Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 20, 1994 TAG: 9411210078
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALLISON BLAKE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
"Traffic's a whole lot lighter than I thought it would be," he said as a few folks hurried past a half-hour before kickoff.
The much-ballyhooed Virginia Tech-University of Virginia matchup turned out to be a lot less than anybody thought - or hoped - it would be.
No goal posts ripped down by whipped-up fans. No mass arrests for dubious behavior. No one-upsmanship cheers traded between huge sections of Hokies and 'Hoos. Even UVa's colorful pep band was under orders from its athletic department to clean up its acerbic wit or lose access to the field.
It was a day police and rescue workers could love - but everyone said that was mostly because the Hokies lost.
More than 53,000 people streamed into Lane Stadium for the annual Virginia reunion, where brother opposes sister in a war of team loyalty. The entire Class of '91 from WT Woodson High School in Northern Virginia was rumored to be in attendance, as students from one university or the other.
Gov. George Allen came and issued his annual half-time amnesty to Tech cadets who've earned a few too many demerits.
Winning the rivalry is important.
"It's state bragging rights, is the basic thing," said Jeff Randall, Tech '94.
But UVa went up during the first quarter. Fewer of their fans than expected faced off against Tech fans. As the afternoon wore on and the Tech turnovers piled up, it was kind of like watching a huge Hokie balloon deflate.
Tickets had been sold out for weeks.
"I had to join the Hokie Club just to get tickets," said Mike Johnson, an Old Dominion University alum who'd come from Richmond with a couple of buddies who went to Tech.
His friend Brian Hull attempted to explain the Tech-UVa rivalry.
"See, I came from New York. When you're a freshman, you really don't have a lot of say in the matter," he laughed. You're just instantly anti-UVa.
And the rivalry seems concentrated on football.
"It's the only sport they can give us a run for our money," explained UVa senior Travis Deatherage.
"It's just that we were always the underdog," said John DePaola, who used to own the now-closed Daddy's Money in Blacksburg. "The smugness of UVa was kind of rubbed in our faces as students."
But this year, Tech's been ranked higher than UVa in the football polls.
"We've always been the underdog, and this is the first year we haven't been," said Garth Larcen, who also used to own a Blacksburg restaurant.
But by the start of the fourth quarter, Hokie fans' energy was pretty low.
Ivan Morozov, an exchange student at Liberty University, lives with Paul and Tatum Saunders in Nelson County, who apparently have taught him to love the Hokies.
"I didn't come all the way from Russia to see my team ... hopefully win," he said.
"I feel sick right now," said Pete Moore, Tech '90.
In the stands, Alexandria high schooler Travis Rechenbach looked on.
"Just shows how overrated Tech is," said the UVa fan.
"I can't stand watching the UVa fans whoop it up in our faces," said Tech alum David Dorn.
"Everybody's given up. Tech's just trying to make it respectable now," he said, as his team drove down the field again.
Judge for yourself. Final score: Tech, 23; UVa, 42.
"It's good for us. Not good for the team or the university," said Virginia Tech Police Chief Mike Jones, as 25 police guarded the goal posts.
No more than five people were rushed to the hospital for alcohol poisoning, which is about average for a typical game, said Mike Grubb, captain of the Tech rescue squad.
"I expected more," said Grubb, who'd called in ambulance reinforcements from as far away as Roanoke County and Narrows. "We were expecting a big turnout and a pretty rambunctious crowd, and it turned out to be pretty calm."
Back at Roanoke and South Main, Eads watched a few cars roll through town. He predicted a quiet night.
by CNB