Unfortunately, being fans of Hokie football mean we are all too accustomed to embarrassing loses. However, we have a sort of bounce back after these games. As case studies, lets look at the other two worst loses in program history:
- 1998 Temple
- 2010 JMU
In 1998 we were 5-0 with wins @ Clemson, Miami and BC. We had climbed to a ranking of #14. All was well. With the next two games against Temple and UAB we were looking ahead to WVU. Then, all hell broke loose and we lost our homecoming game against dreadful Temple. We were embarrassed. Corey Moore said it best:
"I've never been so embarrassed in my life, I'm shellshocked. We're the laughingstock of college football right now and deservedly so."
However that year was a building block. We steadied the ship against UAB and beat WVU. Lost insanely close games to Syracuse and UVA but then had a Music City bowl matchup with Alabama and won 38-7. Also we had a freshman redshirting on the bench, you may have heard of him: Michael Vick. The momentum from that year and the lessons it taught allowed us to dominate next year.
2010 is a lot more recent in our minds. I was in school for it. We had huge preseason hype. Senior Tyrod, RMFW, Darren Evans. Boise at Fed-Ex needs no explanation. We lost a close, tough game to a solid team after having the worst first quarter imaginable and not being able to put the game away after fighting back to take the lead. 5 days later we had to play again in shitty weather against an FCS contender JMU team that thinks we are their super bowl. We lost, we all remember it. It was sloppy, dumb and most of all, embarrassing.
However, the theme here is that after the embarrassing loss our team stuck together and fought on. We didn't lose again until the Orange bowl and number one overall pick Andrew Luck. That next year? We were a BCS at-large team and beat Michigan. Pretty solid turnaround for a team that lost to a 2A team. BTW the year after Michigan lost to Appy State? They went 3-9.
So. We lost to ODU. A team that is in our hotbed for recruiting and thinks we are their standard bearer. It sucks. It's embarrassing. It should never happen. However, if the past is any indictor, if the team holds together the year will still be successful, the sky will not fall, and the next year could be special.
Comments
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.
Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.