The rivalry between Virginia Tech and Miami is about to take a turn that most of the two schools’ fans do not want to see. Well, at least the Virginia Tech fans. Does Miami even have fans? Because I haven’t seen them at Hard Rock stadium in recent years.
Anyway…Because of the new ACC 3-5-5 scheduling model, the annual Virginia Tech and Miami game is moving to part-time. They will only play twice every four years.
The two teams have played 39 times since 1953 but every year since joining the Big East in 1992. Although Miami holds a 24-15 edge, nine of those wins were in all of the pre-Big East games. Since they entered the Big East together in 1992, the two schools are dead even in the rivalry, 15-15.
What evolved into championship caliber matchups in the 1990’s and 2000’s has still managed to produce entertaining games with so many great players and performances. (I could probably write a separate article of all the future NFLers who were on the field during this series!) No, it has not quite been the same as Florida State vs Miami in its heyday, but the Virginia Tech and Miami rivalry has been “colorful” at times.
Remember when the Hokie Bird was throwing haymakers at Sebastian the Ibis?
Or what about Alan Tisdale’s pre-snap projectile vomit near the goal line?
Those two definitely are not top ten moments, but they are part of the lore of this series that has produced a lot of tension and drama – and those two cringeworthy links!
So Many Memorable Moments for Virginia Tech
In looking back at the great Tech wins, who can forget Keion Carpenter’s 100-yard pick-six? The Canes had fourth down inside the ten, going for the game-tying score with two minutes left in the game. Carpenter’s interception not only ended the drive but it also padded a score on to the win! The Hokies’ earned their first victory ever in the Orange Bowl, 21-7! I remember that moment vividly, as I jumped off the couch at my future in-laws’ house and screamed for the duration of Carpenter’s run!
And then there was the infamous Logan Thomas fourth-down game-winning touchdown in 2011. The Hokies had just given up fourteen straight points to the Canes, but Thomas and the offense came through and went on top, 38-35. Then, with five seconds to play, Miami called timeout, and “Enter Sandman” played over the PA system. I am jealous of anyone who was in Lane Stadium for that moment!
What about the overtime thriller in 1998? Shane Graham’s game-winning field goal attempt with twelve seconds remaining sailed wide right, sending the game to the relatively new “25-yard line battle.” On Tech’s first possession, a gimpy Al Clark threw a deep ball that Ricky Hall stole from the intercepting hands of Miami corner Nick Hall. On the Canes’ possession, Corey Moore and his game changing pass rush came up with consecutive sacks to put Miami at an insurmountable 3rd and 31, helping to secure the 27-20 win.
Yet So Many Forgettable Moments as Well
Like any good rivalry, both Virginia Tech and Miami shared in the wins. If one side dominated, then it wouldn’t be a rivalry, right UVa? For all of those electric moments in this series that make Hokie fans glow inside, there have been plenty of heartaches as well.
Dare I conjure up images of Ernest Wilford’s dropped two-point conversion against #1 Miami in 2001? Down eight with six minutes to go, Eric Green blocked a punt, and Brandon Manning took the scoop and score 22 yards to the house. On the conversion, Grant Noel’s pass was underthrown, but the defender slipped, giving Wilford an open path the ball. He dropped the pass and Miami went on to win the game (26-24) and the National Championship.
(Here is the dropped conversion. The play starts at 33:10…warning, this is not for the faint of Hokie heart!)
And who isn’t still hurting from the 2020 Miami comeback? Tech led for most of the game and had an eleven-point lead with six minutes to go in the third quarter. The Tech offense then proceeded to go into turtle mode* and Canes’ quarterback D’Eriq King led the comeback. Miami escaped Blacksburg with the 25-24 win, helping to send Tech to its first regular season losing record since 1992. That season also ended the famed bowl streak. Holding on to win this game would have changed both of those negatives from 2020.
(* “turtle mode” is the term my friends and I use when the Tech offense essentially plays like a scared turtle that just hides in its shell.)
Sadly, one of the greatest “Sandman” entrances was also one of our worst performances. The 2005 Saturday night contest between Virginia Tech and Miami, the #5 Canes visiting the #3 Hokies, still gives me goosebumps when I watch the opening. But Miami trounced the Tech 27-7 that night. The Canes held Marcus Vick and company to only 167 yards of total offense and they forced six turnovers. This was one of only two losses on the year for Tech; ironically, both were at the hands of the Florida schools.
Ranking My Three Favorites in the Series
There are so many more great games from the Virginia Tech and Miami series. Just look at this link to scroll through the history to find the games you remember. Or just read on as I highlight my favorites…and be sure to click the links along the way and relive the great history of this series!
#3) Virginia Tech Clinches ACC Title at Miami 2004
After years of battling each other for the Big East Conference championship, Virginia Tech and Miami took their rivalry to a new league, the ACC. After combining to win the Big East title in six of the league’s first eight years, the Hokies and Canes became Coastal division rivals in the ACC. However, in 2004, the league only had eleven teams and no divisions, so this December 4th showdown was a de facto conference championship game – only this time, it was for the ACC and not the Big East.
The 10th ranked Hokies scored late to break the tie and beat the 9th ranked Canes. Bryan Randall’s 39-yard strike to Eddie Royal put the Hokies up by six with 11:38 to play. The Canes added a little drama, blocking the extra point, opening the door for a game-winning touchdown.
That score never happened, as Jim Davis and the Hokie defense smothered the Miami offense on their final three possessions. After the go-ahead score, the Canes went five plays for a loss of eight yards and a punt, five plays for thirteen yards and a punt, and four plays for eight yards and a turnover on downs. On that final possession with the Canes gaining eight yards on first down, the Hokies then batted down three straight Brock Berlin passes – two by Jim Davis and one by Daryl Tapp – to end the game and win Tech’s first ACC crown in its inaugural year in the league.
#2) Virginia Tech Shocks #2 Miami in 2003
Lane Stadium was again rocking on this Saturday Night game in Blacksburg. Late in the first quarter, DeAngelo Hall’s strip-six was the first score of the game. And it opened up the flood gates for the Hokies! Virginia Tech scored the first 31 points en route to the 31-7 smack down in front of one of the most electric environments in Lane Stadium history.
This could easily have been my top memory, but the season tanked after this game. The Hokies lost five of their last six including the bowl game. Their lone win was a 24-23 overtime victory at Temple – because the Temple kicker missed the game-tying extra point! So Tech went in the wrong direction after this game, as opposed to my number one memory, which sent the team to new heights.
That said, this game was electric for Hokie fans. The entrance, the crowd, the beatdown, it was amazing. Tech had the lower ranking but scorched second ranked Miami. It was the biggest non-Vick win to date in the series.
And it led to “the call.” My favorite Bill Roth call of all-time. And my all-time favorite single memory of the Virginia Tech and Miami series…
“Give it to me, Roscoe! Give it to me!”
"GIVE IT TO ME, ROSCOE!" – @BillRoth_ #TBT 👉 @VT_Football pic.twitter.com/0ssZqyZj4z
— LEARFIELD Audio (@LEARFIELDAudio) November 2, 2017
Poor Roscoe Parrish. I always think back to Bill Roth’s iconic call whenever the Hokies cause a fumble!
#1) Virginia Tech Beats Miami for the First Time Ever in 1995
This should never have happened, right? The big, bad Miami Hurricanes were coming into Lane Stadium to play the 0-2 Virginia Tech Hokies, a team coming off two home losses, including a 16-0 shutout at the hands of the Bearcats of Cincinnati (that is the last time the Hokies were shut out).
Prior to this matchup, Virginia Tech had never beaten Miami. In twelve previous contests, the Canes emerged victorious in all of them, with the most recent scores being very lopsided wins. Jim Druckenmiller was still trying to prove himself, and this game was his moment of emergence.
This was the win that catapulted the Hokies to new heights. This was the springboard to success. In beating the Canes for the first time in program history, the Hokies were on the national radar. After their 0-2 start, they went on to win the rest of their games that season, ripping off ten straight victories and winning the Big East. Part of that run included their best bowl victory of all time, a 28-10 victory over storied Texas in the Sugar Bowl.
After two years of bowl games and winning seasons under Beamer, this first win over Miami elevated the program. It was a monumental turning point, from which the program didn’t look back for almost thirty years. And it gave birth to a rivalry between Virginia Tech and Miami.
Last Coastal Division Game
Soon the Coastal Division will visit the Turnover Chain in the land of retired ideas that might have been great on paper but were comical in reality. Thus, this Saturday will be the last Coastal Division matchup between Virginia Tech and Miami. Both teams enter on a three-game losing streak. Neither team is rank for the matchup, which hasn’t happened since…ever! Even still, you can expect a lot of noise from the crowd and a lot of emotion on the field. Hopefully this one is good enough to include on a rewrite of this list!
Go Hokies!
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