Thursday Night Lights
By David Villavicencio
Thursday nights in Lane Stadium are notorious.
The raucous crowd, electric atmosphere and a traditionally talented Virginia Tech team combine to create a nightmare for opponents.
Add in the fact that the Hokies are 21-9 (.700) on Thursday night, including an 11-5 mark at Lane Stadium, and you have a pretty good idea of the daunting task the University of Miami will face in Blacksburg, Va., this week.
However, the Hurricanes have their own impressive numbers on Thursdays and they support the notion that this Thursday night will be another in a long line of excellent matchups between two long time conference rivals.
Since 2000, Miami owns an 18-3 record in games played on Thursday night. Their last trip to Blacksburg came in 2014, when they beat the Hokies, 30-6 in front of a rowdy Thursday night crowd.
“We’re getting ready for this ballgame here on Thursday night against Coach Fuente’s team, Virginia Tech,” Miami head coach Mark Richt said. “We’re playing at their place. I know it’s going to be very exciting for both teams. I think when one team is getting cheered for, it gives them juice. I think when one team is getting cheered against, it pumps them up, too. There will definitely be a lot of emotion going into this thing.”
Beyond the emotion are two teams looking to rebound after losses. The Hurricanes (4-2, 1-2 ACC) have dropped consecutive games, falling to No. 23 Florida State and North Carolina, while the Hokies (4-2, 2-1 ACC) enter this ACC Coastal division test fresh off a loss at Syracuse.
“Every game matters because across the ACC, all the teams are battling,” Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya said. “There’s no clear-cut team who’s just blowing every one out. I think anything can happen on any given game day. Our whole focus is Virginia Tech right now, and it’s the same for them. Week in and week out, if we just keep playing hard, anything can happen when it comes time for that ACC Championship Game. This one matters just as much as last week and two weeks ago.”
Sophomore running back Mark Walton says the Hurricanes are not dwelling on their last two games and instead are focused on facing a gifted Virginia Tech team.
“We were very disappointed when it happened,” Walton said of dropping two consecutive games. “It was two (losses) back-to-back at home. It was tough, but we’ve got to move on and play Thursday night. We’ve just got to get our mind set on going up to Virginia Tech and playing a good football team.”
The quick turnaround is a challenge for both teams, but several Hurricanes appreciate the opportunity to get right back to work and try to earn another victory.
“We just try to have fun no matter the circumstances,” senior defensive back Corn Elder said. “You get another chance to play. The excitement is always there to get another chance to play. Short week, you can get that loss out of the way quickly.”
Elder is one of the many Hurricanes that were part of Miami’s victory at Lane Stadium on Thursday night two years ago. He and his teammates have made communication a point of emphasis heading into this week’s game.
“It’s loud and you’ve got to do a great job of communicating,” Elder said. “You definitely have to be focused. and it’s a fun environment.”
Michael Badgley accounted for six of Miami’s 30 points in its 2014 victory at Virginia Tech, hitting a 28-yard field goal and connecting on three extra points. Badgley is looking forward to a return to Blacksburg, especially after experiencing the electric Thursday night atmosphere two years ago.
“It’s awesome,” Badgley said. “Our team embraces playing at away games and we’re excited for the chance to go back to Blacksburg. Freshman year, we kind of got off to a good start and it kind of made them quiet early, but we are expecting another really loud atmosphere this year. We’re excited about it.”
Freshman linebacker Shaquille Quarterman has played on the road twice in his young career, helping Miami earn wins at Appalachian State and Georgia Tech, but he is eager for his first Virginia Tech road trip.
“I heard it’s a really great atmosphere,” Quarterman said. “I love playing at home, but I love playing away, also. Being in a different atmosphere and performing, I think that’s a great test. You have to be able to do that to be a Miami Hurricane because everywhere we go we’re not well liked, so we have to get used to playing in adversity.”
Badgley remembers how Miami jumped to a 24-0 lead before halftime two years ago, scoring 21 of those points in the second quarter. The junior placekicker believes another fast start like that would be a key to success in this year’s meeting.
“You definitely want to open up fast against a team like that and Virginia Tech is a good team,” Badgley said. “Going into any loud environment, you want to make sure you get on them early.”
