Labor Day Kickoff Rumors

By: Joe Lanza

PUBLISHER

on January 13, 2012, 10:28 AM | 16 comments

The rumor a couple of weeks ago was that the ACC was going to schedule VT-GT on Labor Day. Now we're hearing it could be VT-FSU.

Both games would be in Blacksburg (obviously). There's a slim chance GameDay would show up. Other games that weekend are: Boise State at Michigan State (Aug. 31 Friday), Alabama vs. Michigan (Jerry World), Auburn vs. Clemson (Chick-fil-A Kickoff) and NC State vs. Tennessee (Chick-fil-A Kickoff).

If we play on Labor Day Monday (9/3) it's likely the Austin Peay game will be the following Saturday, another five day turnaround (Boise->JMU anyone?).

Again, nothing has been confirmed, but we've heard enough chatter about it to mention it.

Forums:

Football Forum

DISCLAIMER: Forum topics may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.

Comments

Blue Collar Hokie | 14 years 6 months #

If thats the case I hope Weaver and Frank learned their lesson last time and go ahead and take the bye week before playing Austin Peay.

BeerControlOffense | 14 years 6 months # ^

they can't

waste a bye in week 2.

weaver will do it, if at home, they lost a day getting home at 4am. also austin peay is really bad d1aa.

gotta think the team will new ready after jmu.

Joe Lanza

PUBLISHER



| 14 years 6 months # ^

At the time Austin Peay was announced it was a head scratcher.

They're downright awful. The Governors have gone 3-13 in Ohio Valley Conference play the past two seasons and over that same time have been shellacked 72-10 by Cincy and 70-3 by Wisconsin. If Weaver knew the ACC was looking to match us up in a marquee conference game on Labor Day weekend it makes a little more sense as to why we scheduled them over a more respected I-AA team from Virginia.

RiVAHokie | 14 years 6 months # ^

Hell

I say if we play 5 days later to let the second string guys get some reps and still be up by at least 20. This team is bad bad bad.

PMS208 | 14 years 6 months #

No concern

If they are back to back home games won't lose the travel time.

Helo_Hokie | 14 years 5 months # ^

Yup

Great point

weavez22 | 14 years 5 months #

Just to be clear, next year is when FSU is "back" right?

Joe Lanza

PUBLISHER



| 14 years 5 months #

GT doesn't prefer to play VT on Labor Day

"We're moderately interested in it, not crazy about it, but it's got some interest to us," associate athletic director Wayne Hogan said Tuesday. "It's just a question of what makes sense."

However, Tech's preference would be to not play Virginia Tech or any other Coastal Division team in that opening-week spot. Tech's philosophy in recent years has been to play an FCS team in its opener as opposed to a more meaningful league game. For a Labor Day game to happen, the school would have to agree to it. Tech is scheduled to play Middle Tennessee State Sept. 8 and likely would want to move that game to avoid playing on a short week.

http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-tech-sports/2012/01/18/tech-in-talks-with-a...

PMS208 | 14 years 5 months # ^

Looks like

They don't prefer to play anyone respectable opening week.

Helo_Hokie | 14 years 5 months # ^

all offseason to prep

That and we'd have all off-season to prepare for that stupid offensive scheme

Joe Lanza

PUBLISHER



| 14 years 5 months #

Pros / Cons

Pros:

1. Like Helo_Hokie said we'd have the entire off-season to prepare for GT.
2. When the game is scheduled at the end of the season, our remaining ACC schedule is tougher than their's. So in the case where we are undefeated in ACC play going into the game, they have one loss, they win, then there's not much chance of them being upset. From the last three years:

		VT	GT
11/10/11	UNC	Duke
11/10/11	UVA	XXXXX
11/4/10		UNC	Miami
11/4/10		Miami	Duke
11/4/10		UVA	XXXXX
10/17/09	UNC	UVA
10/17/09	UMD	Wake
10/17/09	NCST	Duke
10/17/09	UVA	XXXXX

There'd be more of a chance for them to slip up.

Cons:

1. If we play in a big game to open the season, we almost always lose it.
2. The game won't mean as much. This game has decided the Coastal representative in the ACCCG every year. There's a lot of buildup to it throughout the season which would be lost if it was played Labor Day.
3. Playing the next Saturday on five days rest. (The opponent will most likely be Austin Peay. In the unlikely event that a starter, or bunch of starters suffer an injury, it's less time to get the backups ready. Yes this is nit picky.)
4. Our offense is notorious for starting out slow at the beginning of the season. We should be relying on the pass more, passing offenses take even more time to gel.

duffmanhokie1568 | 14 years 5 months #

ACC Game to open the season again?

I don't know about everyone else, but if it is not Georgia Tech I would prefer not to play an ACC game on Labor Day weekend or night. Call me stupid but I hated it 2005 when we opened up with NC State. Sure if you lose an OOC game you're more than likely out of the National Championship hunt, but lose an ACC game in Week ONE? I know we lost the ACC opener this past season but that cannot be done again. You automatically begin playing with fire. Like everyone else in the world, if we had the whole summer to prep for the quarky GT offense I think Bud eats them alive.

I know we have Cincinnati supposedly in October at FedEx but what about making that the Allstate Kickoff in the Capital Game (Asking for thoughts and if anyone has heard if its even going to be played this year)? Though I think that game will be much better than most people anticipate either way, having the whole summer to prepare for them may be good as well. Get national exposure for our "biggest" (because of the neutral site and the fact they had a share of the Big East title last year) OOC game?

VT_Warthog | 14 years 5 months # ^

I agree, giving him that much time would be great. However you have to remember our tendencies in larger games. That worries me.

While on the topic, does anyone else think Paul Johnson success with the triple option is decreasing? I feel so bad for those linemen that won't have a future outside of GT Football because of their lack of decent blocking.

sparko | 14 years 5 months #

i dont feel bad

for them at all .. they should've known that going in .. and they'll get a degree from one of the finest schools on the east coast for free -- so they won't be getting my sympathy

h0k13 | 14 years 5 months #

I say we do it.

Big risk = big reward. It will not be like jmu. jmu ≠ Austin Peay (I STILL haven't figured out how to pronounce it...). Something in me is telling me to throw caution to the wind and go in headstrong. If we do it, and it pays off, it'll be indescribable at the end of the season. Let's just hope we prepare well in the off season no matter who we end up opening with.

Hokie Wartooth | 14 years 5 months #

Seems confirmed via Twitter

Stoked about GT-VT opener, but just one time we need to play UVA early to save them the embarassment of white flags after Labor Day.