Slept On It: Mourning the End of Virginia Tech's 2015 Football Season

Saturday night's win over Tulsa was one of the most fun and entertaining games of Hokie football I can remember watching. It had everything you could want in a football game, from a record-setting offensive explosion to a late comeback that was ultimately snuffed out by the good guys. I was having so much fun watching the game with my family that it didn't really hit me until the next day that the Hokies' victory marked the end of so many things I love and respect. And maybe that's a good thing, because it helped stave off my annual period of mourning for a few more hours.

Sadly, when I woke up Sunday morning, I was quickly overcome by the new normal: Eight months without a game week to look forward to. I tried talking to my wife about it. After all, she's a therapist and a Hokie — surely she would be able to relate to my sudden despair. I'm not sure if she gave me professional advice or simply wanted me to leave her alone, but she ended up suggesting I write down my feelings. So here we go...

I'm going to miss watching Virginia Tech football each week. Knowing there is an amazing experience off on the horizon helps me get through the work week. It's about the food, the drink, and screaming at my television in joy and frustration.

My body is not going to miss Hokies football. It needs a break.

I'm going to miss having a tough-as-nails quarterback like Michael Brewer. For all of his physical
shortcomings, the man makes up for it in spades with the biggest heart and cajones Hokies football has ever seen. We have been blessed with high character players before, but Michael Brewer has been a fantastic leader the past two seasons.

I'm going to miss writing about Hokies football on a weekly basis and reading what everyone has to say about each game. I am continuously fascinated by how a game can bring together so many strangers over a shared passion and school spirit.

I'm going to miss watching Travon McMillian explode past the line of scrimmage. He is a special talent, and I am extremely excited to see what he has in store for us over the next few seasons.

I'm going to miss Wyatt Teller pancakes.

I'm not going to miss ill-timed Wyatt Teller penalties.

I'm going to miss Luther Maddy and Dadi Nicolas. It has been a long road for those two, but they traveled that road together
and closed out their careers on a high note. After going 11-3, playing in the ACC Championship Game and losing to Michigan in the Sugar Bowl (IT WAS A CATCH!) during their first year on campus, they proceeded to go 29-23 over their final four years in Blacksburg in what amounted to the most frustrating stretch of Hokies football in 20 years. Despite the sub-par results, they have been explosive players and anchors for Bud Foster's defense, and it has been a pleasure watching them develop over the last five years.

I'm going to miss Enter Sandman, Skipper and "First Down, HOKIES!"

I'm going to miss Shane Beamer's running back rota...hahahaha just kidding.

I'm going to miss watching Ken Ekanem embarrass some poor offensive tackle off the edge. In a year where depth was an issue and Dadi struggled to match last year's numbers, Ekanem was a bastion of consistency. Assuming he returns for his senior season, Ekanem will be a pivotal player and clear leader for a unit in transition.

I'm going to miss listening to John Congemi provide color commentary for all of the games we played this season on ESPN 3. By year's end, I felt like he was part of the program.

I'm not going to miss Ron Cherry. Ever.

I'm going to miss watching Isaiah Ford make catching the football look so easy. With so many elite college receivers, part of what makes them so amazing is a collection of impossible-to-miss physical tools. Whether it's incredible size, length or speed at the position, most guys that put up numbers like Ford jump off the screen in some way or another. Ford just gets things done. He runs crisp routes, can be shifty when necessary, has soft hands, and has just enough speed and leaping ability to create space and come down with the football in tight coverage. I'm grateful for the fact that Hokie Nation has at least one more year to watch Isaiah exploit opposing secondaries, and I'm excited to see what he can do in Justin Fuente's system.

I'm going to miss the sensory experiences of autumn football season: Smoked turkey legs; dry, crunchy leaves; the cool, crisp air; and the surprisingly blistering October sun felt only in the East Stands.

I'm going to miss watching Chuck Clark stick his nose in wherever possible.

I'm going to miss watching Sam Rogers truck/juke/outrun/outwork/outfootball poor defenders.

I'm going to miss Wade Hansen's beard. It's no DeChristopher, but it is a respectable effort considering its humble beginnings.

But more than anything, I'm going to miss Frank Beamer.

I'm going to miss his unique form of coach speak, littered with player references by number and get after yas!

I'm going to miss the family atmosphere that he helped build in Blacksburg. I hope it is something Fuente and his staff can continue, as it has been (and will continue to be) one of the enduring compliments to Frank's coaching legacy.

I'm going to miss his celebratory dances, including greatest hits like the "Fancy Gap Shuffle," the "Harlem Shake," and his recent foray into dabbing.

I'm going to miss BeamerBall and the way you almost instinctively blurt it out the second something positive happens on special teams.

I'm going to miss having a man with such incredibly high character leading the Virginia Tech football program. In a landscape littered with sleazy salesmen and two-faced coaches quick to upgrade their own position at the expense of young men, Beamer has been a rare figure I hope I never took for granted. He has been the greatest ambassador Virginia Tech could have ever asked for, and will be forever missed.

The 2015 season was filled with so much hope, so much disappointment, and so much sadness. With so much change ahead, I should be more excited. Give me a few days while I mourn the end of another season of Virginia Tech football. After all, national signing day is only 36 days away.