Halloween Day at Scott Sisson Stadium this year. Looking forward to it. Let's hope Tech doesn't look past a venue that has been a collection of horrors for the Good Guys all too often.
Tech now leads the all-time series with the French, 19-17-1, thanks to a 3-game winning streak we are currently riding to take the lead. Tech has won 5 of the last 6. But, just to remind us all, the one loss in that run (of putrid years in Charlottesville) was when an undefeated 6-0 12th-ranked Jackets team was beaten at SSS, 24-21.
Virginia is 10-4-1 over Tech at SSS. There have of course been some great games in this series. The 1990 41-38 still ranks as the best game ever for me personally in over 40 years of following Tech FB. 41-38 Part Two on Grant Field in 1998 when Tech came back from a huge hole to defeat 6th ranked UVA on homecoming was special as well.
Lots of question marks around this UVA team heading into the season. They were picked to finish dead last in the ACC Coastal. They were the only team in the 7-team division to receive no first place votes. Mike London was surprisingly given another year to right the ship. The schedule offers no help. UVA has one of the toughest OOC schedules in the nation - if not the toughest. They have to open at UCLA, then host Notre Dame, host Bill & His Old Lady (who the French have had trouble beating), before hosting Boise State on a Friday night. This is just September. They draw Syracuse at home and have to travel to Louisville as their 2 Atlantic cross-over ACC games. Louisville is of course now UVA's permanent Atlantic rival as UofL took Maryland's place essentially.
Tech had better not look past this UVA team - especially at SSS. They beat the Cardinals last year at home as well as Miami there late last season. The win over the Canes was in convincing fashion, 30-13, in fact. They lost at Duke by 7, at home to UNC by 1 (gave the game away), and at Va Tech by 4. They were in games late vs UCLA (undone by 3 interceptions thrown) and at BYU.
Former QB's David Watford (Hampton) and Greyson Lambert (Cesspool) are both gone via transfer. Watford made his decision at the end of last season. Lambert made his decision at the end of this spring's practices. Matt Johns won the starting QB during spring drills and HC London was quoted as saying "it wasn't even close"... http://www.dailypress.com/sports/uv...otball-wrapup-0424-20150423-story.html#page=1
While it is entirely possible (maybe even likely) UVA is 2-5 and either playing for their lives or throwing in the towel on the Mike London era when Tech arrives at SSS on Halloween, regardless I am hopeful that Tech's coaches and players know they had better strap it up. SSS has been a house of horrors for us fans all too often.
But, for now, let's remember some great times in this series...
We have to start with the final moments of the great 1990 game...
You can watch the entire game if you'd like...
Highlights from last year's win at BDS...
And that 1998 41-38 Part Two I referred to earlier... (boy, Tiki Barber ran his mouth a lot leading up to that game...what a moron!)
Like always, I'll be at SSS with my family. I've been at all 15 of 'em. 3 as a student. 12 as an alum. I've left that place all too often shaking my head in disbelief. This run we are on right now under CPJ has been a relief. Hopefully the Jackets - coming off a tough stretch of ND, Duke, UNC, Clemson, Pitt, and FSU, bring their best on Halloween.
Tech now leads the all-time series with the French, 19-17-1, thanks to a 3-game winning streak we are currently riding to take the lead. Tech has won 5 of the last 6. But, just to remind us all, the one loss in that run (of putrid years in Charlottesville) was when an undefeated 6-0 12th-ranked Jackets team was beaten at SSS, 24-21.
Virginia is 10-4-1 over Tech at SSS. There have of course been some great games in this series. The 1990 41-38 still ranks as the best game ever for me personally in over 40 years of following Tech FB. 41-38 Part Two on Grant Field in 1998 when Tech came back from a huge hole to defeat 6th ranked UVA on homecoming was special as well.
Lots of question marks around this UVA team heading into the season. They were picked to finish dead last in the ACC Coastal. They were the only team in the 7-team division to receive no first place votes. Mike London was surprisingly given another year to right the ship. The schedule offers no help. UVA has one of the toughest OOC schedules in the nation - if not the toughest. They have to open at UCLA, then host Notre Dame, host Bill & His Old Lady (who the French have had trouble beating), before hosting Boise State on a Friday night. This is just September. They draw Syracuse at home and have to travel to Louisville as their 2 Atlantic cross-over ACC games. Louisville is of course now UVA's permanent Atlantic rival as UofL took Maryland's place essentially.
Tech had better not look past this UVA team - especially at SSS. They beat the Cardinals last year at home as well as Miami there late last season. The win over the Canes was in convincing fashion, 30-13, in fact. They lost at Duke by 7, at home to UNC by 1 (gave the game away), and at Va Tech by 4. They were in games late vs UCLA (undone by 3 interceptions thrown) and at BYU.
Former QB's David Watford (Hampton) and Greyson Lambert (Cesspool) are both gone via transfer. Watford made his decision at the end of last season. Lambert made his decision at the end of this spring's practices. Matt Johns won the starting QB during spring drills and HC London was quoted as saying "it wasn't even close"... http://www.dailypress.com/sports/uv...otball-wrapup-0424-20150423-story.html#page=1
While it is entirely possible (maybe even likely) UVA is 2-5 and either playing for their lives or throwing in the towel on the Mike London era when Tech arrives at SSS on Halloween, regardless I am hopeful that Tech's coaches and players know they had better strap it up. SSS has been a house of horrors for us fans all too often.
But, for now, let's remember some great times in this series...
We have to start with the final moments of the great 1990 game...
You can watch the entire game if you'd like...
Highlights from last year's win at BDS...
And that 1998 41-38 Part Two I referred to earlier... (boy, Tiki Barber ran his mouth a lot leading up to that game...what a moron!)
Like always, I'll be at SSS with my family. I've been at all 15 of 'em. 3 as a student. 12 as an alum. I've left that place all too often shaking my head in disbelief. This run we are on right now under CPJ has been a relief. Hopefully the Jackets - coming off a tough stretch of ND, Duke, UNC, Clemson, Pitt, and FSU, bring their best on Halloween.