Alabama Loss Sparks a Familiar Feeling

On Saturday night, as my friends and I filed out of the Georgia Dome, I experienced a bit of dj vu.

Despite the lopsided loss the Hokes just took at the hands of Alabama, I was overwhelmed by a feeling that was oddly familiar.

The last time it occurred, I was watching former Tech defensive linemen Jim Davis, hoisting his helmet high, smiling to his teammates and a throng orange and maroon-clad fans cheering wildly as the Hokies trotted off the field.

It was August 28, 2004. Virginia Tech was just defeated by No. 1 USC 24-13, the Hokies 4th consecutive loss. In fact, at that point, Tech had lost six of its past eight games dating back to the 2003 campaign.

However, in that moment, standing on FedEx Field, watching Jim Davis rally his teammates and the Hokie faithful, I was more optimistic about the future of Virginia Tech football as I had been in some time.

And the same feeling overwhelmed me as I waited for the MARTA on Saturday night.

The similarities between both evenings circumstances are striking, in my opinion.

You had Virginia Tech, coming off what is, by its standard, a very poor season (8-5 in 2003, 7-6 in 2012), facing the ultimate challenge to begin the season a neutral field showdown with the undisputed No. 1 team in the land.

In both instances, Tech was lead by a senior quarterback (Bryan Randall in 2004, Logan Thomas in 2013) whose career had very much been a mixed bag up until that point. Both Randall and Thomas were surrounded by a wealth of inexperience on offense (three of Techs top five receivers in 2003 were freshmen Eddie Royal, Josh Hyman and Josh Morgan; freshmen Trey Edmunds and Jonathan McLaughlin got the start at running back and left tackle, respectively, while the majority of Thomas receiving corps are sophomores or younger).

Heralded freshmen Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall got serious snaps at linebacker versus the Trojans in 04, while 5-star corner Kendall Fuller made the start Saturday night against the Crimson Tide.

In both instances, the Hokies were huge underdogs 16 points in 04, around 20 on Saturday.

And while overall Tech wasnt as competitive against Alabama as it was versus USC, there were numerous positives to take away from both games.

On both occasions, the Lunch Pail Defense was outstanding. For the most part, Buds boys held Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and LenDale White in check, limiting USC to just 101 rushing yards, 55 fewer than its 2003 total and 78 less than what the Trojans would go on to average in its 2004 National Championship season.

While you may not notice it by just glancing at the score, Saturday night in the Georgia Dome was arguably more impressive. Alabama averaged 445.5 yards-per-game and 6.9 yards-per-play in 2012. The Hokies limited the Crimson Tide to just 206 total yards, 3.3 yards-per-play and 11 first downs, their worst offensive performance since 2008.

Moreover, Techs defense was especially disruptive for AJ McCarron, holding the two-time National Champion quarterback to career worsts as a starter versus FBS opponents in completions, completion percentage, passing yards, yards-per-attempt and quarterback rating. The Hokies also picked off McCarron, something that happened only three times last season.

Keep in mind that McCarron was not only the most efficient passer in the nation as a junior, but has faced seven teams that finished among the top 20 defenses in America the year he played them: Penn State, Florida, Vanderbilt and LSU (twice) in 2011; Michigan, LSU and Notre Dame in 2012.

French went into great detail earlier this week breaking down exactly how the Tech defense held Alabama in check as well as anyone in recent memory.

On the other side of the ball, Trey Edmunds looked like a star in the making rushing for 132 yards, the most ever by a Virginia Tech tailback in his debut. In addition, Edmunds was just the third player in the past five years to rush for 100 yards against Alabama.

Perhaps more importantly, the offensive line looked substantially improved, allowing only one sack, after giving up 25 in 2012.

2004 was one of my favorite seasons in Virginia Tech history. It provided some incredibly memorable moments Eddie Royals catch and run versus Miami, the frenzied comeback at Georgia Tech (25 points in the 4th quarter), Vincent #ALLOFTHEFULLERS 74-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown against No. 6 West Virginia, James Anderson picking off Jordan Steffy and promptly knocking him silly on the return, Jimmy Williams sprinting from across the field to chase down Alvin Pearman, who was headed for pay dirt and the aforementioned Davis sacking Darian Durant to drive the Tar Heels out of field goal range with about a minute to play.

In some ways, 2004 was the quintessential Virginia Tech football season. No one expected much the Hokies were picked to finish 6th in the ACC preseason poll but when the dust settled in December, Tech was atop of the ACC mountain in its first season as a member.

Of course, the Hokes went on to nearly knock off an undefeated Auburn squad in the Sugar Bowl. 2004 was also the first of eight consecutive 10-plus win seasons for Frank Beamer and company.

In addition, it was a real treat to see Bryan Randall come into his own as a quarterback and leader, while players like Eddie Royal, Josh Hyman, Josh Morgan, Justin Harper, Vince Hall, Daryl Tapp, Xavier Adibi all came into their own as the season progressed.

Obviously no one knows how the 2013 season will unfold, but if what we saw on the field Saturday afternoon in Atlanta was any indication, the Hokies may have been able to somehow find victory in defeat, using the loss to Alabama as a springboard to a successful 2013. And that should give any Virginia Tech fan the same feeling I experienced on August 28, 2004 and again this past weekend hope.