From 247s FB page.
What one play in Virginia Tech football history would you change?
Vick taking the ball into the endzone on the first drive against FSU?
Danny not being robbed of the call?
No offensive PI in the USC game?
No timeout on the blocked FG against Liberty?
No Donovan McNabb heroics in 1998?
What do you think?
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Comments
Someone covering Callendar in the endzone. BC 2007.
This is the answer.
First one that popped into my head was the phantom PI against USC...but this is definitely the correct answer
I would go with recover the damn onside kick against BC in 2007.
Someone blocking the Princeton drop kick goal in 1909 so that we could at least claim an old national title.
Someone calling the cops that day at Macy's on Peter Warwick.
Going with the FSU theme here.....Whitaker getting beat over the top twice cost us the NC in the Sugar Bowl.....take away either one of those and we might have a different program today.
We have a different program today anyway!!
Vick not spraining his ankle against Miami in 2000
I think he sprained it against Pitt the week before
It was the week before against Pitt. Meyer started the game against Miami, we got nowhere, and they tried Vick out and realized the problem wasn't Meyer.
THIS. That team was Stacked for another run prior to MV7's injury.
I'll throw in Boise 2010, and settling for a field goal instead of icing the game with a TD. Boise got the ball back, and tore up our defensive coverage to take the lead, and win the game with less than 2 minutes to play.
I always say if Tyrod had thrown the ball 2 more yards on the opening play it's a completely different ball game. That game haunts me more than it should.
Maybe not throwing a flea flicker to open the game. My heart sank like "oh that is what we're doing today, huh"
That said, it was a TD if TT hadn't put too much on the ball.
Wow it's hard to think about 5 plays being the difference between winning/playing in 5 national championships between 1999-2009.
Vick scores on the first possession against FSU and we stand a good chance of winning that game.
Vick doesn't get hurt against Miami in 2000 and we might win that game and go to NCG.
Offensive P.I. vs USC and we are in the NCG.
Beat BC and we play an overrated OSU in 2007 (although we really wouldn't deserve to jump LSU)
Score a TD vs Boise to seal the deal and we don't lose to JMU, go undefeated, and maybe jump Texas.
I dont see how the game against USC puts us in the NC game, we still lost to NC state and there were 2 more undefeated that year Auburn and OU.
It still may have been tough, but assuming we beat USC and didn't lose to NC State, we would be right near the top at the end. That USC PI call in 04 may have been the worst call in VT football history other than Danny's catch. I was so pissed, it seemed like the fix was in on that game.
True I forgot about that game. Missed FG at the end.
Again the injury was against pitt he was under fire that game...then missed the Miami game...but you're right
We weren't beating Miami that year even with a healthy MV7...the correct answer is any of the bs calls in the Boise game. No way we lose to JMU if not for the let down of losing to Boise.
Danny Coale caught the damn ball!
The right call would've kept the program on the right track with recruiting & national prestige
Yeaaaa, I think we fall off no matter what happens in that season. QB was drastically under recruited, depth was suffering, the offensive philosophy was flawed. I don't think one game stops that from happening.
More interesting question is what happens if Frank is able to hire Pep Hamilton (first choice for OC) after 2012 instead of lefty.
The skill position players were awful 2012-13. Absent accelerating Isaiah Ford and Cam Phillips a few years, the 2012 and 2013 teams were always going to be really, really limited.
2013 we had the #1 defense in the country per SP+, and I maintain that we win out the regular season if Kyle Fuller stays healthy. Even the 2012 team - with a bad record - was in most games, good enough for 31st best overall per SP+.
Those teams were missing skill talent, but those defenses were pretty damn good.
The stark imbalance between offense and defense in 2013 becomes increasingly painful the deeper you dive into it.
1st in SP+ Def, and 77th in SP+ Off, and I think 77th might have been generous, but I'd have to see the graph to see what was propping us up to even that high.
Without looking, I would guess that the stout D set us up for favorable field position likely propping up the scoring a tad.
SP+ normalizes for field position, so it's not that.
Should have gotten Willie Byrn the ball more.
Found Byrn's byrner account.
The only thing most of us remember from that game is that Coale caught that ball. Michigan's trajectory after that game was the same as ours for four years despite them being nationally relevant. Harbaugh turned them around, but it had nothing to do with winning the Sugar Bowl, and any turnaround for us under Fuente wouldn't have either.
2016 ACC Title Game, score a td on that final 4th down to set up a 50/50 shot at beating clemson on the 2 pt opportunity, it felt like we slipped just short of a mountaintop and have been slowly rolling downhill ever since
I don't know if it's my final answer, but the bad call in the USC game was first to come to mind.
What about picking Marcus Vick to not speed with a pot in his car which would have allowed him to comeback to an absolutely loaded VT team that should have won the title. (if you need a during game play then assume stomping on Elvis's leg was the start of the end.)
Yepp
For a very fun, not at all serious one, but would have made for a crazy awesome memory -- I REALLY wish Hopkins took that fumble to the house in overtime of the Marshall Rain Game. Ending that game on a 98 yard fat guy scoop and score would have been simply incredible
I mean we were one timeout away from an all time epic moment of a blocked FG and return for a TD winning the game against Liberty last year.
In all seriousness, I think the blocked punt for a TD that FSU pulled against us in the BCS title game is the one I want back. Them doing to us what we did to everyone set an ominous tone for that evening.
Strange how the Kansas game played out with a blocked kick, too. They played our game and beat us.
my counterpoint is that I was in the stands and hella soggy af during the Marshall game and went absolutely bonkers when Hopkins was returning that fumble. I just wanted him to score for the lols and the memory of it
I was there too, East Stands with my 7 year-old son. Half of our group left but we weren't going anywhere. That may have been the last home win I saw in person under Beamer.
The East was half-full at best by the beginning of overtime (when the wind picked up). but still quite loud. Loved the fans flipping out at the block and wouldn't trade that memory for anything.
The NCG in 1999 (obviously) and BC 2007 are the biggest ones that got way. Also think beating USC would have potentially been a game-changer. It's a real shame we didn't pull that out. As a 2001 grad I would have enjoyed a healthy Vick for the 2000 season.
Good answers from everyone. Being a relatively new Hokie fan, for me it's either the Matt Ryan TD in 2007 or the Danny Coale catch in the 2012 Sugar Bowl.
Another play that came to mind, although a different sport, was Ahmed Hill's missed alleyoop in the Sweet 16 against Duke in Buzz's last year. If we send that game to OT, I think we would've won it and had a real shot at the title that year. Still miss watching those Blackshear/Robinson/Hill/Outlaw/etc. teams play.
This hypothetical all-time high is counter balanced by the hypothetical all-time low of losing to UVA in the final.
or just bury the 3 and win it outright.
You say that, and while UVA would for sure be the favorite, a lot of weird things can happen in rivalry games. We were a pretty good team and it's hard to be a pretty good team 3 times in one season. The second game we played them was a 6 point contest. We then go on to lose to FSU in the ACC tournmanet in overtime, who then beats UVA by 10 right after.
Going to emphasize again just so people dont think I'm crazy XD, UVA would for sure be the favorite in this hypothetical scenario, but to say we have no shot at beating them on our 3rd try when we had a pretty good team would be wrong.
I didn't say we would lose. I was just pointing out one of the hypothetical later outcomes of a hypothetical outcome. That and, you know, it's for the meme.
Has to be the play I wish had never happened - Brewer getting injured against Ohio State. Never saw a team/stadium deflate so quickly from a rocking ball game to a wake.
If I remember correctly we were about to tie the game on that drive.
And just after that OSU gets the phantom PI call. Our CB wasn't within 3 ft of the WR and their WR just tripped over is own feet and the ref throws the flag. Refs making SURE the game was over in 3rd qtr....
I thought we still had the lead at that point, but I checked the play-by-play. We led at the half 17-14, but OSU got a TD on their first drive of the 3rd, putting them up 21-17. (Was that Braxton Miller's video game TD?) Brewer got hurt on the next drive on a 3rd and 4 from the OSU 43. Either way, no tie was possible on that drive.
I'm confused how it can't be a play against F$U in the National championship game... there are a few to choose from in that game as well. Win that game and maybe we are more Clemson like now. At least one can hope.
The question is what ONE play would you change. When you lose 46-29 you need to change a lot more than one play. Free Sneaker U simply had receivers we couldn't cover and you change one play and they beat us with other long passes.
Only way we might have won that game was by having a hurry up offense which even with Vick we were light years from having.
Great question on which play. But we were leading going into the 4th quarter. So it's definitely not out the possibility that we could have won that game with an even larger lead going into the fourth quarter.
I'd definitely agree with this. The way I remember it, Ben Taylor had Travis Minor dead to rights when FSU went for it around midfield on 4th and 1...it was one of the first plays of the 4th quarter. Ben slips slightly and Minor barely gets the first down...after that, it was a blowout. If Taylor makes the play we're up 29-28 with ALL the momentum, the ball at midfield and a QB that FSU's vaunted defense couldn't come close to stopping. We take the ball and ram it in for a TD and you'd have to think we're national champions. Alas, it was not to be. Been thinking about that play for a LOOOOONG time-not sure I'll ever stop.
EDIT: should've just agreed with StineyDraw below but I hope my description is correct (I was wasted watching that game) and gives a bit more color as to how close we actually were to winning that game.
I only ever saw the first half of this game. I was in middle school, and my parents made me go to bed. We were winning when I went to sleep.
Side note, went to find the game on YouTube, and 2018 FSU game popped up. That was a fun way to open a season.
Stopping The Rooster (Marcus Outzen) on 4th and 1. Instead, the pitch + personal foul gave them new downs, great field position, and led to the go-ahead touchdown.
Edit: or, what that post below mine says, duh.
Personally because I was in the stands for it, mine would be Ernest Wilford dropping the 2 point conversion against Miami in 2001. But if I had to be honest and rank them:
1. FSU 4th down conversion at the start of the 4th quarter in the national championship game with us up 29-28.
2. 2007 BC onside kick
3. 1998 Syracuse McNabb TD pass
4. 2001 Miami Wilford drop
The roof might have literally blown off Lane if he had caught the 2pt conversation, still don't know how that offense finds a way to ultimately win the game after that though, so think ranking it 4th is reasonable.
Na, defense would have gotten a pick 6 in OT. If you were at that game you know they would have
I was at that game, and the roof did blow off after the blocked punt for a TD. I damn near fell down the steps of the East stands from jumping up and down so much.
After the amount of screaming and yelling before we missed that conversion and they threw the roses on our field, my voice finally recovered last Tuesday.
Same for the Wilford drop
I'm trying to dust off my brain from the 05 ACCCG...wasn't there an onside kick or something like that? Had zerooo business losing that game.
We recovered the onside kick when we were down by 5 points, but it didnt travel 10 yards so we were penalized and FSU ran out the clock (looked it up, my memory isn't that good lmao)
On paper we were the better team, and we outgained them by almost 100 yards...but we also had 2 turnovers to their 0 and had...wait for it...SEVENTEEN penalties
Thaaats what it was. 10-1 vs 7-4. We were light years better on paper. Heavy favorites. The Miami blowout (which was the first time my heart was broken) would've likely still kept us out of the Rose Bowl, but the USC-ND game was giving me hope that year lol
That was the game that made me realize sometimes there are games that even experiencing Sandman aren't worth driving seven hours for. Heart broken here as well!
That entrance was something else though lol that place wad rocking for about 30mins...the walk back across drill field was so sad.
I was I think 11 years old for that game and I cried like a baby
My uncle who was visiting eventually had to turn around and say ok kid that's enough...Idk how long it had been, but before he said that to me we had left the stadium, walked to airport road, and been sitting in traffic for a few minutes before he finally told me...I was distraught LOL
The worst part about that weekend was when they shot off all the unused fireworks from the game on Sunday evening just to drive home the point about what a letdown it was.
That was super fun to listen to as I was in my dorm across the street.
Even if we beat Miami, I don't think we were passing USC or Texas in the BCS standings. We would have been the 2005 version of 2004 Auburn.
Miami blowout in 05 was my first ever game in Lane Stadium lol.
Mine was 2002 Pittsburgh. Pick your poison.
BC opener in 1995, although that season ended up being huge.
It was one of the worst executed offensive game plans I've ever seen. For me, that was my breaking point with Stiney, and very much a warning shot of the squandered opportunities in the coming years.
Jarrett Boykin almost caught a deep pass on that final possession against Boise State. If he catches that, we are at least going to overtime. If we beat Boise State, we are beating JMU. Then who knows?
Also, DJ Coles roughing the punter in a pivotal moment against BSU. I have never cussed a single player so much over one mental mistake in my life...DJ, I am sorry for the harsh words.
I don't know if we run the table in 2010 without losing to Boise/JMU. The veteran leadership really stepped up after that start. Who knows if the team would have been as focused without those losses to light a fire under their ass.
This is a valid point. But hopefully pulling out a way-too-close nailbiter might have acted as a motivator as well.
Catching the fake FG against Auburn in the Sugar Bowl where we lost to an undefeated SEC team 17-14. The play was drawn up for a clear TD, the guy just let it right off his fingers as he lay in the endzone.
Perhaps getting a statement win changes some of the talk of the "Chokies". I know its not a National Title changing play, but I would have loved it.
Jesse Allen, and yeah he just flat dropped it.
I had a group project with him the next semester. Awkward.
I remember it was ironic he was described that year in the media guide as a hard running fullback with very good hands.
Jesse was always up for a convo in Big Al's.
Ohhh I forgot about that play. Holy moly that was deflating.
I was THERE and couldn't believe the call. Take the points.
Play that stuck with me in the NCG...
Start of Q4 I believe and FSU tries to throw a WR screen. Corey Moore jumps and it hits him and goes up in the air and falls to the ground. It would've been a helluva play, but if he catches that it's a pick-6 and I think we win.
You could also maybe eliminate the blocked punt, PR touchdown, or one of their 75yd bombs in the first half.
Josh Morgan recovering that onside kick in 2007 is up there too, but we weren't good enough to win it all that year like we were in '99
Vick turning the right way and it would have been a touchdown. And think we would have won that game.
And oh man, if Wilford had caught the 2 pt conversion. The place was going nuts and would have been amazing to beat that 2001 Miami team.
One I haven't seen yet: 2010 Orange Bowl - Jayron drops a pic 6 on a screen pass. If we get a pic there, Hokies are up going into the second half, possibly more energized. If we could win that game, we set a school record for wins in a season, probably finish top 5.
I have an obscure one...Ricky hall catches the TD pass against temple in 1998 and we don't have one of the worst upsets in college football history (according to Vegas). That defense was absolutely lethal and the only reason we should have won that Mccnabb Syracuse game(I think al Clark was maybe 9-28 passing or something awful and we still should have won). We beat temple and maybe things end up differently...🤷🏼♂️
If we're going the avoid upsets route, there was a play near the end of the first half against ODU in 2018 where we tried to go score instead of running out the clock up 21-7. We don't convert and they go on to score right before halftime.
If we just run out the clock the ODU doesn't go into halftime with momentum and believing they can win.
I'd pick that over Temple, just because I wasn't old enough to remember the Temple loss and I was at the ODU game...
One more:
In the '03 uva game we blocked a punt and returned it for a TD in the 4th quarter to tie it up. I believe Eric Green had the block/TD but Vincent Fuller was offsides on the other side of the line (so no impact on the play) so it didn't count and resulted in a first down. How long would the streak have gotten if we don't blow the game in '03?
Yeah it shows my age...it was my senior year of high school and couldn't believe what I was watching that day. If you get a chance take a peak back at that schedule/result chart and you may see what I'm talking about...redshirted Vick that year and if he isn't then that team probably goes 11-1...and yes sir that odu game changed on a dime there along with Jackson's injury later on...they are both just gut punching classic hokie fails😡
What is, "Fuck Matt Ryan"?
As someone too young to remember the late 90s and early 2000's that 2007 game absolutely crushed me. Also Danny coale caught the ball no excuses. I despise PAC 12 officials.
One of UVA's 4th quarter field goals in 2019 gets blocked and returned for a TD.
I was going to say tackle Perkins short fo the line to gain on what I believe was the 3rd play of the game on 3rd and a mile. Yours is more fool proof though.