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   Welcome to TSLMail #345- Friday, August 29, 2008    
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   Tech Sports News


The Hokies and Pirates Have a History
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com

Virginia Tech and East Carolina will meet for the 14th time on Saturday in Charlotte, NC. The series began in 1956, though the teams did not play again until 1987. Tech is in the middle of a big series with the Pirates, but it's not the first time the two schools have played each other multiple years in a row.

The Hokies played ECU every year from 1987-1994, with mixed results. To get a clear picture of the history between Tech and ECU, we have to divide the series into two parts. First, the era when the Hokies were an independent program, and then the era when the Hokies were in the Big East/ACC.

Here is how the Hokies fared against ECU before they joined a major conference.

Virginia Tech vs. ECU
VT Independent Era
Year Location Result
1956

Bluefield, WV

37-2 W
1987

Blacksburg

32-23 L
1988

Blacksburg

27-16 W
1989

Greenville

14-10 L
1990

Greenville

24-23 W
1991

Blacksburg

24-17 L
1992

Greenville

30-27 L


The two teams played a game in 1956 in Bluefield, WV of all places. They didn't meet again until 1987, and they played every year from 1987-1994. Since that series was signed before the Hokies were in a conference, ECU and Tech were on a level playing field. VT wasn't going to get a 2-for-1 against a program like ECU at that point in time.

The results also showed that the teams were evenly matched. Throwing out the 1956 result, Tech went just 2-4 against the Pirates from 1987-1992. The Hokies were on probation from the Bill Dooley era, and they had not yet tapped into the recruiting potential that the Big East gave them.

In 1993, Frank Beamer had a complete team for the first time, in terms of scholarships, and the Big East had enabled Tech to recruit talented players like Cornell Brown. Since 1993, the series has been one-sided.

Virginia Tech vs. ECU
1993-Present
Year Location Result
1993

Blacksburg

31-12 W
1994

Greenville

27-20 W
1996

Blacksburg

35-14 W
1998

Blacksburg

38-3 W
2000

Greenville

45-28 W
2007

Blacksburg

17-7 W

Tech is 6-0 against the Pirates since the Hokies got a full complement of scholarship players and began reaping the recruiting benefits of being in a major conference.

Before that, the programs were pretty much on the exact same level. In 1991, East Carolina went 11-1, including a Peach Bowl win over NC State. Their only loss came to Illinois by seven points. You could say that they had a better program than the Hokies at that time. Then Tech got in the Big East, while ECU was stuck outside a major conference. As a result, ECU stayed the same, and Tech skyrocketed.

The last time the Pirates felt really good about their chances of beating Virginia Tech was in 2000. Like this year's matchup, Tech had lost a lot of great players from the previous year's team. Most of the defense was new, though the offense was stacked that year with Michael Vick, Andre Davis and Lee Suggs. Some TV analysts were picking the Pirates to win.

Instead, Tech jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead and cruised to the 45-28 victory. That's not likely to happen this year. The Hokies don't have Vick, Suggs or Davis. Of course, the Pirates don't have quarterback David Garrard either.

Virginia Tech has had their fair share of success in the state of North Carolina since joining the ACC. In fact, the Hokies have not lost a game in the Tar Heel state since before the Beamer Bowl Era began. Here is a look at Tech's most recent games in the state of North Carolina.

Tech in the State of North Carolina
1993-Present
Year Opponent Result
1994

East Carolina

27-20 W
2000

East Carolina

45-28 W
2004

Wake Forest

17-10 W
2004

UNC

27-24 W
2005

NC State

20-16 W
2005

Duke

45-0 W
2006

UNC

35-10 W
2006

Wake Forest

27-6 W
2007

Duke

43-14 W

The Hokies rarely played in North Carolina before joining the ACC. Since joining the conference, they have dominated when they've traveled to that state.

Virginia Tech's last loss in the state of North Carolina was back in 1992. The Hokies lost to East Carolina 30-27 in Greenville that year. Can the Pirates be the first team to beat Tech in North Carolina since they did it back in 1992? We'll find out tomorrow.

 

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   TechSideline.com Updates From the Past Week
TechSideline's 2009 Preseason Top 40
August 29, 2008
There aren't too many significant moves from the Pre-Summer Top 30 to the Preseason ranks, though there are some changes. The overlying story of this class continues to be it s exceptional depth, which is why I expanded the list to a Top 40 instead of a Top 30. That is the first change. The other is the fact that there is a new name atop the Top 40 list.
more

Keys to the Game, Matchups to Watch and Game Prediction: East Carolina
August 28, 2008
Football season has finally arrived, and Virginia Tech will have a stern test from a veteran East Carolina team that looks to be Skip Holtz's best squad. While the Pirates have considerable experience with 16 returning starters and 34 players who have started at least one game, the Hokies only return 10 starters and 19 players who have started a game. Lots of new faces in Blacksburg, but a very strong preseason gives Hokie fans a reason for optimism. But how will the Hokies match up with the Pirates?
more

Peak Reflects on College Choice
August 28, 2008
Pulaski County High School (Dublin, VA) star Nubian Peak recalls the time he received a scholarship offer from Virginia Tech and his subsequent commitment to the Hokies as a situation "that really came fast." Peak-to-Virginia Tech came about quickly, but it certainly wasn't as fast as the time he ran at Tech's June 7th camp, where he blazed to a hand-timed sub-4.3 time in the 40-yard dash in front of Tech's coaches.
more

Kellam's DeWitt Talks '08 Squad, Transfer OL
August 27, 2008
Kellam's (Virginia Beach, VA) varsity football squad kicked off the 2008 season on the right note on Friday night, soundly defeating First Colonial 42-28. Head coach Chris DeWitt was pleased with his team's offensive output, including the play of transfer offensive lineman Hunter Steward.
more

Football Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina
August 27, 2008
Virginia Tech begins the 2008 football season on Saturday with a big game in Charlotte against the East Carolina Pirates. This is a game to be excited about, not because it's the first one, but because ECU should give Tech a test. The Hokies are always good, and they will be good again in 2008. But how good? We'll start to get an idea on Saturday, when they face a team that is expected to go bowling for the third straight season.
more

2008-09 Men's Basketball Schedule Released
August 27, 2008
Virginia Tech released the 2008-09 men's basketball schedule on Tuesday. Seth Greenberg's Hokies face a number of challenging out-of-conference opponents this year, not to mention their regular share of ACC teams.
more

2010 Profile: John Marshall Forward Travis McKie
August 27, 2008
A top rising junior, John Marshall (Richmond, VA) product Travis McKie has earned six official scholarship offers to this point in his recruitment. Boston College, Clemson, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest have offered the 6-6, 185-pound forward, a first-team Richmond Times-Dispatch all-metro selection last season as a sophomore.
more

TSL Poll: What Do You Think of the Decision to Redshirt Tyrod Taylor?
August 27, 2008
The decision to redshirt Tyrod Taylor -- a mutual decision made by both TT and the VT coaching staff -- has sparked a ton of discussion and emotion. In a poll we ran back in May 2008, 39% of you thought TT should redshirt. What do you think of the decision now that it has been made? Anyone can vote in this poll, but in order to vote, we have to send you over to our TSL Blogs section. To vote, click here.
more

Hokies Holding an Ace Up Their Sleeve
August 26, 2008
Frank Beamer revealed the worst kept secret of the very young 2008 football season Tuesday, telling the press that the Hokies plan to redshirt Tyrod Taylor this season. That brings the last piece of the Hokie puzzle into place for the 2008 season, and now Tech is going to play the hand they're dealt. The good news is, they've still got a great ace hidden up their sleeve.
more

Hokies Plan to Redshirt Tyrod Taylor in 2008
August 26, 2008
Frank Beamer held his weekly press conference on Tuesday afternoon, and he announced Virginia Tech's plans for quarterbacks Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor. Glennon has been named the starter, and Taylor will attempt to redshirt.
more

Moses to Put Recruiting on the Backburner?
August 26, 2008
The state's top rated offensive line recruit takes the field on Thursday, in what will be the start to his senior season at Meadowbrook High School (Richmond, VA). 6-7, 340-pound Morgan Moses is anxious for the regular season opener, which will be against rival L.C. Bird.
more

Hokie Hotline Notes for 8/25/08
August 26, 2008
The Hokie Hotline kicked off last night with a revamped format. Guests were offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring, Darryl Slater of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, athletic director Jim Weaver, and head football coach Frank Beamer.
more

2008 ACC Game-by-Game Predictions
August 25, 2008
TSL's Chris Coleman painstakingly went over the entire 2008 ACC football schedule and predicted every game. We posted his predictions here, plus the results, so you can make fun of him when he's wrong or (let's be fair) bow down in homage when he is right.
more

Checking in with Logan Thomas
August 25, 2008
Logan Thomas and the Brookville Bees (Lynchburg, VA) kicked off their 2008 season is a positive fashion Friday night, defeating two-time defending Group AA state champion Amherst 24-21. The 6-6, 225-pound rising senior, one of the most highly recruited prospects in the state of Virginia's 2009 class, didn't have his best offensive game but turned in two big defensive plays in the end to hold off the Lancers.
more

Hokies Traveling Squad, Depth Chart Set for ECU
August 25, 2008
Game week is finally here. Following the final scrimmage on Friday, the Virginia Tech coaching staff evaluated their players, set a new depth chart, and decided which of the true freshmen will dress out for the ECU game. There's also the question of who will start at quarterback, and how playing time at that position will be handled.
more
 
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