Virginia Tech has two big rivals UVA and West Virginia. Each school, in their own special way, receives a far amount of hate and criticism from me. But I don't hate either of the schools as much as I hate Miami. The U, the swagger, the video of them getting off the plane in fatigues at the National Championship in 1987, Ken Dorsey, Kellen Winslow Jr., Michael Irvin, the list goes on and on about things that I despise about the University of Miami. Another reason I hate Miami, they like that I hate them, they want to be hated.
The 2000 season Miami was a really good football team. They would enter Lane Stadium undefeated and the #1 team in the country. A win in Blacksburg would put them in the National Championship. The game was on December 1, 2001 and I recall it being uncharacteristically warm. It was shorts and t-shirts warm in Blacksburg, 24 days before Christmas. Virginia Tech was ranked #14 and was having a pretty good season in their own right.
Miami jumped out to a 20-3 lead at halftime. Virginia Tech came out and scored a touchdown early in the 3rd quarter. Midway through the 3rd Miami would put in another field goal making the score 23-10. With 11:32 remaining in the 4th quarter Miami would score on another field making the score 26-10 Miami's favor. Virginia Tech found itself in a tough position down 16. They have 11 minutes to score twice but would have to put in the 2-point conversion both times. A tough call for a team that's only scored a touchdown once in the last three quarters.
Virginia Tech puts together a relatively quick drive scoring a touchdown with 8:33 left to go in the game. They go for two and score on a passing play. The score is now 26-18 Miami but Virginia Tech is in striking distance with 8 minutes to go in the game. The next few minutes are some of the most iconic moments in my history as a Virginia Tech fan.
In this era of Virginia Tech football, the team was known for its tough defense and special teams. "Beamerball" is what announcers and reporters would call the style of play in Blacksburg. Miami was forced to punt from their 35 and Virginia Tech was expecting decent field position. The right side of the punt blocking unit would come through untouched and block the Miami punt. The ball was scooped up by a Virginia Tech player and he would run into the endzone scoring a touchdown for Virginia Tech, making the score 26-24 with Miami still in the lead.
Virginia Tech lines up for the 2-point conversion. Shotgun set with one receiver out to each side and two backs in the backfield. Tech throws a fade to their best receiver, Ernest Wilford, who has lost his defender and catches the ball. Or seems to have caught the ball. The stadium erupts in a way only Blacksburg can but the moment was short lived. He dropped it and the refs in the endzone were calling it incomplete. 26-24 Miami and that ended up being the final score.
Losses are tough, but to come back from 16 points down with 11 minutes to go in the game and have a shot to tie on a catchable pass that was dropped isn't a normal loss. This one hurt. I really can't remember if I cried walking out of the stadium that day but I know it hurt. It still hurts and that was almost a decade ago.
Here's a short video of the game. I am not sure I can rank the top games in Virginia Tech's history but I do think this would end up somewhere on the list. Fun game to go back and watch.
Throwback Tuesday is going to become a regular part of The Sports' Party. Thanks for your continued support of the blog.
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