Since VT's 1995 breakthrough season, Tech has been an underdog in Lane Stadium just 9 times. Saturday's game will make the 10th time as #17 UNC is currently a 5 to 6 point favorite (depending on where you look). Tech has generally performed well in this spot over the past 2 decades. Here are the past occasions:
9/23/1995 - Virginia Tech beats #17 Miami 13-7 as a 9 point underdog
12/1/01 - #14 Virginia Tech loses to #1 Miami 26-24 as a 14 point underdog (to the greatest team of all time)
11/1/03 - #10 Virginia Tech beats #2 Miami 31-7 as a 3 point underdog
10/26/06 - Virginia Tech beats #10 Clemson 24-7 as a 4 point underdog
09/26/09 - #12 Virginia Tech beats #9 Miami 31-7 as a 2 point underdog
11/8/12 - Virginia Tech loses to #8 Florida State 28-22 as a 13 point underdog
10/23/14 - Virginia Tech loses to Miami 30-6 as a 2.5 point underdog (Easily the worst performance)
11/28/14 - Virginia Tech beats Virginia 24-20 as a 1.5 point underdog
9/7/15 - Virginia Tech loses to #1 Ohio State 42-24 as a 13.5 point underdog
That makes 5 upsets and 7 times covering (possibly could have been 8 if Brewer didn't get hurt in the OSU game). So we've had a history of putting a scare into teams that are supposed to be better than us, even if Grant Noel throws 4 picks on the day. I think this is part of what's earned Lane Stadium the reputation it has today as a tough place to play.
EDIT: If you want to take a look you can use this,
http://www.oddsshark.com/ncaaf/database
or go year by year here
http://www.covers.com/pageLoader/pageLoader.aspx?page=/data/ncf/teams/pa...
Since lines are pretty fluid different sites might have lines that are a half point different or something.
Comments
Grant Noel also had 4 completions to Hokie receivers that day to go with the 4 catches by Miami defenders.
That Wilford drop... I got kicked out of the gym screaming at the TV on that one.
I still cringe when I hear his name. That drop created an irrational hatred and disgust deep inside me that lasted through his NFL years. Now, as an older and wiser man, I feel I need to apologize to him for my years of unfair anger towards him. Of course, he has no clue who I am, but.... Mr. Wilford, I am truly sorry.
Meh.... he atoned for it when he hauled in the 50 yd TD pass from MV5 (cue robot dancing) to toss the dagger in their back in the beatdown of 2003
My sister had a class with him that semester. She said he was always really nice. After the drop he was just inconsolable and looked like he had been kicked in the stomach for a while after the fact and she felt bad for him.
I used to do community service in the apartment complex that he lived in and he was always out playing with the kids. He was always friendly and seemed like a great guy.
Ugh thats repulsive, we were a 1.5 home underdog to UVA only last fall?
Does a decade of dominance mean anything to these savage oddsmakers?
Dafuq?
We were an underdog against UVa last year?
TIMEOUT
Nope, you should have used the timeout earlier in the post.
Were we not an underdog when we played Ohio State last year?
He is talking about at Lane Stadium.
You sir are 100% correct. I am a ninny.
Really? Were you part of the Silly Nanny football team?
Were we not an underdog against Maryland when Darren Evans was our RB a few years ago? 2007-2008ish?
It was 2008. We were a small favorite, 3ish pts.
Welp, there you go. We will win Saturday. We will run the ball down their throats and limit their offensive possessions. They will score TDs on 5 of 7 of their offensive possessions, but at least one of the remaining possessions will end in a turnover. we will score TDs on tediously long drives on every single one of our possessions. Final score: 42-38, VT
WANT
I hope that you are correct, and therefore dub you:
I thought LSU was pretty highly ranked when they visited Lane... I was pretty unaware who Tech was back then though.
They were ranked #14. VT was #16.
Dayum...
Anyone else go through that list and well up with pride?
I remember every one of those glorious battles. Thanks, Frank.
And thanks for a great post, Lozo. Good stuff.