Time to dredge up some dark memories, TKP. Pick a player from any Virginia Tech opponent throughout the years whose ownage of the Hokies on the field left the largest scar on your maroon and orange soul. The hurt may or may not spread across multiple games.
Another way to ask, which player were you most relieved to never see across the field from Tech again?
Share with the rest of the class and duplicate responses are fine.
Forums:
DISCLAIMER: Forum topics may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.
Comments
everyone on clemson in 2011
I still buy into some sort of conspiracy theory on them stealing signals, because no matter what we ran we got shut down...that was infuriating.
I gotta admit, they had an answer for EVERYTHING. It was if they were calling the plays for us.
I think our playbook was just bad.
Their defense that year was absolutely awful. It felt odd that they would so thoroughly shut us down, twice.
You guys are right, I forgot his first name.
Matt Ryan.Fuck Matt Ryan.
Add Andre Williams and Tyler Murphy to BC's list....we gave some of their players their career games.
Thank goodness we never played them with Flutie.
I think you missed a word. It's important to call him by his proper title.
This x infinity.
I'm kinda dissapointed in you guys. I expected this to be the first comment.
Matty Ice in 07 - crappy weather and we had the game in the bag right up till the end. We got sweet revenge, but I laughed watching him lose the Super Bowl this year.
Everyone on Miami 05
Everyone on Miami in 01
See, I can't bring myself to hate that team. They had assembled one of the best groups of talent in the history of college football, and brought their South Florida weather with them to Blacksburg in December.
Our defense still almost allowed Grant Noel to stumble his way to victory, even though we barely even deserved to be on the same field as them that year. That remains the most palatable loss I've ever seen to this day.
Leg for acknowledging Grant Noel.
Larry Fitzgerald's performance in 2002 still gives me nightmares. He was uncoverable — 5 receptions, 105 yards, and 3 touchdowns.
This was my first thought. Matt Ryan was 2nd.
My third thought was Marshall's Leftwich. Although not we got the win and the outcome wasn't painful, it was the best QB performance I've seen live. Luckily, his receivers had rocks for hands. Leftwich tore up our secondary and Marshall might've killed us with a decent set of receivers. It would've been a shoot-out, to say the least.
This.
Well, Joe beat me to Larry Fitzgerald. In the 90s, it was any white wide receiver. But what about Josh Adams of Wake. Didn't he once have over 200 yards rushing in a half in the mid 2000s?
Recently, James Conner for sure. Partly because he killed us, and partly because he was hard to root against.
Came here to say James Connor. He has run all over us in the past.
Marcus Vick! Oh crap read that wrong! Umm Peter Warrick just cause he shouldn't have been playing in the NC game.
I was going to say Cody Journell.
The NC game is a bit before my time so I went back and looked at the box score and watched his highlights. Didn't realize how bad Warrick carved us up. Dude was ridiculous
Andrew Luck.
Well shit throw Aaron Rodgers in there too. I heard he is still completeing passing on us!
That goddam grin he had...
In the spirit of this sub-thread, let's throw in Donavan McNabb in 1998.
VT-Syracuse 1998
His one big failure against Virginia Tech was his failure to recruit Michael Vick to come to Syracuse.
I never really thought about this in the way of what if Vick went to Syracuse. Would they have strung together the success that we did? Where would we be if Vick never came?
I think we would have been successful, but not to the level we reached. UVA may have even been able to get a foothold on the state slightly.
This is the darkest timeline
DOC! WE GOTTA GO BACK! BACK TO THE FUTURE!
Actually, Vic and the championship game were what gave VT their first real edge over LOLUVA.
Simply: No. No Vick, no NC appearance, No string of 10 win seasons.
Luck didn't even need to do anything. Their oline could have had anyone rush for 300 if they wanted to.
It was just...ridiculous.
Terry Williams hurt me and the entire offensive line in 2014.
Yup, that's the name I was looking for. All I could remember was the big guy from Eastern Carolina.
Me too, couldn't think of his name and couldn't find him on ECU's old rosters.
Fuck Matt Ryan
Kellen Moore from Boise State. That last drive just had that feeling of him leading Boise State down the field for the win.
I never liked his teeth.
What was wrong with his teeth?
worst thing about it is i live in idaho and these people wont shutup about it.
I hate BSU more than I ever hated uva
Seconded!
Duke Johnson from Miami. Slippery little guy, and really burned us a few times.
Meanwhile, the Browns have yet to really utilize him. I figured if I had to sit through that trauma of the 2014 Thursday night game, then I might as well pick him up for fantasy football, but his stats haven't really played out that way.
Funny, I did the same thing. So he really has never done anything for me.
Every former Pitt running back
Fuck Pat Narduzzi.
I look forward to future years of owning him.
I just hope to see the temper tantrum every year. It was priceless.
What brand of headphones does he wear? I might buy some stock just before VT games.
Id say Calvin Johnson was probably the most impressive player I can remember seeing live, but that offense didnt really do him any favors to make him 'feared'.
I cant really remember too many other players. Giovani Bernard ran a marathon on us in Chapel Hill or maybe that was Alfred Blue either way, that was more the offensive line just gouging our defense.
I am pretty glad Zay Jones is gone for this upcoming season.
I'm agreeing on the Calvin Johnson, in 2006. After totally destroying GT with Calvin the year before, was very confident going into that game. We seem to have them on third and long at least once every drive, and they just chucked up to Johnson in double or triple coverage for a first down. What really killed me about this was knowing it was coming, and watching it happen anyway, combined with feeling like we were the better team. He cost us the Coastal, a likely win against Wake in the ACC Championship, and a chance to play Louisville in the Orange.
While I DO agree about giving Megatron his due props, I'm inclined to disagree about us winning the Coastal (much less the ACCCG) that season. Just wasn't feeling it with Glennon.
We lost 2 conference games, one to GT - if we beat them, and the rest stayed the same, we would have won the coastal. Also, I think that demoralizing loss, and dropping out of the top 10, was a big part of why we had the no show loss against BC next game. We win those two, and beat WF in the Championship game (you seriously don't think THAT would have been winnable?) and would we have been undefeated in the regular season.
Stinespring automatically AND instantaneously nullifies any AND all arguments or guarantees of that (see: '04 Sugar Bowl loss 16-13, '05 home loss to Miami, as well as loss to inferior halFaSsU team in the first ever ACCCG). Seriously, you can't make that shit up. Writes itself.
I don't personally remember the '04 Sugar Bowl loss, but was that not against an Auburn team that many thought should have been in the MNC game?
I went down to New Orleans for that one. Our defense played well enough to win (some big plays allowed, but also some killer goal line stands). Our offense looked like a pack of dogs trying to hump a watermelon. We lose by 3 and that's with a dropped pass in the end zone and a missed FG (effing brandon pace). We had the ball inside their 10 yard line TWICE and came away with zero points (failed on 4th and goal at the one and the missed FG). Even so, we still out gained them.
Definitely a game we could have won with a halfway decent offense. Worst drive home from a game ever.
Ah I understand now how it should have been a guarantee. I was thinking he meant it should have been a guaranteed win before the game even started.
No, I never said that. But I KNEW (based on our talent, resolve, anger from the embarrassing '03 season and exit from the Big East AND our performance against USC) we were more than capable and had a GREAT chance. Of course...Stinespring.
First, it would have been nice if we started playing sometime in the first 3.5 quarters. Then we might not have needed a hail mary at the end.
Second, did Brandon Pace ever hit a FG when the score was within 3 points?
I made that drive too, but next year the drive back from Jacksonville in ACC champ was worse.
Or maybe Boise State. Orange Bowl had second pick of the "at large" teams, so they either would have Boise or Louisville. If we had been ACC champ, they might not have opted to stage a rematch of the previous year's Gator Bowl.
Still, if we had played in the Orange Bowl like we did in the CFA Bowl that year, then the opponent wouldn't have mattered.
Since Fitzgerald has already been mentioned (and I still am probably the only person in the Valley of the Sun that doesn't root for him and the Cardinals, i'll go with Santana Moss.
Although also one of my favorite football stories all time from my time at VT, I was walking back to West AJ late night one evening with my roommate and we were talking about the football team and, Miami and Moss specifically. Out of AJ walks Ronyell Whitaker and another DB whose name escapes me these days. At any rate, they overheard us and the one DB turns to Whitaker, grabs him by the shoulder, and says "This mother F'ker right hear made Santana Moss an all american!!" and starts cracking up laughing.
My buddy and I still recall that story to each other.
Santana Moss had NOTHING on DeAngelo Hall. D Hall everytime!
Was that not Roscoe Parrish?
It was. Moss last played for Miami in 2000. Hall was a Freshman in 2001.
I really just miss those jerseys. All maroon, maroon on white. White on white. They were simply the best. Better than all the rest.
Larry Fitzgerald 2002-2003
I have never felt more helpless as a fan, knowing there was absolutely nothing we could do to stop that guy
Not just Fitzgerald, but also Antonio Bryant in 2000 & 2001.
...or basically any #1 WR for Pitt because Latef Grim comes to mind, as well.
For a couple years there, Pitt's offense was awesome against us.
this is a strong take
Donovan McNabb
Leg for this vomit inducing 1998 memory.
LoL Campbell's Chunky.
And add Marvin Harrison, Dwight Freeney and David Tyree to Syracuse's runners up list.
Peter Warrick
He should've been kicked off the team and not play against us in the championship game.
Edit: just to add, our Vick is still bigger than their Weinke!
Did you buy one of Buddy's (Ton 80 owner) T shirts that year? He was selling them on the street at the Sugar Bowl. I believe it went something like "I'd rather have a big Vick than a little Weinke", or something of the sort.
To the topic, LOLUVA had a receiver, Ford was his last name, that gave us fits back in the day, Fitzgerald, and of course Warrick and Ryan.
I can't believe we got this deep into the thread before Warrick was mentioned. Peter Warrick tops my list with Kellen Moore a close second. Y'all do realize we probably have a c'ship if Warrick isn't in that game?
It's a shame he only got a slap on the wrist for shoplifting hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise.
While his partner in crime got kicked off the team....poetic justice that Coles ended up the better pro.....
matt ryan, calvin johnsons first quarter, and lamar miller
I know this is about players but the one person that I will be most relieved to never see on the opposing sideline is Coach Chinballs. I don't care if the next coach turns GT into the next Clemson or FSU or even vintage Miami, as long as we don't have to play against that damn wishbone every year.
At least with players, you know that they're going to be gone within 5 years. But coaches could last decades.
Couldn't agree more. I'd rather gt got some great coach that turned them into the next Clemson than deal with pj. The issue is they usually have decent records but are rarely considered very good. They often aren't ranked. So losing to them always hurts perception even more.
Plus nothing is more frustrating than watching your defense have to face that damn option all day
Peter Warrick broke my heart.
Aaron Rogers put me in the hospital.
Honorable Mention: Matty Ice, Donovan McNabb
Josh nesbit (sp?) from GT. Dude was excellent against us in 09 chop block game and was doing well in the 2010 Thursday night game until PJ let him throw. Then he tosses that goal like pick and breaks his own arm trying to tackle davon morgan and gt only scores 7 more the rest of the game.
Otherwise I'm not sure we win that game. Was thankful they were stuck with tevin Washington after that
I agree, without the broken arm, I dont think we beat them that night.
Does Paul Johnson count? If not I'll take Josh Nesbitt. There was one game he broke his arm and left the game. I think GT would've won if he didn't get hurt.
Eric Dungey at Syracuse last year was infuriating, if he rips us apart with 5 yard passes again this year, he might get added to the list.
If Dungey rips us apart again this year, then Syracuse will be your 2017 ACC champs.
You better be doing every anti-jynx trick in the book if you're going to even mention that possibility.
...it's because we won't play them unless it's in the ACC championship game.
You just did it again! :D
Dwight Freeney in 2001. It felt like Grant Noel was sacked 30 times. It was cold with a light flurry of snow and a homer Syracuse fan in front of me made it even worse. The game was incredibly still kind of close for a while, until Freeney sacked Noel for a safety near the end. Just a miserable game.
I think Rushel Shell is still running on the 2012 defense. Kid just killed us and then never did anything ever again
Jordan Zumwalt and he should have been ejected.
The refs from the USC game.
Officials from 2011 Sugar Bowl, not just because of the "It was a catch" review but also the two interceptions they took away from Hosley.
How all of our lives would be better if that damn call hadnt been made. I really believe we beat them if not for that. And I also knew we were gonna lose it as soon as that call was made, and we were winning at the time. What a bunch of horse shit. Same goes for '11 Michigan
The entire defensive line for LSU in 2007.
Ok so story... About 2 hours before that game while tailgating I had the pleasure of meeting starting LSU OT Herman Johnson's mother. She was incredibly fun and friendly... and very large. She actually shared with us that at the time her son held the record as the largest baby ever born in the state of Louisiana at 15 pounds, 14 ounces. She said that the doctor who delivered him turned to her after the delivery and told her that he was definitely a future LSU football player.
Bagmen in the delivery room....somebody get Guerry on line 1. /s
"Sorry, ma'am. We're going to have to take custody of your son. You will be adequately compensated by LSU upon his 18th birthday or his high school graduation, whichever comes first."
Sean Dockery
Heath Miller. Guy would bust us up the seam over and over and we had no LB that could cover him. Add the fact that he played for the hoos an he hurts the worst along with Fitz and Ryan as already mentioned.
Came here to say Heath Miller. Without him, our streak is 18 instead of just 13.
Heath gets my vote too. Add Tiki Barber to the list as well.
Jordan Zumwalt. How he wasn't ejected I still don't get
Oh god I forgot about that dickweed.
They ended up being friends and hanging out months later.
George Welsh. The only good head coach at loluva in the modern era. He made them respectable in the conference. His successors... not so much.
Yeah, I remember that he gave them some false hope before VT was in conference.
I love that George Welsh is the high water mark for LOLUVa with a whopping one 10 win season, equallijg tech's total...from before the Beamer years. What a joke of a program.
If Jabba the coach has been mentioned I'll go with Jim Fogltance
I'll go with Quincey Wilson, 2003?
I hate that guy
Can't claim this but I recall a message board poster that said it was like watching The Ring, except Quincy Wilson was crawling out of his TV.
His run in a Thursday night game against Miami was epic.
Duke Johnson. His fist year playing against is in a starting role just made me so darn mad gosh darn it. Golly gee whiz boys! That sucked
The ref
Matthew Jordan, Sugar Bowl replay official, Aqib Talib, Murphy.
Denzel Perryman 2014 I am pretty sure he had a career game against us.
Can't believe no one has brought up Matt Schaub. He was the last one to do what I don't see happening again for the foreseeable future.
My vote would be for Fuck Matt Ryan.
If we're doing a consolation for most impressive game against us, Josh Harris' (Wake Forest) 240 yard rushing effort against us in 2010 was mind-boggling. I couldn't help but cheering for him every time he busted loose. That only happens in 30 point blowouts, but I kept up with WF for the rest of his career there. I don't think he ever had another game like that.
PAC-12 referees... you know why...
From the way back machine, how about Herman Moore?
1988: 7-175 yds, 1 TD
1989: 4-96 yds
1990: 6-180 yds, 1 TD ... in a losing effort :)
CJ Brown from Maryland in 2013.
Chad Voytik of Pitt in 2014 and 2015, even though he had to be the world's slowest dual threat QB.
Tyler Murphy of BC in 2014, but at least his biggest strength was his athleticism.
That Maryland game was the worst game I've seen in my life. How we lose to them, at home, is just unbearable.
I dunno, at least someone made it into the end zone during regulation.
I think I'd put the Duke game from the same year as worse. First, it's Duke. Second, we never had a lead. Third, I think I was literally sick that day.
I really think that Duke game was the worst thing I've ever seen in my life. Missed 2 field goals. Picked in the end zone twice I think. Amazing stuff really, I don't think Duke completed a pass in the second half either. That season really had some rough ones.
Obviously you were not around for the Temple loss.
Yup. Lowly Temple, as I recall them being called at the time. Also the Cincinnati game in '95. Miserable day.
As Michael Vick stood in full uniform on the sideline.
Terry Williams from ECU was a guy I had never heard before and haven't heard of since but now I cannot forget. He DOMINATED us that game. Respect though, I can't recall ever actually disliking him.
Matt Ryan. I do recall disliking him.
Refs in the Sugar Bowl it was a catch!
Just to add a name that's not here yet, Suh just about single-handedly won a game in Blacksburg if not for some Tyrod magic. 8 tackles, a sack, and FOUR pass breakups.
Not a player, but...
#dannycaughtheball
Pick a player from any Virginia Tech opponent throughout the years whose ownage of the Hokies on the field left the largest scar on your maroon and orange soul.
They even went to the extraordinary length of calling it correctly on the field, and then overturning the correct call.
Yes, we should get over it, but it did leave a mark.
Coach Bowden absolutely owned us for years. He's not a player, but he always got the best of HCFB. God I hate FSU!
Slam dunk Mc Nabb. He's right there with Mattyboy.
Antonio Bryant and Larry Fitzgerald... I know they are already on the list, but they were the first to pop in my head for sure
The two big DTs from BC around 2010. BJ Raji was the little one and the bigger guy (Ron Franklin?) actually died in the last year or so. Those guys destroyed our running game for 3 straight years, and we actually had a running game back then.
Peter Warrick in the title game, VT taking the lead into the 4th before some big bombs
Matt Ryan in the rain, come up with that onside kickoff Morgan
Larry Fitzgerald: just a clinical technician carving us up. At one point it felt like 4 DBs were trying to bracket him in
Kellen Moore at Fedex hurt because I watched it come right down towards me in the endzone
And for some reason anytime there is an unstoppable running attack, expecially a single RB performance: Bernard at Chapel Hill has been mentioned, Duke Johnson on Thursday night. Those are most memorable not because of the high stakes of the game, but rather the seeming innevitability of the outcome. Just knowing they were going to run the same plays over and over and over and get success. Nightmare.
Fuck Matty Ice
Matt Ryan and Larry Fitzgerald are my top 2 choices.
The refs from pretty much EVERY FUCKIN GAME!!! Also, Brooks & Jones LOLUVA, Rogers from Insight, McNabb (but Foster sure gunned his ass in '97), Pitt from '01-'03, WVU from '02-'03.
Stinespring. His offense felt like an opposing force.
Every time you mention Steiney, some angel somewhere runs a bubble screen
FTFY
Por qu no los dos?
I feel like you didn't actually change anything with your edit
It's what I do.
Any other prior NorthEndzone readers?
THIS ^^^ x infinity!!!
Sorry, wrong sport, wrong conference but...
Marcus Camby. Against pretty good Hokie Bball teams.
The Refs in the SUGAR BOWL. DANNY COALE CAUGHT THAT BALL!
It wasn't a hurt thing, but one player sticks out in my mind for enjoying himself at a game.
We were playing some smaller school (probably some directional thing) with a player named Higginbotham. I can't remember what his main position was, but he was their punt returner. We were beating them soundly, and he was out there to return a punt. The students started chanting his last name with clapping after. So, he starts participating. Even does the five claps after his name and keeps waving them on.
Just looked like the dude was having a good time.
Everyone else had mentioned players who hurt, so I'm changing the rules.
I believe you are referencing a guy from the Roanoke area who was playing for Arkansas State.
Jamie Hickenbotham. He played at FUMA when we scrimmaged them in 1998. He cut us apart.
Ruffin McNeill
I still can't believe ECU fired him. I don't know all the details, but when your program is on the upswing, what were they thinking?
In typical ECU fashion, they grossly overestimated their own worth/relevance and tried to go after some big names that were on the market. Unfortunately for them, Greenville isn't a very desirable city in a very competition-rich state for D-1 athletes with 4 or arguably 5 programs with better national perception than ECU (everyone remembers App State beating Michigan).
But, talk to any pirate fan and after they tell you which out of NCSU, UNCheat, or Duke they cheer for, they'll tell you how ECU could be just as good of the ACC would let them in.
I'd rather stand in front of the Skipper than have that happen.
Anyone and everyone who has ever played for ECU.
Anyone involved in each armpunt jumpball that ECU threw up.
I see ECU as a scheduling problem. Scheduling them every year knowing they were underrated is on our AD. I don't like playing them every year, but I can't blame them for playing hard and trying to win.
Also, if VT loses to them, THAT'S on VT. If we choose to play them, we have to take care of business.
What's your problem with scheduling ECU? /s
Munchie Legaux
I've actually been curious about this for a long time, and this seems like the thread to bring it up: how did the fanbase feel about Sean Taylor? I was too young to understand football when he was playing for Miami, and I am a Washington Redskins fan, so he is actually one of my favorite all-time players. I do know he was a trash talker back when the VT-Miami rivalry was near its peak.
I'm in the same boat. I love Taylor because of his Redskins days but can't recall much of his Miami days.
I remember him vaguely as good but a pretty dirty player, and I also remember Ernest Wilford beating him over the top in the 31-7 game. Which was noice.
First, let me admit that unlike others, I was a VT fan who rooted for Miami when they weren't playing us because I wanted them to rep the Big East well. In fact, after they were robbed in the 2002 National Championship, I even rooted for them a little more. That being said, Sean Taylor was a hell of a player at Miami and I had a lot of respect for him because his style of play made it look like he belonged on a Bud Foster defense. He would have been like Kam crossed with Brandon Flowers.
I don't like the U, but they were definitely robbed in that 2002 National Championship, so I agree with you wholeheartedly on that one.
Maurice Clarett was involved with a robbery? Get out
Sheesh, was that really 15+ years ago??
I'm getting old.
Sean Taylor was nice, I remember that. But I always remember that those Miami teams were so damn stacked with elite talent across the board that a player like Taylor was almost kind of lost if that was possible. You always had the big play makers on offense hoarding the limelight and big interior lineman and backers getting the run. It was probably harder to crack the 2-deep for those early aught Miami squads than it is to get on the Cleveland Browns for the last 20 years.
I was about to post the same thing. He was good, but he was just another guy on their defense. I dont think he did a whole lot against us, I remember him making some plays against FSU that stood out.
Yeah, personally, I found Ken Dorsey to be the most annoying.
All I remember from Sean Taylor's Miami days was him pacing back and forth on the side line when he knew we had beaten them that last game. He had so much hype going into his last year at the U but until that game I thought he was overrated. It wasn't his play that change my mind, it was how much he cared about losing that game. From that moment on I wanted the Skins to draft him...one of my all-time fave Skins.........RIP ST21
Donovan McNabb. The dude owned us.
Not entirely (see '97)
Aaron Donald, the DT from Pitt had a day against us. That guy was unstoppable.
Matt Ryan, Larry Fitzgerald and the 2001 Miami Hurricanes. All are:
Christion Jones for Alabama. Sheesh.
Da'Shawn Hand
:(
Donovan McNabb
Javon Walker
and while he didn't kill us, Jeremy Shockey acting like a dick every snap made me desire injury for him.
I'll go ahead toss this name out here: Demetrius Shambley.
He is the JMU player that decided to push Kevin Jones into the wall of the West Stands.
Here is the video, but not the best angle.
https://youtu.be/pxNM_Vkjn78?t=11m
Oh man I remember that happening, I was at that game. Totally extra and unnecessary.
Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson. Those two players have crushed Hokie Teams despite anything we could do about them.
I know who hurt bud the most.
Guy must've slept with buds wife to deserve this
Poor hunter
Watching this makes me feel like the spectators watching William Wallace's execution. Just wanted to yell "mercy."
Wish that would've been Fuck Matt Ryan.
Thanks for link. I was at that game. Sadly I don't remember much of that game as I downed way too much Jack in a short amount of time. 11AM kicks should be banned outright.
LOL. In the great words of Mike Patrick... "This is just fantastic!"
LOL. In the great words of Mike Patrick... "This is just fantastic!"