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Unfortunately, that's the rallying cry for the rest of this season.
We have Liberty next week. I honestly don't care if we win or lose.
Unleash all of the freshmen. Hold Malachi so he can play against UVa and be able to redshirt.
Ideally, Pry should treat Liberty like a spring game. Treat them with the disrespect they deserve by not even trying to play our best guys 100% of the snaps.
Get out of Lynchburg healthy and then focus on beating the Hoos. I think Pry can salvage positive momentum into the offseason if he ends with a win.
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Sad agreement here. Liberty likely eats our lunch, but UVA is a winnable game if we can do more than piss down our own legs on offense.
I remember when we'd debate if you'd rather be 11-1 and lose to UVA every year or 1-11 and always beat UVA... Now we're staring down the barrel of a two win season and losing to UVA.
I miss the 10-2 and always beating UVA track.
I'm totally in agreement with this sentiment. Beat UVa, finish 3-9 and it will at least give us something to possibly look forward to next year.
Plus it would be great to say UVa couldn't beat out worst team in decades.
... again.
I want to believe, but I have zero faith this team is capable of beating anyone.
I was at the Duke game. The stadium might have been about 35-40% capacity. About half of those in attendance were wearing o&m. Our fans deserve so much better. You'd be hard pressed to find another fan base that comes out in force to watch a 2-7 team play a game that everyone in attendance knows they're going to lose. In November. At Duke. Our football team should be much better than it is.
We are the big state school in the 12th most populated state in the country in a region that cares about football.
And our football team is about the worst in the P5. We're the worst team in the worst division in the worst conference in the p5. The two aren't aligned.
Thank goodness for Colorado right
Yeah colorado is bad too. Their record is worse than ours but their sos is certainly better. And they have done something VT hasn't managed yet this season: scored 30 points.
I think if we played colorado we'd still find a way to lose. It would probably end 10-7 or something
We'd be up 9 -0 (TD and Safety) with 6 minutes left and they'd win 10-9 on a 45 yard TD pass
I'd take a 10 point TD any day too...
If they can win a game on 5th down, they can score a 10-point TD, I guess.
Yup, I read a Bitter article today that had us ranked as the 3rd-worst P5 team. Colorado was behind us and I forget who else. Sounded about right lol. We were also ranked quite low in overall FBS schools.
I've been saying all year, nothing on the field matters except playing hard and beating UVA. I'm preaching patience, but I will be upset if we lose to Liberty just like I was irritated when we lost to ODU. But I will be furious if we lose to UVA. It's the only game this year where I truly care about the result.
I don't want to lose to Liberty, but it's certainly looking like a strong possibility that we will.
I do think we CAN beat UVA. Not only are they also one of the worst teams in the ACC this year alongside us, but rivalry games always introduce some level of "throw the records out," at least when there isn't an enormous talent gap in play.
Even knowing we were heading for a tough season, we all know taking care of business against UVA is a very important vibe check to take with us into the offseason. Even though that individual game will have little impact on the future of the program, it will make this offseason much more enjoyable for the fanbase.
If we lose to UVA, the frustration among the fanbase is going to fester all off-season. If no changes are made and we are losing bad next season as well, pitch forks will be out in full force.
Right, this is my exact point. The fanbase, and our enjoyment/quality of the offseason on places like TKP where we discuss football, will benefit enormously from a win over UVA, even though I think Pry's work ahead of him is realistically no different based on the outcome of that game moving forward.
I mean, I'm seeing a lot of pitchforks already.
Pitchforks were out 5 weeks ago.
You'll see a whole hell of a lot more if we lose to UVA.
Year Zero ends UVA week
Meh. Losing to them this year, would be much more palatable than in 2019.
Losing to UVA is never palatable in any year or sport.
I'm on board with this take.
Beat the Hoos!
That is all.
I want us to beat UVA. I think we can beat UVA. We should beat UVA.
But if I come here after the UVA game and see "how could we have lost to UVA?!" I'm going to lose whatever small faith I had in the fanbase as semi-rational people.
Yes, I know fan and rational don't really go together.
edit: posted this before I read what happened, leaving in place for context's sake. I have no problems at all with this game being cancelled
Given what is going on right now in Charlottesville, I would be ok with not playing this game this year. Can't imagine what is going through their minds right now, and if they need the time, we should be fully in support of it.
I had the same thought. I'd rather finish the season 2-9 and not playing UVA than finish 3-9 with a win over them after this morning.
These events lend perspective that I wish would linger far longer than they typically do. I agree that our University, athletic department, and fanbase should reach out with as much aid as possible and offer support during this time where literally nothing else will seem to matter.
Yeah football is of no importance at this time. I can't imagine even mentally preparing for two more games after a tragedy like this and losing some of your own. Just gut-wrenching.
This is where I am too. The ACC should step in and cancel the game. No need to play it. Tragic circumstances. This is what a commissioner is for.
The ACC should have nothing to do with it.
This is a personal decision for the players on that team. Just like it was a personal decision to continue spring semester after April 16. Playing on may be a way for the rest of the team to cope. It may bring a sense of normalcy.
There is no way in hell any higher level organization should have any say in how UVA moves forward.
Fair point, and what if they don't want to play? Who makes that call? UVA just doesn't show up to Lane?
If UVA decides they don't want to play, let them communicate that with our Athletics Department and I hope would would have the good grace to simply agree to a no contest in lieu of a forfeit.
Would be absolutely shameful if we did anything else
Agreed. I was thinking along these same lines today and thought I wouldn't even care if, in the event UVA declined to play the game, we were the ones that forfeit. I think the no contest option is better
The coach needs to ask the team how they feel about it. If they want to play one last one for their fallen teammates, they should be able to do so. And if they want to call it off and spend time with their families, they should do it. And no one outside of their locker room should say a fucking word about how they decide...whatever their decision.
That said, I'm perfectly fine with canceling it. I have no desire to celebrate a win against them if we pull it out.
This
I wouldn't feel right cheering against that team right now. Rivalry or not.
I look forward to this game every year. I get tickets to every game in Lane. I love cheering against the Hoos.
If the Hoo players want to play, then by all means let's do it. But the rivalry won't have the spark this year.
Agree 100%. Sports rivalries are meaningless compared to actual tragedy.
Can both teams dress out, but place a very long table at mid-field and have a Thanksgiving meal instead?
Maybe they play paper football while they wait for the main course to be served and that can count as the game?
This is a good idea - if they decide they don't want to play the game, maybe we just have an open invitation to the team to have a catered get together at Lane and let all the Hoo fans come down and tailgate with us for the weekend. Maybe throw up Michigan/OSU on the jumbotron and watch other college rivalry games all day.
It is entirely up to the Hoos if they want to play. I don't think anyone will fault them if they cancel the rest of their season. I can also see them wanting to play at least one more for their brothers. If they want to cancel, I would be fine with accepting a forfeit and presenting them the Cup as a gesture of support.
If just for a little bit
Hope it's ok that I borrowed this for my FB account.
I borrowed it from another, involved in the SATX Hokies chapter
Games have been played after players have been killed. There was a Miami game during Randy Shannon's time where they played about a week after a player was killed. Utah kept playing last year, but I don't know specifics behind those decisions.
That being said, I'd be shocked if UVA takes the field again this year.
A player killed is different than 3 players and one more in critical condition after what seems like a targeted attack. My first thought on them playing was kinda the first part of your post, but I've come around to thinking they may not play again this season.
Tony Elliott and the UVA AD will be holding a press conference at 3:30 today so may get an update on their future games.
I don't expect them to continue with their season, just because this is such a traumatic event. For comparison, last year at JMU one of the softball players died and they canceled the rest of their season. It is definitely a tough call either way.
Like AssPocketFullOfWhiskey said earlier in the thread, it needs to be up to what the guys in the locker room feel they need to do.
On one hand you have not playing due to grief and sadness and possibly services. On the other you have players wanting to honor their teammates. Neither decision is wrong or bad. But it is a hell of a burden.
I also wouldn't be surprised if UVA canceled classes for the rest of the week and just started the Thanksgiving break this week.
totally agree on leaving it up to the team. In high school, our lacross team had a tragedy where one of their star players died in a car crash. There was a big debate on whether or not they should play the rest of the season. Ultimately, the players wanted to play and the administration allowed it to happen. I wasn't at the next game because I had to work but the turnout to the game, as I hear tell, was incredible and the support that the team got in that moment was, I think, good for the players.
As a side note, our LAX team was also really, really good and the player who died wore the number 17. The score was 16-0 with several minutes remaining and one of the captains, and best friends of the player who died, scored the 17th goal and then the crowd started to chant "Hold it" to honor the passed player. The team basically played keep-away until the final whistle and the final score was 17-0. It was a touching tribute which could only happen because the players wanted to play the game.
Just fyi Tony Elliott mentioned in the athletics press conference this afternoon that the remainder of their schedule is still up in the air, pending gathering more information. AD Carla Williams said it will be a discussion between her, Tony, and the team and that the decision will be made soon.