Vegas Favors the Hokies against B.C.

I like Virginia Tech’s chances against undefeated and No. 2 ranked Boston College Thursday night, but I am honestly surprised, given the Hokies struggles on offense, that they opened as a 3-point favorite. There can be only one explanation for the line … Lane Stadium.

If this game were at Boston College, the Eagles would most certainly be favored. The only reason, in my mind, that the Hokies aren’t the dog in this game is because of the fans that will pack Lane Stadium Thursday night and make it damn near impossible for the Eagles to hear anything.

And it is no secret that the Hokies, particularly their defense, feed off of the crowd’s energy. I have seen many games at Lane over the last 15 years, but I can’t recall a game in which the Hokies defense responded more to the Hokie faithful than the 1999 demolishing of Syracuse. The Orangemen (at the time) were talking trash during the week before the game about how they were going to be the team that made redshirt freshman Michael Vick look like the freshman he truly was. Uh huh.

Tech proceeded to place its hand on the forhead of the Orangemen and kept them a safe distance away whilst they swung furiously, yet fruitlessly at the Hokies. Tech merely hopped and skipped its way to a 62-0 beatdown in the “Terror Dome.” I remember the crecendo of the crowd’s excitement building with each big sack, each interception, each bone crusching hit. And watching the defense build on the crowd noise to make even bigger plays. It was one of the most amazing home games I have ever seen in terms of a team feeding off of the crowd’s energy.

I hope that the Tech defense - and the fans - come to play Thursday night. The offense is in flux, especially with the quarterback situation being what it is, so I have a feeling that the defense will determine the outcome of this game. If they show up and play like they’ve been playing since the LSU game, then BC is likely in for a long night. But if they struggle, I am not so optimistic about our odds.

I do take solice in the knowledge that Tech is 13-2 (if memory serves correctly) on Thursday night ESPN football games. Of course, in the same breath, both of the those losses came against Boston College; once in 1995 at home and again last season at BC.


Posted by:
vthokiefans
vthokiefans
October 22nd, 2007
2007, Game Previews, The Season

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One Response to “Vegas Favors the Hokies against B.C.”



  1. Comment #27 | October 23rd, 2007 at 8:45 pm
    Matthew Says:

    I agree with you about the Syracuse game, Gary, but I think there was a different game that was more acute in terms of the crowd’s impact on the Hokie defense… that was the game on Saturday, November 1, 2003 when Virginia Tech pounded the #2-rated Miami Hurricanes 31-7…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h1EW5z1wdc

    DeAngelo Hall (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIJyOUmIjh4&mode=related&search=) and Eric Green (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCaoUKyGHm0&mode=related&search=) were all over the place…

    I will never forget that day because I was on business in Seoul, South Korea and I watched the game at 10 AM on the Armed Forces Network in the State Department (where I worked) embassy in Seoul… I had the time of my life watching that game with the Foreign Service Officers.

    Matthew

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