No one can deny it has been a nerve-wracking season for the Cavaliers.
Expectations plummeted when Virginia lost at Wyoming 23-3 in the season opener. Fans wondered what impact Virginia could make, if any. The Cavaliers (9-2, 6-1 ACC) pulled off an ugly victory the next week against a weak Duke squad, and Virginia was still given no respect. Somehow though, Virginia pulled its act together and won nine of 10 games following the Wyoming debacle. The team has often won games in dramatic fashion -- it has five wins by two points or fewer and three wins by just one point.
And no one will forget the 48-0 drubbing the Cavaliers handed to Miami that ruined the celebration of Miami's last game in the Orange Bowl.
It only seems fitting then, that after a season such as this, the Cavaliers find themselves on the brink of going to the ACC Championship game in Jacksonville, Fla. Dec. 1, with only their arch-rivals from Virginia Tech in the way.
To go to the Sunshine State and play Boston College for the right to represent the ACC in the Orange Bowl, the Cavaliers only have to do one thing: defeat the Hokies Saturday at high noon at Scott Stadium, something they have only done one time since 1999.
"You want it real bad," senior defensive end Chris Long said. "I think at this point, we've tried to take everything one game at a time. But in this particular situation, this one game really does have more riding on it than others, seeing that this is a November game. This is the final game of the season. We're trying to get to Jacksonville."
Virginia enters the game off its bye week following its demolition of Miami and the Orange Bowl Nov. 10. Virginia Tech is coming off a 44-14 blowout of the same Hurricanes.
Both teams have two losses, but they are very different losses.
Virginia lost to two mediocre and unranked teams in Wyoming and N.C. State, while the Hokies lost to now-No. 1 LSU early in the season and to then-No. 2 Boston College during the middle of the season. Overall, Virginia has played a relatively weak schedule, which has been a point of attack for some critics.
"I don't really respond to critics about our team," Long said. "I feel like all that matters is the guys in this [practice] building. We've been through a lot and I think all that matters is winning games."
Virginia Tech's strength once again lies in its defense, led by All-ACC senior linebackers Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi and All-American junior cornerback Brandon Flowers. The defense has forced an impressive 26 turnovers this season, a total the Cavaliers hope to avoid adding to Saturday.
"I think we'll have a good chance of beating them if we limit turnovers," sophomore quarterback Jameel Sewell said. "We did a good job of that last game [at Miami, but I] threw an interception. But as long as we can limit these turnovers I think we have a good chance of getting some points and beating them."
While the Hokie defense is strong, the Hokie offense has played well at times, despite ranking at the bottom of the conference statistically.
"When facing the Tech offense, they throw at you a number of offensive weapons," Long said. "You have the receivers [senior Josh] Hyman, [senior] Eddie Royal, guys like that. You got [junior running back] Branden Ore in the backfield and you have two different quarterbacks to prepare for. So certainly they can work on exploiting teams in many different ways. We're in the early stages of game planning, but we'll figure out a way to bottle each of them up and the particular threats they pose."
Virginia Tech has used an effective two-quarterback system this year. Junior Sean Glennon has proved to be a solid pocket passer, completing 99 of 161 passes (61.5 percent) for 120.2 yards per game and seven touchdowns. Freshman Tyrod Taylor has been both an effective passer and runner. Taylor has completed 53.8 percent of his passes for 106.1 yards per game and five touchdowns while also rushing for 47.2 yards per game and four touchdowns.
"[Taylor's] a young kid [and] he's extremely talented," Long said. "But you try to get after a young kid a little bit, see if he'll make some mistakes. Mainly it's about our rush lanes and destroying pocket integrity."
Virginia's showdown with the Hokies is sure to be the biggest game of the season for the Cavaliers, yet as it will take place during Thanksgiving Break, some students may not make the trip back Saturday to cheer on their Cavaliers.
"We'd love to have a big turnout, especially of the student body," junior linebacker Jon Copper said. "It adds a little when the fans are there. Come on out and support us. I know it's a noon game but hopefully a lot of people will be up and ready to go for it"
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