Saturday night I was forced to go to the FSU vs UVA game in tallahasee by my GF after just forcing her to go to the VT vs UM game a couple weeks ago I owed it to her. Her 1st game in lane and we wet the bed after all the hype and talking i had done about how amazing it was and how amazing VT was. But the only place that we wet the bed was on the field that night. Blacksburg was amazing that day, our tailgate was welcoming and friendly with alot of folks that we had never met, we enjoyed good food, good drinks, and good poeple the weather was perfect and the streets of blacksburg were alive and well. The game didnt go as planned but we as fans did not let down until late in the 3rd after the fumbles. My GF since getting back to florida has been asked by alot of people (some UM fans some FSU fans) if enter the sandman is really that electric and if the hype about lane being real, with out me knowing or standing over her shoulder telling her what to say she says it was amazing and the atmpsohper was not comparable to any other games she had been too. I found this out not because of her but from other poeple complimenting me on hokie nation.
She didnt hype up Doak to me all week even though this was a homecoming game for the #2 team in the country who hasnt lost a game in 23 games. I did it all on my own. The Hokies have spoiled me as to what I think a college football game is supposed to be like. We tailgated with friends, we walked the campus, we went into the game early to watch the chief throw the spear into the middle of the field we did all the things you should do. We had 50 yard line seats about 40 rows up. (which i bought of stub hub for 38 bucks. i bought our VT ones off stub hub as well for 50 and those were section 4 row VVV) i thought they were pretty good seats. i expected lots of chopping and screaming and for this place to just be rocking! It was not! I think we only stood up maybe 8 times the whole game!!!!! It wasnt even close. For most of the game i compared my experiences in blacksburg to this game, i imagined what it would be like if we were the #2 team in the country on a 23 game win streak how you wouldnt EVER sit down, how my voice would be gone on the 1st drive, how i would have blisters on my knuckles from my keys hitting them so hard. I took some pictures of the stands in the 3rd qtr while UVA had the game with-in 10 points and some more in the 4th with about 10 min to go and it was still a 2 score game. it was starting to empty out. In a game that VT was losing 30-0 after 3 consecutive drives ending in fumbles and we had more poeple in the stands than the #2 team in the nation!! #2!!!! I just cant get over it.
On the ride home i kept telling my GF how unempressed I was. She had no excuses. She could say nothing. She understood why i felt that way. I was so proud to be a hokie and it really put a season like this into perspective for me and why i LOVE my HOKIES so much it doesnt matter if we are 4-5 or 10-0 we stand together and give our all. i know that the games arent as crowded what with noon kickoffs and us not playing so great and all but man... enjoy it enjoy every chance you get in lane and be as loud as you can because we really are blessed with the greatest school in the NCAA and i really believe that. Ill be in durham this weekend yelling my head off for my hokies. I hope that we can take over their stadium just like we always do and then funish this season strong with a bowl game, bowl win and get ready for a playoff run next year!
(ill post the pictures later cant do it from my work computer)
Comments
Similar story from my experience with an SEC school: I went to the LSU/Tennessee game back in 2011, when LSU was ranked #1. Neyland was sold out and packed full. But on 3rd downs in the first and second quarter, you could talk normal to the person next to you and they could hear you. It wasn't loud by any means, and all I heard going into that game was how loud the stadium was with over 100k fans. Unimpressed. To top it off, the moment that LSU scored in the 3rd quarter with 8 minutes to go, to go up 24-7, the place started emptying out.
Can confirm. Was at Neyland for the UF game this year, had conversations during game. However, I think Butch has reenergized the program a lot, people stood the entire game, but it wasn't as loud as lane. Their checkered stadium was really freakin cool (even more impressive as it was organized over social media, not tshirts on the seats), as was "Third Down for What."
But when my UT friends asked my MichSt friend what was louder, Lane or Neyland, he said emphatically, LANE AND IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE. He went to the UMD game last year. Said he had high expectation for Lane, and he was still blown away.
That checkered stadium shot is awesome- one of the best stadium shots I've seen.
Giggity!
I only remember being #3 in the nation and #5 Miami coming to visit, I don't remember how the game ended, but I remember turning down $500 bucks for my student ticket. Yes I would have rather reffed intramurals for roughly 72 hours than miss that game. I thought the same thing about the OSU folks, rarely were they loud until it was third down, really thought that place would be a tougher place to play.
As Hokie fans, we know we have one job: lose our sh*t on Thursday nights.
I'll also be in Durham this weekend. Let's continue the Hokie colonization of NC!
To be fair, Lane wasn't exactly hopping when we were a top team facing the cellar dwellers of the conference (Temple/Rutgers) back in our glory days.
It was the #2 team facing a 4-5 team on a 3 game losing streak. It was a game FSU was supposed to win going away. Comparing the peak games of Lane when we were getting jacked up for big opponents to a non-rivalry conference game where one team was significantly better than the other on paper isn't exactly a fair comparison.
other than UVA being UVA i just felt like everything else was stacked in their favor for it to be rocking. it was a night game, it was home coming, its not like they have really blown anyone out this season and UVA has beat them a few times when they shouldnt have so it was a scary game for them (alot of friends of mine were worried about this game big time being the one they lost). ill be back there for the UF vs FSU game so ill report back and see if its gotten any better.
Man...
You really like to spoil the mood, dontcha?