Game preview: Is this still a rivalry?

November 26, 2010|By Norm Wood, | 247-4642

When asked this week how much the rivalry against in-state neighbor Virginia actually meant to them, nearly every Virginia Tech football player referred to it as just another game — an important game, but just a hurdle on the way to bigger objectives.

The sad reality is U.Va. coach Mike London understands exactly why Tech's players feel that way.

After winning six consecutive games against U.Va. (4-7 overall, 1-6 ACC), and 10 of the last 11 meetings, how else could Virginia Tech's players perceive the game?

In essence, it's the game that once was a true rivalry, but it has turned into a mere scheduling speed bump for Tech in recent years.

"It's a rivalry because it's the last game of the year, or because it's your in-state team, but there is no secret the last couple years since (2004) they've won every game," said London, whose team travels to Blacksburg on Saturday to resume the annual game against No. 13 Virginia Tech. "So, you can talk rivalry as far as in-state. We recruit the same type of kids, but they have won the last several games.

"In order to make it an interesting rivalry, we have to do a better job of competing on the field, and we haven't done that. In building this program, that's one of the goals is to be able to do that on a consistent basis is to compete against them recruiting-wise, and also to compete on the field, because right now, (the Hokies have) done all the things they need to do to be where they are."

It has been 12 years since Virginia Tech (9-2, 7-0) knew what it felt like to walk off the Lane Stadium field after a U.Va. game with something other than a room full of cheers and jubilation. Since then, the only time Virginia Tech stumbled against U.Va. was in '03, when the Cavaliers defeated the Hokies 35-21 in Charlottesville.

"It's a rivalry, yeah, but Coach (London) said it right," said Tech strong safety Davon Morgan, who never got a scholarship offer from U.Va. coming out of Varina High in Richmond. "It's not a rivalry when you don't win. At the same time … our focus is just to win."

As lopsided as the rivalry has been of late, it's not a unique trend in terms of how most of the traditional Thanksgiving weekend rivalries in college football have gone in recent years.

Entering this week, Oklahoma had won seven in a row against Oklahoma State. Ohio State had won six consecutive and eight of the last 10 games against Michigan. Georgia had beaten Georgia Tech in eight of the last nine meetings.

Florida had topped Florida State in six straight games. Southern California had defeated Notre Dame in eight straight games. Clemson had gotten past South Carolina in 10 of the last 13 meetings. Auburn had bested Alabama in six of the last eight games. Utah had defeated Brigham Young in five of the last seven meetings.

Those results are probably of little consolation to U.Va. On the other hand, Tech coach Frank Beamer indicates he doesn't think there's that much of a gap in the competitive nature of the game.

"I think it's plenty competitive," Beamer said. "I think there a lot of respect between the two schools. I know we certainly respect them, respect the coaching staff, respect how hard they're working on things and so forth."

The idea that the rivalry is still competitive is a tough sell for Beamer. Since Tech started its dominance in '99, the Hokies have outscored the Cavaliers 331-161. Other than the '03 loss, and a 17-14 win in '08, Tech has won every other game in the last 11 meetings by at least 12 points.

"They've had a lot of success against us the last five or six years, or even the last nine or 10 years, but it's one of those games where anything can happen," said U.Va. safeties coach and special teams coordinator Anthony Poindexter, who was an All-America safety for U.Va. and was standing on the sideline on crutches due to a season-ending knee injury the last time the Cavaliers won in Blacksburg in a dramatic 36-32 comeback. "It's more for pride, no matter what record each team has."

On Saturday, Tech will be more than a three-touchdown favorite, which is an unusually large gap even for a game that hasn't featured many close games in recent years.

Tech's players talked more this week about goals such as winning to extend their school-record and nation-leading streak to seven consecutive seasons with 10-plus wins, and becoming the first team to finish undefeated in the ACC since Florida State did it in 2000.

Beating U.Va. again was almost deemed a secondary reward. U.Va. quarterback Marc Verica wants to change that sentiment in his last college game.

"We don't really pay attention to what the lines are and how heavily a team is favored and stuff like that," Verica said.

"It doesn't really matter how many games they've beaten us in the past, or what their record is versus what our record is. We're preparing and competing to win. We'll let other people worry about all that other stuff, but all we can do is focus on our preparation and our jobs."

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