics, for engineering significant parts of the U.S. space program, for the contraceptive sponge, for bark and leaf camouflage outfits.

In a patriotism contest, Cavaliers could play their usual trump and ask: Who’s more American than Thomas Jefferson , the author of the Declaration of Independence?

Tech alums might answer: How about Mitchell A. Byrd, credited with the return of the bald eagle to the Mid-Atlantic?

Bragging rights decided at 1 p.m. today.

Victory would be sweeter than any records for Tech's Randall
By KYLE TUCKER, The Virginian-Pilot
© November 27, 2004

BLACKSBURG — Quarterback Bryan Randall has started a school-record 35 straight games for Virginia Tech. That’s one of a fistful of Hokie highs he’ll have when his career is done.

He has piled up more than 7,000 yards of offense, thrown for 42 touchdowns and led Tech into two bowl games, with a third to come in a few weeks.

Today, with the rest of the Hokies seniors, Randall will play his final game at Lane Stadium.

For all his memorable moments and career highlights, when No. 11 Tech knocks helmets with No. 16 Virginia at 1 p.m., it will mark the pinnacle.

“It’s the biggest game of my career,” Randall said. “There’s a lot on the line.”

Everything, really.

In his four seasons, no single game has had such implications. At stake in this 86th edition of the rivalry, beyond all the school pride and any recruiting edge the winner might get, is an ACC title. Today’s winner gets at least a share of the championship and holds hope of a BCS bowl bid.

Virginia hasn’t claimed the crown since 1995. The Hokies, new to the league this season, are looking to announce their arrival in a big way.

“This is probably the biggest Virginia-Virginia Tech game in history,” said Tech defensive tackle Jim Davis, also a senior. “It’s a fairy tale ending, and hopefully, it will have a fairy tale ending.

“It’s going to be remembered for years.”

Hokies coach Frank Beamer agrees. He always dreamed of Tech in the ACC, it’s rightful home in his mind.

Getting into the league this year was a thrill. To think about winning it — with a team that was picked sixth during the preseason — forces a smile.

Stamping out Virginia’s title hopes along the way would almost be too much.

“It’s been a fun year,” Beamer said . “But we’ll see how it is after Saturday.”

Beamer and his boys are well aware that the most exciting game of the season — “of my life,” said cornerback Eric Green — could easily become the most devastating.

Virginia beat the Hokies 35-21 last year, part of Tech’s 1-4 finish to a season during which it had been ranked No.3 nationally.

“We still haven’t forgotten that,” Davis said. “There’s a lot of bad blood there. ... And I love it. It’s going to be fists flying for four quarters.

“This is a whole different year, a whole different squad, whole different mentality. And an ACC title is on the line.”

For several seniors, including Randall, it’s their only shot at winning this league.

And their last shot at the Cavaliers.

A reporter recently asked Randall to recall his finest moment in a Hokies uniform.

He looked off in thought.

Maybe it was his 504 yards and five touchdowns passing against Syracuse as a sophomore. Perhaps his MVP honor at that season’s San Francisco Bowl.

Could it be the 398 yards and four touchdowns during last year’s Insight Bowl? Or this year’s fourth-quarter comeback against Georgia Tech, in which Randall tossed for two long scores, is a fine candidate.

But with all that’s riding on this, his final home appearance, he had something better in mind for a defining moment.

“Hopefully,” he said, “it’s in front of me.”

Even Groh must admit this game means more than most for U.Va.
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© November 27, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Whenever it’s been suggested that any single football game was more important than any other during the course of this season, Virginia coach Al Groh has often responded with one of his favorite Groh-isms:

“They all count as one.”

True, but sometimes one can be a large number.

It is today for the Cavaliers, who conclude their regular season at Virginia Tech. With a win over the Hokies, their fiercest rivals, the Cavaliers can clinch a share of the ACC title. It would be their first crown since 1995.

“The sole purpose of being in a conference is to try to win your conference championship,” Groh said this week, repeating another favorite line. “You can’t have a much bigger pot on the table than that.”

The pot was large against Florida State and Miami, too, games earlier this season that drew national attention and were seen as key hurdles for the rising Virginia program. The Cavaliers stumbled in both games.

Three strikes and Virginia is out of the conference race, and probably headed to the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec.21 in Orlando.

Win and Virginia would not only erase much of the disappointment of the Florida State and Miami defeats, it also would stay in the hunt for the Peach, Gator, and, though the odds are long, a BCS bowl.

“We love challenges,” tailback Alvin Pearman said. “We respond well to challenges.”

Virginia responded to the Miami loss two weeks ago with a 30-10 win over a hot Georgia Tech team last Saturday, the first November road win of the 4-year-old Groh era.

Virginia has not won in Blacksburg since 1998. The Cavaliers’ last visit, in 2002, was one of their bleakest afternoons in recent memory.

Virginia lost 21-9 on a raw and windy Blacksburg day in which its passing attack — about the only offense it could muster in those days — was grounded by the elements.

Virginia is much better equipped to play in all conditions these days.

If, to cite another line from the book of Groh, confidence is a result of demonstrated performance, the Cavaliers must be feeling good about their ability to run the ball.

In 10 games this year, Virginia (8-2) has failed to run for 200 yards once. The Cavaliers lead the ACC and are ninth in the nation in rushing offense, at 246.6 yards per game.

No team has run for more than 166 yards on Virginia Tech (8-2).

The Hokies’ offense is ground-oriented also, churning out 194 yards per game.

Virginia allows 105 per game rushing.

The Cavaliers would probably prefer a strength vs. strength match-up.

Speed was Virginia’s undoing against Florida State. Virginia Tech is not as fast as the Seminoles, but is faster overall than Virginia.

Special teams play cost Virginia against Miami. As usual, special teams are a Virginia Tech strength.

Animosity? That’s the same on both sides. Most years, old-fashioned ill will is enough to fuel players from either school. This year, for the first time, there are larger issues at stake.

“We don’t really like them too much,” Pearman said. “They don’t really like us. Now, we’re both in the same conference for the first time. We’re competing for the same thing.”

For that reason, maybe this one does count a little more than one.

The online war of words
It's Virginia-Virginia Tech week. The stakes are high and the message boards are hopping.
BY DAVE JOHNSON
247-4649
Published November 26, 2004

Virginia's 30-10 victory over Georgia Tech has been over for almost an hour. Up pipes HOO ZILLA.

I smell turkey, folks. Anyone hungry?

And, of course, they're starving. The football message board on TheSabre.com, an independent Web site for University of Virginia fans, is about to get cooking. The next several days will see posts both funny and not-so-funny, both clever and moronic. But with one thing in common: a love for all things Wahoo and disdain for all things Hokie.

Changing our URL, we go to TechSideline.com, the independent site for Virginia Tech fans. Things are fairly calm on Saturday, with most discussion centering around the Clemson-South Carolina brawl, the Florida-Florida State game (Chrissy Rix is terrible!) and the disturbing news that Brent Musburger will be doing ABC's Tech-U.Va. telecast the following Saturday.

But at 3:42 a.m., just after midnight where he is, hokieinoregon offers the following:

10 Reasons why we smack the Hoos...

And, of course, he is roundly praised. The next several days will see posts both profound and mundane, both classic and classless. But with one thing in common: a love for all things Hokie, and disdain for all things Wahoo.

Like the malls in December, the message boards are a busy and sometimes cantankerous place during the week of the Virginia-Virginia Tech football game. Fans from each side dissect the matchups, make predictions, talk trash and trade gossip (at least 12 percent of which is somewhat reliable).

We pause now to thank Al Gore for inventing the Internet.

"Before these boards existed, you could only go to your office and talk trash to two or three people," said John Galinsky, the general manager and editor-in-chief of TheSabre.com. "But now, if you're a Hokie fan and you want to annoy thousands of Virginia fans, technology allows you to do that."

Both sites were launched in 1996, but under different names: TSL was HokieCentral.com; TheSabre was Virginiafootball.com and Virginiabasketball.com. Each has grown to where it offers a subscription for various articles and services. The message boards remain free, and each gets hundreds of visitors every day. On Wednesday alone, for example, TheSabre.com had more than 1,300 messages posted.

Nothing is better for business than rivalry week. With Saturday's winner assured of at least a tie for the ACC title, interest is higher than ever.

"It's funny," said Will Stewart, general manager and managing editor of TechSideline.com. "I looked this morning and saw an infrequent Virginia Tech poster who is now doing a lot of talking. You can tell he's excited. I would say the board is probably about 25 percent busier at least. People are pretty jacked up, and they want to come on and say something."

Much of it, maybe most of it, is harmless. Each site has had a "post your favorite (U.Va. or Tech) joke here" thread.

What does a U.Va. grad use for birth control? His personality. Why'd they have to cancel driver's ed at Tech? The mule died.

Culpeper Hokie posted a picture of a dog wearing a U.Va. shirt captioned, "She seems to be a popular lady on the 'grounds.' " Whoobedobedo posted a cartoon of a hick building several outhouses titled, "VT prepares for our visit."

TSL posters refer to Virginia as Frenchies and Cheese Nancys. TheSabre posters refer to Tech as Cousin Eddie - remember the squirrel-eating, RV-driving yokel from National Lampoon's "Vacation" movies? - and Tek. There are countless stereotypical references to U.Va. being the land of pompous wine-and-cheese weenies and Tech being a haven for ignorant PBR-and-possum hayseeds.

Occasionally, a Tech fan visits TheSabre or a U.Va. fan hops on TechSideline. The conversation is usually civil, but occasionally it crosses the line. Both Galinsky and Stewart have had to deactivate three posters this week who had nothing to say other than the other team stunk (but they didn't use "stunk").

Each site has specific rules: Personal attacks, profanity and racist comments are high on the list of no-nos.

"Monitoring the message boards is a huge task," said Galinsky, a 1992 U.Va. grad and former sportswriter at the Daily Progress. "Some Hokie fans come over and set up accounts for no other reason than to talk trash and get on people's nerves. Which isn't hard to do during a week like this.

"Basically, our policy is that this is the U.Va. fan base. If you want to come in and be polite and humble, you're welcome. But if you come in and track mud in our house, we want you to leave."

Stewart had to whack a couple Cavaliers this week.

"We had two flagrant flamers this week," said Stewart, who graduated from Tech in '87. "Not somebody who was walking the line and accidentally fell over, but somebody who came over with the intent to flame."

In the end, the flamers are outnumbered. And every now and then, it gets downright congenial. Wednesday afternoon, vt90 intruded on TheSabre to post the following:

Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving. I hope many of you can make the trip and that we can have a far more civil rivalry than South Carolina and Clemson.

To which zeropointzero responded:

Rock on. Have a great holiday, except for a certain 3.5 hour window...

UVa psyched for trip to Tech
By Andy Bitter / Lynchburg News & Advance
November 23, 2004

It would be hard for the Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry to get any more intense. These are two schools that legitimately don't like each other. With the Hokies' move to the ACC this season, however, the winner's spoils of the annual rivalry game just got a whole lot richer.

Both the 16th-ranked Cavaliers (8-2, 5-2 ACC) and the 11th-ranked Hokies (8-2, 5-1) can clinch at least a share of the ACC championship with a victory.

"You can't have a much bigger pot on the table than that," Virginia head coach Al Groh said.

The last time the schools met as conference foes was when they were charter members of the Southern Conference from 1922-1935.

This year's matchup is the first time since 1999 that both teams are ranked and the seventh overall. Of those seven meetings, this is the highest combined ranking between the two. UVa was 16th and Tech 14th in 1994.

"We're juiced. We're ready to go," senior tailback Alvin Pearman said. "This is everything. This is a culmination of the whole season, the whole preseason, the whole offseason, all the film studies, all the practices. This is what it's all about."

Running for a cause

Groh wore a V Foundation hat to his press conference Monday to help promote the Run Across Virginia event, during which members of the Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) fraternity physically run the Virginia-Virginia Tech game ball between the two schools.

Virginia FIJI members will start in Charlottesville on Friday and carry the ball to Lynchburg, where Virginia Tech brothers will take over and carry it the rest of the way to Blacksburg. The event raised $35,000 last year for the V Foundation, named after the late N.C. State basketball Jim Valvano, which raises money for cancer research (donations can be made at www.fijirunacrossvirginia.com).

Groh had befriended Valvano in Valvano's hey day at N.C. State. Groh was driving home from Foxboro Stadium in New England in 1993 when he heard of Valvano's death on the radio.

"I remember I had to pull over to the side of the road and stop," Groh said. "I just didn't want to drive for a couple minutes."

Awards all around

Linebacker Darryl Blackstock and kicker Connor Hughes were named ACC defensive back and specialist players of the week, respectively.

Blackstock had three sacks against Georgia Tech, bringing his season total to an ACC-leading 10?. Hughes made three of his field goal attempts, including 43-yarder.

Cornerback Marcus Hamilton was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation's Division I-A Defensive Player of the Week. Hamilton had two interceptions and five tackles on Saturday.

Extra points

Senior guard Elton Brown accepted an invite to play in the East-West Shrine Game in San Francisco on Jan. 15. Brown will play for the East team, which will be led by Purdue head coach Joe Tiller. ? Junior Imhotep Durham is listed as the starter at wide receiver ahead of Deyon Williams, who sustained an undisclosed injury last week and missed the Georgia Tech game. When asked if Williams would be able to play, Groh said, "I don't think we'll know until later in the week. Until we know he's not, we'll assume he is." ? Virginia has now won eight or more games in each of the last three seasons. The last such streak for the school was from 1989-91. ? The Cavaliers moved up two spots to 17th in the latest BCS rankings. More importantly, UVa moved ahead of Florida State, which dropped from eighth to 18th.

Rivals Put It All on the Line
Cavs-Hokies Winner Gets Share of ACC Title, Bragging Rights
By Mark Schlabach
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 27, 2004; Page D01

They've played 85 times for bragging rights and an unofficial state championship, which came with a silver-plated Commonwealth Cup for the winners in recent years. But beginning today, Virginia and Virginia Tech will be playing their annual football game for a lot more. With both teams members of the newly expanded ACC, there will be league title and bowl game implications on the line when the Cavaliers and Hokies play at sold-out Lane Stadium in Blacksburg.

Trying to win their seventh straight game, the No. 11 Hokies can keep alive their hopes for an ACC championship and the lucrative Bowl Championship Series berth that comes with it. The No. 16 Cavaliers can win a share of the ACC championship by beating Virginia Tech for the second time in their past six meetings.

_____What's at Stake_____
What's at Stake

If Virginia Tech wins today:

• The Hokies would claim at least a tie for the ACC championship. They would win the title outright, and the corresponding BCS berth, with a victory at Miami next week. If they lose to Miami, they likely will play in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Dec. 31.

• The Cavaliers likely would play in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 21.

If Virginia wins today:

• The Cavaliers would earn a share of the ACC title and would retain a slim chance of winning the league's BCS berth. They likely would play in the Peach Bowl.

• The Hokies likely would play in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Virginia at Virginia Tech

Containing Miller

Virginia tight end Heath Miller, who could be playing in his final regular season game, had a huge game against Virginia Tech in last year's 35-21 win in Charlottesville. Miller, a junior who is considered the nation's top tight end prospect for next year's NFL draft, had a career-high 13 catches for 145 yards. His 13 catches were the second-most by a tight end in ACC history. Miller, from Swords Creek, Va., this week was named one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award, which is given to the nation's top tight end by the Nassau County (N.Y.) Sports Commission. UCLA's Marcedes Lewis and Stanford's Alex Smith are the other finalists. Miller's 20 career touchdowns catches are the most for a tight end in Division I-A.
Finding Imoh

Virginia Tech tailback Mike Imoh, from Robinson High in Fairfax, showed improvement late this week and should play in today's game, Hokies Coach Frank Beamer said. Imoh, who leads the ACC with 105.8 rushing yards in conference games, strained his left hamstring during the first quarter of the No. 11 Hokies' 55-6 rout of Maryland on Nov. 18. He also had a bout with the flu earlier in the week and missed practices on Monday and Tuesday. Imoh didn't have a carry in last year's game against Virginia, but scored on a 43-yard pass from quarterback Bryan Randall to give the Hokies a 14-7 lead at halftime. The Cavaliers outscored Virginia Tech 28-7 in the second half.
Cardiac Kids

Virginia Tech has won three games decided by a touchdown or less for the first time since 1986. The Hokies beat West Virginia, 19-13; Wake Forest, 17-10; and North Carolina, 27-24. Four of the last 12 Virginia-Virginia Tech games have been decided by a touchdown or less, and the teams have split those games. The Cavaliers won in 1992 (41-38) and 1998 (36-32); the Hokies won in 1993 (20-17) and 1995 (36-29).
Tech's Take-aways

Virginia Tech has 10 more interceptions than its opponents this season, helping the Hokies register a plus-12 in turnover margin. Virginia Tech also has scored a touchdown on defense or special teams in five of 10 games this season. Tech ranks first in the ACC and eighth in Division I-A in turnover margin, with 26 take-aways and 14 turnovers. Virginia has committed only eight turnovers, sixth-fewest in the nation, and the Cavaliers have 15 take-aways.
Key Matchup

Virginia Tech defensive end Darryl Tapp, from Deep Creek High in Chesapeake, Va., is one of the nation's more underrated players. Tapp is second on the team with 48 tackles, has 7 1/2 sacks, 18 quarterback pressures and 13 1/2 tackles for loss. Virginia tackles D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Brad Butler will have to do a good job keeping him out of the backfield.

-- Mark Schlabach

"There is a lot on the line," said Hokies quarterback Bryan Randall, one of 19 Virginia Tech seniors playing in his last home game today. "Before we weren't even in the same conference. It kind of took a little bit away from it. Now that a conference championship is on the line . . . there's a lot of hype. I'd definitely say it's the biggest game of my career."

If the Hokies (8-2, 5-1) beat the Cavaliers (8-2, 5-2) today, they'll face an even bigger game next week at No. 9 Miami. Virginia Tech, which moved from the Big East to the ACC this year, can win the league championship outright if it wins its next two games. That would ensure a berth in either the Sugar Bowl or Fiesta Bowl, each of which comes with a $14 million payout.

Miami, which already has beaten Virginia, 31-21, this season, would win the ACC's BCS berth by beating the Hokies.

"I think we're going to have a packed house and there will be a lot of excitement in the stadium," Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer said. "This is the first time we've played in the same conference. It's always been a heated game, but this time there's more excitement. Virginia is doing well, and we've done well. There's a lot more riding on this one."

If the Cavaliers beat Virginia Tech for the second season in a row -- they won, 35-21, in Charlottesville last year -- they would still need help in winning the ACC's automatic BCS berth. For Virginia to go to one of the BCS bowls, the Cavaliers would have to beat Virginia Tech; the Hokies would have to beat the Hurricanes; and the Cavaliers would have to finish five spots ahead of Florida State in the BCS standings. The Seminoles, who lost to Florida, 20-13, last weekend, finished their regular season with an 8-3 record. Virginia is ranked No. 17 in the latest BCS standings; FSU is No. 18.

"You can't have a much bigger pot on the table than that," Cavaliers Coach Al Groh said.

This will be the first time since 1935 that the Cavaliers and Hokies have met in a conference game. They played 13 times as members of the Southern Conference, from 1923 to 1935.

"So now that the game every year is going to count towards that, that just raises the stakes of the outcome of the game, and in this particular year, because what's at stake is first place," Groh said. "As I said last week, and I will always say, it is the sole purpose for being in a conference, is to try to win your conference championship."

This will be only the seventh time in the series, and the first since 1999, that both teams are ranked among the Associated Press top 25. While Virginia Tech is threatening to win the ACC title in its first season in the league, the Cavaliers have shared the league title only twice in 50 seasons, in 1989 and 1995.

"Our team hasn't been in this position for quite some time," Groh said. "We're looking forward to competing."

The winner of today's game seems assured at least of playing against an SEC team in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on New Year's Eve, even if the Hokies win today and lose next week at Miami. If Virginia loses today, the Cavaliers probably will head to the Champs Sports (formerly the Tangerine) Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 21.

"We've never played when whoever the winner is has at least got a share of the conference championship," Beamer said. "That's a first in this series."
 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Nov 27, 2004

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: Western Branch High? Virginia Tech.

Hampton High? University of Virginia.

Robinson High? Tech.

Hermitage High? Both.

In a state where some high school football programs seem to be pipelines for either Tech or U.Va., Central Region power Hermitage stands out. The 11th-ranked Hokies play host to the No. 16 Cavaliers today in Blacksburg, and Hermitage has a rooting interest in each team.

Tech's roster includes Hermitage graduates Duane Brown and Andrew Bowman. Another former Panther, Fontel Mines, is a close friend of Brown and a second-year wideout at U.Va. And Hermitage seniors Jameel Sewell and Jeffrey Fitzgerald have committed to Virginia for 2005.

Coaches at some high schools may try to steer their top prospects to Blacksburg or Charlottesville, but not Hermitage's Patrick Kane.

"Basically, I see my role is to promote the kids so they have good options, and get the word out [to colleges] that the kid can play," Kane said. "I'm a resource. I'm a source of information: to let them know how the process works, to basically calm nerves and give information."

When Mines is home in Henrico County, he said, "I try to slide Coach Kane a few Virginia hats, try to get him on the Virginia side, but I think things are kind of neutral."

NOT-SO-GRAND FINALES: Today's game marks the 15th time that U.Va. has closed its regular season against Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers are 5-9 in these games.

HOT PROSPECT: Before returning to his alma mater after the 2000 season, Virginia's Al Groh spent 13 years on coaching staffs in the NFL. He's confident that senior tailback Al- vin Pearman will find a home with an NFL team.

"I can't speak for all 32 of them, but I know if I was still coaching a team in that league that I would want him on my team," Groh said.

Pearman, the Cavaliers' most versatile player, leads the ACC in all-purpose yards. Groh said he knows that "certain teams, because I've gotten feedback from them, will say, 'That's one of our guys.'"

DYNAMIC DUO: In U.Va. history, 16 players have rushed for at least 2,000 yards in their careers. That elite group includes Pearman and junior tailback Wali Lundy. Pearman ranks 12th in career rushing at Virginia, with 2,195 yards. Lundy is seventh, with 2,547. Lundy has scored 40 touchdowns, matching the school record for the modern era (post-1937) set by Thomas Jones from 1996 to '99.

ONES WHO GOT AWAY: The Hokies' standouts include several players whom Virginia recruited heavily, among them defensive end Chris Ellis, defensive tackle Jonathan Lewis and wideout Eddie Royal.

Coaching against them, Groh said, is similar to coaching in the NFL against players his organization liked but another team drafted.

"They ended up on the other team," he said. "They're nice people, and you wish them well. They're on the other team, and you've got your guys."

NOTHING NEW: Groh played on the U.Va. team that beat Virginia Tech 20-17 in 1964. That was the Cavaliers' lone win over the Hokies from 1958 to '69. As Wake Forest's coach, Groh led the Demon Deacons to wins over Tech at Lane Stadium in 1982 and '83.

As U.Va.'s coach, Groh is 1-2 against Tech.

APT PUPILS: Groh's assistants include his son Mike and Anthony Poindexter, both of whom starred at U.Va. for his predecessor as head coach, George Welsh. Did Welsh peg them as future coaches?

"I thought Poindexter would be playing in the NFL for 10 years," Welsh said. "I didn't think Mike was going to make it to the NFL, but I think he's probably a natural coach. He was a very smart quarterback, I know that."

Knee problems ended Poindexter's pro career prematurely.

STILL GROWING: Defensive end Chris Long, a true freshman from Ivy, is back up to 262 pounds after a bout with mononucleosis. He carried 275 pounds on his 6-4 frame during training camp and said he hopes to eventually get to about 280.

"However heavy I can get and still be able to move," said Long, one of U.Va.'s quickest linemen.

His father, former Oakland Raiders great Howie Long, has tutored him on his technique through the years, but the Pro Football Hall of Famer generally leaves the coaching to the U.Va. staff.

"More than anything, he's a mental supporter," Chris Long said. "If I got a question, he's going to answer it for me. If I need some support, like I feel I'm not doing enough, he's going to be there to remind me I need to do more."

Two conference losses didn't prevent U.Va. from focusing on title
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Nov 27, 2004

History did not favor Virginia. Since Florida State had come aboard in 1992, no team with more than one loss in league play had won the ACC football title.

So when the Cavaliers lost to Miami on Nov. 13, four weeks after falling at Florida State, their fate seemed to be sealed. But as the great philosopher Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast, my friend." This has been an unusual season in the expanded ACC, and Virginia remains in the hunt.

A win over No. 11 Virginia Tech (5-1, 8-2) this afternoon in Blacksburg would give the No.16 Cavaliers (5-2, 8-2) a share of the ACC title and keep them in contention for a Bowl Championship Series bid.

"Going into the season, if somebody said you're going to lose to Miami and Florida State and still have a chance to win the conference, you probably wouldn't have believed it," said Elton Brown, Virginia's highly decorated offensive guard. "But this is like a storybook ending. Everything's in place. It's a tremendous challenge, but it's in place."

This is the regular-season finale for the Cavaliers, who rallied to beat the Hokies last year at Scott Stadium. Virginia hasn't won back-to-back games in this series since beating Tech in 1997 and'98. The Wahoos haven't won the ACC title since 1995, when they shared the crown with FSU.

"Our team hasn't been in this position - or, the university's team hasn't been in this position - for quite some time, so obviously we have a lot of enthusiasm and expectations for it," said Al Groh, U.Va.'s fourth-year coach.

Nobody in the Cavs' camp is more excited than the team's seniors, who have helped Groh steadily build the program to this point. These veterans include fifth-year seniors who entered the program in 2000, George Welsh's final season as Virginia's coach, and fourth-year seniors who came in with Groh in'01.

"Coach Groh said he was going to take this program to an elite level," senior tailback Alvin Pearman recalled. "I bought into it. I had the utmost confidence in him."

Of the recruits who enrolled at U.Va. in 2001, many have risen to positions of prominence in the program. The class included Brown, Pearman, quarterback Marques Hagans, tight end Heath Miller, offensive lineman Brian Barthelmes, tight end Patrick Estes, defensive back Jermaine Hardy and defensive end Brennan Schmidt.

"Some players [from the class] clearly have shown themselves not only to fit the model of what we're looking for, but to, in fact, be the model," Groh said.

Pearman and Brown were among several recruits who committed to play for Welsh and had to be re-recruited by Groh's staff. Others were late pick-ups for the new regime. The class wasn't large, but its members' legacy will be enormous.

"They've really, in some respects, created the model that we're trying to fulfill with their success," Groh said. "Right from the start, they've been a very vital factor in what we've been trying to do."

And now those players have an opportunity to help Virginia do what it hasn't done in nearly a decade: win the ACC title.

"We couldn't really ask for a better script to end the season," Pearman said.

"We're juiced. This is everything. This is the culmination of the whole season, the whole preseason, the whole offseason. All the film studies, all the practices, this is what it's all about."

The Cavaliers haven't won many significant road games under Groh, but they whipped Georgia Tech 30-10 in Atlanta last weekend, a performance that gives them confidence as they enter Lane Stadium.

"We love challenges," Pearman said. "We respond well to challenges. We don't really like [the Hokies] too much, and they don't really like us. Any time you can do it on somebody else's turf, it's a little better feeling."

Tech-U.Va.: big rivalry, little notice
Nov 27, 2004
John Markon
Contact John Markon at (804) 649-6892 or jmarkon @timesdispatch.com

BLACKSBURG From time to time, I'll get approached by a football fan who'll ask why Virginia vs. Virginia Tech, our private obsession in the Old Dominion, doesn't get its "due" as one of the country's premier collegiate football rivalries.

There's little disputing that it's overlooked on a national level. Every season, someone runs a poll of some kind asking fans to name the college game's best rivalries. After everyone rounds up the usual suspects - Michigan vs. Ohio State, Oklahoma vs. Texas, Auburn vs. Alabama, Southern Cal vs. Notre Dame, etc. - U.Va. and Tech seldom get a mention.

It's not that the game's been ignored. Seven of the past eight have been on national television. Today's 1 o'clock game in Lane Stadium is an ABC regional telecast, but it's a large region and the date itself is a prime, late-season showcase.

So, what's missing?

* Geography: It's an intra-state game, which raises the emotion and the intensity inside Virginia but doesn't raise body temperatures on Madison Avenue, where advertisers and TV sports executives like at least two states to be involved. The larger the states, the better they like it.

There are some exceptions, Auburn vs. Alabama being the most notable. For TV and marketing purposes, Notre Dame vs. USC always will be the perfect rivalry, the team with the largest national following vs. a team from the nation's most populous state.

It could certainly be worse. When you think of longstanding in-state rivalry games that you can't always see on TV, what most of them have in common is that they're played in smaller states. Think Mississippi, Kansas, South Carolina, Oregon, Iowa, etc.

* Stakes: Until this year, U.Va. vs. VT was never played for anything more significant than pecking order in lesser bowls and local primacy. In case you wondered, the fan on the street in New York or Chicago couldn't care less who holds the Commonwealth Cup or who owns bragging rights in Norfolk or Roanoke.

Having both teams in the ACC adds an element of Stakes, most dramatically this year when both teams are still questing for at least a share of a conference championship.

Other than Army vs. Navy and Notre Dame vs. Southern Cal, it's very difficult to think of a big-impact rivalry game that doesn't involve teams from the same league. The ACC, which had a shortage of prominent rivalry games, bought off two of the best - Florida State-Miami and Tech-U.Va.

* History: Tech (three) and Virginia (one) have made a total of four trips to major bowl games, which, frankly, isn't anywhere near enough to pass the History test. Ohio State-Michigan might have been just another Big Ten grudge game if not for the fact that the winner always seemed to be going to the Rose Bowl.

Neither school has ever produced a Heisman Trophy winner, another distinct minus. In most other prominent rivalry games, the Heisman count among past participants is usually five or more.

* Drama: Although Tech and Virginia produced memorable finishes in 1995 (Druckenmiller to Holmes) and 1998, when Virginia wiped out Tech's 29-7 halftime lead on the road, the rivalry is probably still waiting for it's "Doug Flutie moment."

All the games since'98 have been fairly predictable TV fare. Michael Vick, perhaps the best-known player ever to appear in a Tech-U.Va. game, took part in a pair of routine victories that Hokies fans savored but no one else remembers. Great players doing great things is what elevates a game from a backyard production to a national stage.

* Resistance to change: For better or worse, often for worse, college football is anchored to tradition. Army vs. Navy is thus guaranteed a national broadcast every year even though it's a rare season when at least one of the academies wouldn't have a hard time cracking .500 against a Division I-AA schedule.

Before 1990, U.Va. and Virginia Tech played exactly one nationally televised game, a Thanksgiving night encounter staged for TBS in 1982 when the majority of the nation's homes had no access to cable TV.

That'82 broadcast, by the way, was the first time anyone who wasn't in the stands saw a Virginia Tech-Virginia football game. The country's fans, as a group, just haven't been watching very long.

It was only 22 years ago. I say, give'em time.

Teams get down to business
On or off the field, Randall proves to be indispensable to Tech
BY MIKE HARRIS
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Nov 27, 2004

BLACKSBURG - This isn't the end.

Virginia Tech still has a game to play at Miami, still has a bowl game ahead.

This is goodbye.

The 11th-ranked Hokies (5-1, 8-2) play their final home game of the season today at 1 p.m. when No. 16 Virginia (5-2, 8-2) visits Lane Stadium.

Tech will honor its senior class, and the applause figures to be loud.

The biggest cheers probably will come for Bryan Randall, who will make his 36th straight start at quarterback.

Will the cheers be for Randall the player or Randall the person?

How about both? While it is hard to determine which side of Randall has meant more, it is easy to tell that both sides have meant plenty to the Hokies.

"I don't mean to be splitting hairs with you . . . I don't think you can divorce one from the other," said Kevin Rogers, Tech's quarterbacks coach. "If he was just a good person, I don't think he'd be respected as a player. Right now, he's a great player, and he garners a lot of respect from this team."

Said Randall, "In order to be a true leader, you help the team on the field. Off the field, there's a lot of intangibles that go into it. I think that's one of the best things I've been able to do since I've been here - help the team on the field and off the field."

There are numbers to break down the on-field stuff. Randall has been durable, as his consecutive-start streak shows, and a quick study. He's in reach of most of Tech's quarterback records, and some of his best games have been his most recent.

He's even being talked about as a potential ACC player of the year.

"He's done more for his team than any other quarterback in the league," Virginia coach Al Groh said.

Off the field, there aren't numbers to crunch, but there are some telling facts. Randall graduated with a degree in sociology in three years, and he's been awarded an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. He's active in the community.

For a team struck by turmoil late last season, he's been a unifying force.

"He does everything right, and it shows up on the field in his play," said junior defensive tackle Jonathan Lewis.

Junior tight end Jeff King and junior tailback Justin Hamilton answered a question about Randall's meaning to this team the same way. He's the Hokies' most valuable player.

"That's unanimous," Hamilton said.

Said King, "We have all the confidence in the world in that guy. He's the epitome of a winner. He means a lot to this football team."

From Williamsburg, Randall came to Tech from Bruton High and immediately took a major hit for the team. He played as a true freshman because the team had no experienced quarterbacks behind Grant Noel.

He took over as the starter in the third game of his sophomore season, and he hasn't missed a start since.

"Being durable," he said, "is something I take pride in.'

He'll own virtually every quarterbacking record by the time he's done.

He will, he believes, find a way to play professionally.

"One way or another, I believe that given the opportunity I'm going to make a break for myself some how some way," Randall said.

He hopes people will remember him as "a true leader" at Tech "and a great quarterback." When people talk about the best quarterbacks in Tech history, Michael Vick always will have the top spot. Beyond that?

Given the total package, it's tough to argue against Bryan Randall.

"I haven't seen the other ones other than Vick. I'm not really one to judge myself, judge my performance compared to others," Randall said.

"I would have to say I've been pretty successful since I've been here. I guess I could rank up there with some of the best."

Cavs, Hokies put it all on line
Coaches and players at Virginia and Virginia Tech admit the schools have never played a football game against each other with so much riding on it.
BY NORM WOOD
247-4642
Published November 27, 2004

BLACKSBURG -- Al Groh and Frank Beamer don't need any lessons about how to prepare for rivalry games. As alumni of Virginia and Virginia Tech, respectively, it's in their blood. As coaches of those teams, it's a way of life.

Their experience will come in handy today, but neither coach has gone into a game between the rivals with as much riding on it as when Virginia and Virginia Tech meet at 1 p.m. in Blacksburg. It's about the right to claim a state championship, and it's about turning the heads of recruits. But it's also about coming closer to a bid to a Bowl Championship Series game, something that seemed unlikely for Tech at the start of its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Is the 87th game between the two teams the biggest in the 109-year rivalry?

"I think so," Beamer said. "Whoever wins has at least a share of the conference championship. I mean, that's the first time that's happened in this series. From that standpoint, it's probably the biggest."

The ACC title scenario has become a lot easier to comprehend in the last two weeks. If No. 16 U.Va. wins today and Tech defeats Miami next Saturday, the Cavaliers, Tech and Florida State would finish tied for first in the ACC standings, and the team that finishes highest in the BCS standings would get the conference's BCS bid.

The Hokies don't need help. Wins against U.Va. and Miami will get No. 11 Tech into a BCS game, probably the Sugar Bowl.

Tech's ACC debut couldn't have been more dramatic. The Hokies (8-2 overall, 5-1 ACC) were predicted to finish sixth in the ACC, according to a preseason media vote. After starting the season 2-2, including a 1-1 opening in the ACC, Tech looked like it would be fortunate just to be bowl eligible. Six straight wins, highlighted by tailback Mike Imoh's emergence and a defense that has given up 12 points per game during the streak, have turned the season around.

"If you look across the board, they're stacked everywhere," U.Va. offensive guard Elton Brown said. "They have a lot of people behind them screaming, so it'll be a tremendous challenge."

Virginia's season has been somewhat overshadowed by Tech's run.

The Cavaliers (8-2, 5-2), who were predicted to finish third in the ACC, started their season with a five-game winning streak. They lost to FSU and Miami but have a final chance at redemption today.

"I don't know that it changes the rivalry," Groh said. "That would be hard to do. It adds (to) what's at stake with the game. ... The sole purpose for being in a conference is to try to win your conference championship. OK, so now that the game every year is going to count towards that, (so) that just raises the stakes of the outcome, and, in this particular year ... what's at stake is first place. You can't have a much bigger pot on the table than that."

There's some irony in the notion that the first three-way or four-way tie for first place in ACC history might come this year, and not just because it's Tech's first season in the conference. It has taken 51 years for a scenario like this one to arise, and it will never happen again. The ACC winner will be determined via a championship game beginning next season.

Players on both teams have an idea of the historical significance of today's game. There has been a noticeable lack of trash-talking amongst the players. Maybe it has to do with the game coming in the wake of last week's ugly South Carolina-Clemson brawl and coaches and conference administrators imploring players to be on best behavior. Maybe it has more to do with genuine respect.

"I definitely think it's the biggest game of my career to this point," Tech quarterback Bryan Randall said.

"Now it's more than just a rivalry. We know there's a lot on the line."