25 Years Of Great Moments In Hokie Sports

Have you ever tried to make list that had too many good choices? This was the dilemma I faced upon naming the top ten Hokie victories over the past 25 years.

...So I chose eleven, but that still didn’t quell an obsessive need to modify my selections.

After much deliberation, I bring you a list that is derived from the quality of victory, the shear impact it had on the national consciousness, and the local frenzy it spurred here in Blacksburg. A variety of factors went into my humble opinion, and without further adieu, here it is.

11

(11/1/03)
After heartbreaking losses to the Canes in each of the previous three seasons, Virginia Tech finally figured out their Big East rival, shutting down Miami with superb defense and special teams on their way to a 31-7 win. The fact that is was Miami’s first regular season loss in 39 games made revenge all the sweeter.

10

(10/8/04)
The Hokie men’s soccer team showed the ACC that they were a rising force to be reckoned with after a 1-0 victory over no.1 Duke in Durham. Virginia Tech was forced to withstand a ceaseless barrage from the Blue Devils, getting out-shot 24-6.

Reminiscent to the siege on Fort McHenry, their defense refused to fall, as shots fired from the top team in the nation continued to pelt their goalie box. Like the battle that inspired our national anthem, Tech protected their fortress and upheld the one goal lead provided by Bailey Allman.

9

(2/24/2007)
For number eight, we’ll travel back only eight months, when the women’s track and field team conquered the ACC by throttling Miami in the conference championship by a score of 136-99.

This team was truly dominant, entering the final day with an 18 point lead before more than doubling it with the help of individual championships courtesy of Patrice Potts and Brittany Prior. The victory proved that Virginia Tech could hang tough in the extremely competitive Atlantic Coast Conference women’s athletics.

8

(1/10/83)
The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team kicked off 1983 with a bang, knocking down number one ranked Memphis State in Cassell Coliseum, 69-56.

Memphis State, now known as the University of Memphis, had tremendous talents throughout the eighties, but few as intimidating as the bruising Keith Lee and William Bedford in the post. Despite having three freshman and two sophomores on the floor, Tech was able to put the clamps down on Memphis State’s big men and pull out the thirteen-point upset.

7

(March-June/05)
At number six, we have Virginia Tech’s- believe it or not- only national champion. Spyridon Jullien (Jr.) won the national title in the 35-pound weight throw with a toss of 23.18 meters (nearly 77 feet) at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in March…but he wasn’t finished just yet.

Jullien continued his tear to the top of the Division I performance list by winning yet another national title, this time in the hammer throw. He launched a hammer 70.43 meters, or just over 231 feet, en route to VT’s only season-ending number one spot.

6

(12/4/04)
To say the Hokie football program made a smooth transition from the Big East to the ACC would be an understatement, as Virginia Tech wasted no time in dominating these greener pastures. In a defensive battle, Tech grinded out an ACC championship victory by a score of 16-10. It was a 39-yard touchdown pass from Bryon Randall to Eddie Royal that gave the Hokies a 6 point fourth quarter lead, but the running of Cedric Humes (27 car, 110 yds) and tenacious defense (43 yards allowed in the fourth quarter) kept it.

5

(10/7/89)
In their first two years under Frank Beamer, the Hokies went 5-17. Less than a year prior, West Virginia had fought for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl.

Things would transpire much differently on this day for unranked Virginia Tech, as the Hokie defense stifled star quarterback Major Harris en route to a 12-10 victory, handing the no. 9 ranked Mountaineers their first regular season loss since ’87. This is widely considered the turning point in Beamer’s tenure and arguably the greatest upset in Hokie history.

4

(1/13/07)
Virginia Tech had scored a statement victory just a week earlier against Duke, but the Hokies redefined their season on January 13th in Cassell, proving that the previous Sunday was no fluke. The Hokies men’s basketball team held off a frantic comeback, toppling the #1 ranked Tar Heels, 94-88.

The fan frenzy that occurred in the Coliseum would ensue for the remainder of the season, as Tech basketball leapt into national consciousness. (The 81-80 OT win at North Carolina that completed the sweep a month later is also incredibly qualified.)

3

(12/31/95)
Virginia Tech football went a long way toward solidifying their place in the national spotlight in the ’95 season, attaining their most prestigious postseason victory ever in a 28-10 Sugar Bowl win over the Texas Longhorns. After a mediocre first half, big Jim Druckenmiller got the Virginia Tech offense going in the second, connecting with MVP Bryan Still for a 54-yard touchdown to break the game open.

However, it was the defense that really made the difference here, forcing Texas’ James Brown into three interceptions in the second half alone. The Hokies didn’t merely put their football program on the map; they entered the landscape of the nation’s elite.

2

(11/6/99)
The Hokies were on a roll, clobbering good and weak opponents alike, winning every game by at least thirteen points. Less than a month removed from a 62-0 annihilation of a good Syracuse team, and only three victories away from receiving a probable berth into the national championship game, the Hokies ran into a roadblock in Morgantown.

With visions of Sugar Bowl hanging in their hopes, Virginia Tech was down 20-19 to West Virginia with 1:11 remaining. Then Michael Vick lead a drive for the ages, which included a 26-yard Vick run that positioned Shayne Graham for a 44-yard game winning field goal. Without this clutch finale, Virginia Tech would’ve never advanced to the national championship.

1

(9/1/07)
The greatest sports highlight in the history of Virginia Tech will be the first football game of the next season. The criteria for greatness won’t lie in the score, but in the ability of the Hokie community to come together and commence the school year as close as ever. It will be a victory over evil, a victory over division, and another large step in the healing process. The triumph lies in the community coming together to celebrate life and honor the lives of those it lost.

Emotions will soar during Blacksburg’s trademark event- game day for Virginia Tech football. The baseball game on April 20th magnified just how much love Hokies have for each other and our sports teams. I would never guarantee the final score of a sporting event, but I know this outcome is inevitable because of the ties that bind Virginia Tech.

Honorable Mention:

(5/2/99) Women’s Lacrosse Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship over Temple, 8-7
(3/21/04) Women’s Basketball over Iowa in NCAA Tournament, 89-76
(3/15/99) Women’s Basketball over Auburn in 2nd Round of NCAA Tournament, 76-61
(1/6/07) Men’s Basketball over Duke in front of the Cameron crazies, 69-67 (OT)
(2/10/07) Men’s Basketball over Virginia, 84-57
(2/13/07) Men’s Basketball over North Carolina, 81-80 (OT) (Though tied to number three)
(3/16/07) Men’s Basketball over Southern Illinois in NCAA Tournament, 54-52 (Though the game was sloppy, it was the first time I’d watched Hokie sports game in a Blacksburg bar, and that was an incredible experience.)
(11/19/05) Football over UVA, 52-14 (Rebounded from the Miami loss rather nicely I’d say.)
(4/22/07) Men’s Golf Ties Georgia Tech for ACC Golf Title at nine-under-par
(4/20/07) Men’s Baseball Game (Though it’s tied in with the number one selection)

...Being but a freshman, I felt the necessity to keep it relatively current. Though, if any of you older alumni out there recall some great memories from the pre-eighties, post it.

...And, of course, if you have any qualms, tell me how I got it wrong.