I watched Virginia Tech silence the 'Shoe. I soaked in Frank Beamer's accomplished glow as he addressed the media following Tech's 35-21 upset. I saw a focused Virginia Tech squad not even blink in LeBron James' direction during its warmups. I got chills when I heard Hokie Nation's "Let's Go Hokies!" chant takeover Ohio Stadium. I got sad when I couldn't lend my voice to the effort. It was tremendously difficult to observe press box etiquette and not scream during every momentum swing in a back-and-forth game.
Once it was over I should have stayed late in the rafters of the stadium and worked. I should've written about the emergence of Bucky Hodges as a red zone weapon. Tech hasn't had one of those in ages. I should've penned some words on Scot Loeffer's brilliant game plan to isolate his playmakers in space. Ryan Malleck seemed to find a soft spot in the defense on every play (6 catches, 64 yards). I should've shared my jumble of thoughts on the defense's epic performance. Bud Foster didn't just push the pedal to the metal last night. His defense was on fire, and he road them at warp speed right through the teeth of Ohio State's offense en route to Sack City. Tech finished with 7 sacks, and held the Buckeyes to 21 points and 327 yards despite defending a short field on many drives. I was downright giddy when Foster sent Kendall Fuller on a corner blitz with less than 3 minutes to go as Tech tried to contain Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett and hold its 28-21 lead. Foster played Clark, Fuller, Facyson, and Riley on an island all night long in order to stuff the box with eight men. It was a sound defensive effort which hinged on every man completing his assignment knowing help wasn't around the corner. Bud Foster doesn't need a Michael Bay budget to create chaos, just 11 men and a lunchpail.
I didn't write about any of that last night though. Instead, I wanted to get out of Ohio Stadium as quickly as possible, and transform from impartial observer of the media to fan again. I wanted to slap hands with everyone in maroon and orange. I wanted to drink a victory beer. I wanted to make loud noises and celebrate a program changing win for a football team that's tasted more sour than sweet as of late. I wanted to scroll through Twitter and look at every picture of Downtown Blacksburg under siege from a fan base that desperately needed this shot of adrenalin.
Look at how spectacular this is and know how much your support meant to a team that traveled 300 miles and grinded for 60 minutes in the 'Shoe.
Honestly I can say hokie nation has the best fans! pic.twitter.com/LitNYtP06L— Kenjamin Ekanem (@Ekannibal) September 7, 2014
Every Buckeye I talked with yesterday emphasized that Hokie Nation traveled with more fans than they could remember.
@thekeyplay how about the road hokies pic.twitter.com/ap0vLa5Dtp— Stoney Klughardt (@HokieStoney) September 7, 2014
It was impressive, and made me proud to be a Hokie.
Frank Beamer put the win in perspective during his post-game presser.
"If we don't take anything off of it and build off of it, it doesn't mean anything," Beamer said. "It's not a conference game. It's a big game. It's a national game. But we need to take this and keep on building. And I think with as many young guys as we've got, we can keep on taking steps. So we'll see. That's the goal right now."
He's right. Even though the victory is sure to earn Tech national respect, it doesn't secure travel to Charlotte in December. This team is still depending on a lot of young players across the board on offense. The defensive depth is still shallow at all non-#DBU positions. It's only September.
However, this team does give off a special vibe. There isn't a stat in the box score to measure Michael Brewer's poise and elusiveness in the pocket. The best we can do is talk about his exceptional performance under pressure last night for a long while. I don't know how to rate an it factor, but it's enough said when Frank Beamer says with a big smile, "I really like that guy." And after last night, I concur this team has "balls of steel".
Tech fought until the end, didn't buckle when a juiced Ohio State scored a pair of early second half touchdowns to tie the game at 21, and win or lose that's all anyone can ask for.
Comments
Relevant or not, a Star Wars gif will always get an upvote from me
Allow me to have your reach your 10-leg milestone... This should win the interwebs. somebody should slap a VT magnet on the side of that bad boy to make the universe implode. Just sayin'...
Of all the gifs and videos to describe what this win felt like last night, nothing captures it better than this one.
Joe, you're a better man than I. Even watching the replay today I was cheering and yelling at the screen.
Does anyone know which Hokie was leading the team huddle in the video? Go Hokies!
My guess would be Jarrett
Today here is like going to the ice cream store, just goods things everywhere you turn. Thanks,TKP!
I'm taking this as an endorsement of #TeamIceCream
You better believe it!
Team ice cream exists to support Team Pie. Ala mode anyone? #TeamPieRules
ICE CREAM AND CAKE DO THE ICE CREAM AND CAKE
I brought home made apple pie and homestead creamery vanilla to the viewing party I went to last night.
I believe that was instrumental in our win.
TechHokie13 and I took pie from an OSU tailgate and consumed it triumphantly. I expect this had to do with our victory.
I couldn't say, but I bet it was instrumental in your being welcome at the party.
Wife made homemade peach pie Saturday. Best. Pie. Ever!! I had celebratory pie after the game. With vanilla ice cream support.
Basically, everything is better with Ice Cream
#TeamIceCream for the win!
Um, I believe you meant Pie Store...
I was in 8c last night. I can't talk today.
8c represent! What row?
I was in 5C and then moved to 8C and it was wild!!! no voice here either
I was watching from home.
It still hurts to talk.
I was watching from Short Pump. That bar will never be the same!
Pour House? Bar Louie? B Dubs?
there is no way I would've been able to keep my cool watching the game. I would've had to just left and go sit with the other vt fans and go crazy
Thanks, Joe. This is great. Very excited to see how this team progress during the season and hopeful there's a trip to Charlotte in early Dec.
In 1986, I went to my first Hokie game at the age of 4. Soon after, I ran through a sliding glass door. I don't think it was coincidence. I'm avoiding glass doors today because I am still so pumped and don't need a head full of stitches again.
When Riley returned the pick for a touchdown, I did a jumping somersault onto my wife and I's bed and snapped the box spring in half. The press box is not for me.
David Wilson approves of your celebratory style.
I suspect your wife may not.
But.
.
.
.
Priorities.
I am prett sure Deon Newsome did a backflip on the field after the final whistle. I caught a glimpse of it as I was jumping in the sea of red that surrounded my seat.
I'm pretty sure you can tell non-Hokies a different story of how you snapped the box spring in half.
I yelled "GET ON THE GROUND" and then I felt ashamed. But it didn't last long.
I didn't quite yell it, but I definitely thought it. And then he scored, and the touchdown was all that mattered.
Video or it didn't happen
BEST GAME I'VE EVER ATTENDED. I DON'T HAVE A VOICE. IT WAS JUST THE GREATEST.
one pretty great moment from last night: I was stuck in traffic on High Street. A rickshaw went by, packed with people. One guy had two women on his lap. They pulled up next to us at a light. After a second or two of awkward eye contact, he goes "this is amazing. Go Hokies." Then we high-fived.
I see that you are experiencing the minor wrath of the anti-rickshaw crowd.
The data suggest it encompasses 1/8th of the population
haven't seen it mentioned, but it seems there was a "Let's go HOKIES" tweet from Tim Settle during last nights game
Fake twitter account.
No, Tim Settle's is legit. All the Josh Sweat accounts are fakes.
I stand corrected sir.
My wife and I sat in 28C last night, when we went up 21-7 tOSU played Enter Sandman over the loud speakers. HOKIES in attendance obliged by jumping, it was beautiful!
AnOSU really played enter sandman? Why would they get us hyped?
After they come to Lane next year no Buckeye will ever want to hear that song again
Yes, they piped in a ton of music!
I was in 22A and heard it. I beleive it was just part of their normal playlist. Just shows how little prep they thought they needed to do for this game. I explained its significance to the buckeyes around me and watched them just shake their heads
I CAN NOT fathom this Enter Sandman story!!!!
This is the equivalent of the German's handing over the Enigma machine.
Its not the first time something like this happened.
The night game at Wake back in 2006, Wake used Enter Sandman as their entrance song. Seeing as how likely more than half the stadium was orange and maroon that night, it set the tone for the beatdown we eventually gave them.
Hahaha, I was there. We were all jumping to Enter Sandman and when Wake ran out we booed the hell out of them. That was a fun night.
Also a college softball world series game at Tennessee, sparked a major rally.
We have taken Enter Sandman for our own!
I was watching on my phone from a friend's wedding reception. Got a few looks while trying to contain my emotions.
I photographed a wedding last night for a Hokie family. We had the TV out at the reception tent watching.
That's no friend.
The wedding was in Charlottesville, too.
He's lucky I showed up at all.
I'll say again, "DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK, DON'T CALL IT AN UPSET." That's how Hokie football is supposed to be. I've been telling people all day, I will not apologize for my proudness, Go Hokies!!
It sounds like downtown Blacksburg was chanting "THE-KEY-PLAY...THE-KEY-PLAY" in that first video
Thanks. I was wondering.
Feels good.
Watched with the NE Florida alumni last night.
Brewer answering his fumble-turned-tying-score with a TD drive was HUGE. That says a lot about him and this team. I was so friggin excited after taking the lead yet again.
where did you watch? blackfinn at the town center??? there are just some games i have to watch at home. my actions in public may or may not be acceptable around non hokie crowds. florida people just dont understand because all they do is chop there arms back and forth or up and down... its just sad
Just so impressed with how much growth we've seen from the team this year. Still have to stay focused, there are plenty of teams what will challenge us in very different ways the rest of the season, but this team has a chance to be special and makes next year look even more plausible as the year for an even bigger year.
Pretty accurate representation of how I felt last night
I have to say, most of the OSU people were pretty gracious. I just walk out of the Ohio stadium saying this is the way I shoulld feel after every game, especially the big national ones. It felt GREAT. I've got a feeling this could be a special year and team. LET's GO HOKIES!!!!!
So let's get back to what's important here. In 2010, we made a commercial that made yours truly a folk hero in Blacksburg. A few years later, my buddy Baxter was featured on an underwater treadmill, vaulting him into legendary status. And last night, there was a commercial where it looked like we launched a stuffed Hokie into the upper atmosphere with a GoPro, ushering in a new character to the cast of animals (real and/or stuffed) to bring VT's mission to light to the general public. I love our marketing department. Or whoever makes the halftime spots.
2014 Halftime spot - Virginia Tech from virginiatech on Vimeo.
Which brings to mind a question; as I watch the pressurized helmet wearing Astro-Hokiebird being elevated through the troposphere:
Can the Hokiebird fly?
(Please feel free to offer any Fuller gifs as proof.)
I'm glad the spots have always highlighted the pride VT takes in academics and research unlike a certain Florida school (cough Miami cough). Invent the future!
At Virginia Tech, we know how to use a GoPro. Can your university say that?
Also was it just me or did it look like they were trying to drown that turtle at the 0:17 mark? I think it was a shot at UMD.
As the younger sibling to 3-1/2 Maryland terrapins, I approve this message.
Also hats off to the OSU marching band. They formed a VT on the field and played Tech Triumph after the game. Their class made up for the occasional jerks we ran into outside the stadium.
a tad early, but this season have a 2004 feel to if the success continues.
Great comparison
I've heard many stories about how great Nebraskas fans are, and it's nice to hear the majority of OSU's fans were as well. Having lived in the Midwest for the past 18 years it doesn't surprise me. They remind me of Virginians w/o the southern accent. We got respect from a few of their players as well:
They made the plays when they needed to, Ohio State safety Vonn Bell said of the Hokies.
Buckeyes defensive lineman Adolphus Washington said it was a tidal wave that came out of Blacksburg, Va. Virginia Tech had a roll going from the beginning and it was hard for us to stop them, he said. They had a lot of things going.
A tidal wave...I like that!
I went to visit my parents' house for the weekend. They went to bed in the third quarter, and I woke them up with my pick-6 cheering. I made them watch the second half on the rebroadcast this afternoon.
You're a good son. Plenty of time for sleep some other day.
True, except I'm a good daughter :)
I can't seem to get rid of this Hokie Boner. It is going to be super awkward at work tomorrow, but I couldn't be happier about it.
^this^! LOL
Enjoy the pup tent for a few more hours. Then we need to focus on ECU!
Good thing my wife went to 4 years post graduate school eh?
Good thing for her. I mean, I hope she has good bedside manner.
Side?
Outside of Settle, have we got any news on other recruits? (If I've missed this on another thread my B)
Best win since beating FSU in the ACC title game. Simply awesome
And best win until we beat #1 FSU in the ACC title game this year!
A beatdown of a storied program for a conference championship is awesome, but I think this one was even bigger in terms of national exposure. I'd rank this one just a half-notch below the '95 Sugar Bowl. That game really put VT on the map, and I'm hoping that this one can be a similar springboard going forward. Beamer just got a contract extension, we just beat a very good team/program on the road in a prime-time matchup, there's plenty of young talent on the team, and now we just have to wait and see where things go from here. Will we keep improving and become serious national contenders, or will our youth lead to a stumble or two and knock us back into mediocrity? Gonna be a heck of a fun season to find out.
Excellent perspective, Joe! Even though I am on the complete opposite side of this quote (pure fan at home watching with 25 other Hokies vs. 1st year in Press Box at OSU), this is just too accurate of all Hokies:
Living 5 hours away, I was willing (not able by the way) to jump in the car and drive to Blacksburg, just to be there. Instead, I 'liked' every Hokie status on facebook, and retweeted every Hokie tweet, and celebrated with 25 of Central PA's finest.
Joe: Condolences on finding the double-edged sword of homer journalism. It's great to have you in the press box, but I feel for you when you can't explode like I know you want to. Thanks for going where no TKP'er has gone before.
Are you saying Andy Bitter isn't a TKPer?
No, not at all, but Joe IS TKP.