Hokie ClubSaturday's football game between Virginia Tech and Virginia will mark the 100th in the rivalry between the two largest universities in the Commonwealth.
At one time, the series was close, with the Hokies holding a slight 43-37-5 advantage, but the current 14-game winning streak by Tech has given the Hokies a 57-37-5 lead in a series that dates back more than a century – 1895, to be exact.
Interestingly, things started out horrendously for the Hokies in this battle with the Cavaliers. For some unknown reason, VPI, as the university was known then, played the first four games in the series in Charlottesville and failed to score a point in the first three of those games. In fact, the Gobblers, as they were called then, lost their first eight games against the Cavaliers – and were shut out seven times.
VPI finally broke through for a win in 1905 when head coach C.P. Miles, in his first year, guided the Gobblers to an 11-0 win in Charlottesville. Since then, the Gobblers/Hokies have enjoyed a fair amount of success against their in-state brethren.
There have been close games and blowouts, big plays and weird ones. All of those combine to make the rivalry one of college football's better ones.
Now, it's time to take a trip down memory lane. Here is a look at five memories of the rivalry:
VPI 11, Virginia 0 (Nov. 4, 1905) – The win marked the first in the series for VPI after eight straight losses and gave future College Football Hall of Fame inductee Hunter Carpenter his much-coveted victory over the Cavaliers. Carpenter, a halfback for C.P. Miles, graduated from VPI in 1903 after five seasons of football and without a win over UVA. He went to North Carolina for graduate school, where he played and lost to the Cavaliers again in 1904 (suffice it to say, the eligibility rules were a bit looser in those days).
Carpenter returned to VPI in 1905 for another shot at the Cavaliers, but before the game, the UVA student newspaper ran a story, accusing Carpenter of being a "professional" player. Carpenter threatened a lawsuit, and the game almost wasn't played. The two sides begrudgingly worked things out in time to play, and Carpenter scored a touchdown in VPI's 11-0 win.
Carpenter, though, later lost his temper and was tossed out for throwing a ball into the face of a UVA player after what he deemed too rough of a tackle. He left town after the game and never returned to the Commonwealth. In light of the bad blood, the two schools didn't play again for 18 years.
Virginia Tech 48, Virginia 0 (Nov. 19, 1983) – This one was a total Hokie domination, as head coach Bill Dooley's crew played great from start to finish to hand UVA its worst loss in the series – and it still remains as such today. Maurice Williams rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns and Eddie Hunter rushed for 83 yards and a score, as the Hokies piled up 372 yards rushing. Bruce Smith, Ashley Lee and Mike Johnson took care of things on defense in registering one of Tech's 14 shutouts in the series.
Virginia Tech 38, Virginia 10 (Nov. 24, 1990) – Virginia had been ranked No. 1 earlier in the season, but the Cavaliers entered this game on a bit of a swoon, and the Hokies took advantage. Fired up at playing then-No. 17 Virginia on national television (ESPN), Tech's players painted their white cleats black by using spray paint before the game and then jumped out to a 24-0 lead en route to a 38-10 victory, snapping a three-game losing streak to the Cavaliers. Will Furrer threw three touchdown passes, and Vaughn Hebron rushed for 142 yards in the victory.
Virginia Tech 26, Virginia 9 (Nov. 29, 1996) – At 9-1, the Hokies were looking to secure an Orange Bowl berth and needed a win over UVA to do it. On UVA's first play, future NFL great Tiki Barber burst free and down the sideline, but Tech defensive back Torrian Gray ran him down after an 80-yard gain. The Hokies' defense held the Cavaliers to a field goal and ultimately kept them out of the end zone for the entire game. Tech's offense eventually heated up behind two Jim Druckenmiller touchdown passes, and the Hokies rolled to a victory.
Virginia Tech 23, Virginia 20 (Nov. 28, 2015) – This game served as Frank Beamer's last regular-season game as the Virginia Tech head coach. The Hokies trailed 13-6 heading into the fourth quarter, but scored 17 points, taking a 23-20 lead on Joey Slye's 41-yard field goal with 1:38 to go. On the ensuing possession, Tech's Chuck Clark intercepted Matt Johns' pass, preserving the Hokies' win and handing Beamer one last win over UVA.
There are so many other memories. In the 1950s through the early 1960s, VPI won 12 of 14 against UVA during one stretch. Tech won four of six during a stretch in the 1970s, and Dooley won six of nine meetings during his time as the head coach from 1978-86.
Virginia, of course, has its share of memories, too, from the series. In the end, that's what makes this a fun and thrilling rivalry.
With that said, here's hoping for another century of great memories between these two schools.