Normally, that would seem like a miserable way to end a story. In this case, however, it was quite the opposite. In the most exciting football game that I've seen from the stands at any level (which isn't many given that I played in high school) Virginia Tech emerged victorious with a triple overtime win over a Marshall University team with a very potent offense. But a lot happened before the approximately three hour game ended.
The first quarter came and went, and so did my roommate because he forgot to eat breakfast. BeamerBall was finally back and our offense was really clicking, too. Fourteen quick points and some thought we had the game in the bag. Well, at least until Marshall's receivers refused to drop the deep ball and the Thundering Herd lived up to their name, storming their way down the field for a quick seven. It hadn't begun raining yet but we all knew that the impending monsoon would soon be upon us. The clouds were as gray as the spur the moment jerseys our boys wore against Alabama and the forecast called for rain, rain, and more rain.
The second quarter was a dull one. The drizzle had started, and as that got going, it seemed like the Hokies were falling apart. Our consistently stingy, lunch pail defense was allowing third down conversions like it was their job and it seemed like Marshall could take first downs at will. Because of this, the team allowed two touchdowns during this span and went into the half down 21-14. Normally this wouldn't be a worrisome score, but it is when you're a Tech fan playing against a theoretically weaker Marshall team. With that in mind, more people left the game for fear of an embarrassing loss.
As the rain intensified, so did the game. The third and fourth quarters were absolute madness and we were gasping for breath every chance we had. During the fourth we managed to put one more score on the board and tie the game up. At this point the remaining fans were glued to the stands of Lane Stadium and overtime was upon us.
Defensive stand after defensive stand ensued as a suspenseful game only became more so. The rain was coming down hard and even my so called "waterproof" jackets was soaked. Dripping from head to toe we continued to bellow out the occasional "Let's go!" chant. Finally, we punched it in and had a successful 2-point conversion. All waiting on a defensive stop to clinch the victory, our boys came up big. But to be fair there may have been some defensive pass interference that was left uncalled on the final play but a win is a win!
By the end of the game the dark brown Sperry's I was wearing were as heavy as logs and wet all the way through. As I exchanged weight from my left foot to my right, quantities of brown liquid seeped out of my shoes. The leather was so damp that the dye was basically pouring out of my shoes. The walk to the bus and from the bus stop home were extremely cold and I was shivering the whole way, but being able to be a part of the fans who stuck around for the entire game was truly something special. Maybe the goosebumps I got were from the wet and cold. Or maybe I was still just that excited.
Go Hokies.
This game was pretty intense, especially being in the Corp of Cadets part of the stands where the game is literally right in front of you. It was a good game overall, it got all of us riled up and each time Marshall had the ball, we constantly got louder and louder, screaming straight through the monsoon of rain. I hope your Sperry's came out nice and dry a few days later with no more loss of dye.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. Re-reading this post gave me flashbacks of the game and got me all fired up and excited again! Unfortunately I was one of those people who left after halftime. It was against my will because I was the only person in my friend group who wanted to stay, and by that time the section of bleachers I sat in was completely empty. I did go back to my room and watch the rest of the game on TV, which was exciting, I just wish I could have stayed in the stands.
ReplyDeleteYou're a man. I didn't even last til halftime. I was out at the end of the first quarter. For real though, good for you. That'll be a story you tell for a long time. I'm excited for these upcoming three home games, especially homecoming.
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