The Miracle in Morgantown during Virginia Tech's BCS National Championship run in 1999, the magical final drive orchestrated by Michael Vick that was capped off by a last second field goal from Shayne Graham. Who could ever forget that game? The odds were stacked against the Hokies, starting near their own 15 yard line, one minute and eleven seconds remaining, with no timeouts left. But they did it. The Hokies won the game, climbed to #2 in the polls, and eventually earned their spot in the National Championship game versus #1 Florida State.
The rivalry with West Virginia is one that is cherished by many, with the deep disdain both schools seemingly have for one another. They battle for the Black Diamond Trophy, meant to symbolize the Appalachian region's rich coal heritage where both schools reside, hence the name black diamond in reference to coal.
The two teams have met 51 times, stretching from 1912-2005 but didn't start playing in consecutive years until 1973, then started meeting as Big East foes from 1991-2003.
The Series (1912-2005)
West Virginia leads 28-22-1
|
Date
|
Site
|
Winning team
|
Losing team
|
Series
|
||
|
November 16, 1912
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
Virginia Tech
|
41
|
West Virginia
|
0
|
Virginia Tech 1–0
|
|
November 13, 1915
|
Morgantown, WV
|
West Virginia
|
19
|
Virginia Tech
|
0
|
Tie 1–1
|
|
October 14, 1916
|
Charleston, WV
|
West Virginia
|
20
|
Virginia Tech
|
0
|
West Virginia 2–1
|
|
November 10, 1917
|
Huntington, WV
|
West Virginia
|
27
|
Virginia Tech
|
3
|
West Virginia 3–1
|
|
November 15, 1952
|
Morgantown, WV
|
West Virginia
|
27
|
Virginia Tech
|
7
|
West Virginia 4–1
|
|
November 7, 1953
|
Bluefield, WV
|
#7 West Virginia
|
12
|
Virginia Tech
|
7
|
West Virginia 5–1
|
|
September 28, 1957
|
Morgantown, WV
|
West Virginia
|
14
|
Virginia Tech
|
0
|
West Virginia 6–1
|
|
October 25, 1958
|
Richmond, VA
|
West Virginia
|
21
|
Virginia Tech
|
20
|
West Virginia 7–1
|
|
November 14, 1959
|
Morgantown, WV
|
Virginia Tech
|
12
|
West Virginia
|
0
|
West Virginia 7–2
|
|
September 24, 1960
|
Richmond, VA
|
Virginia Tech
|
15
|
West Virginia
|
0
|
West Virginia 7–3
|
|
October 7, 1961
|
Morgantown, WV
|
West Virginia
|
28
|
Virginia Tech
|
0
|
West Virginia 8–3
|
|
September 29, 1962
|
Richmond, VA
|
West Virginia
|
14
|
Virginia Tech
|
0
|
West Virginia 9–3
|
|
November 16, 1963
|
Morgantown, WV
|
Virginia Tech
|
28
|
West Virginia
|
3
|
West Virginia 9–4
|
|
October 17, 1964
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
West Virginia
|
23
|
Virginia Tech
|
10
|
West Virginia 10–4
|
|
November 6, 1965
|
Morgantown, WV
|
West Virginia
|
31
|
Virginia Tech
|
22
|
West Virginia 11–4
|
|
October 1, 1966
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
Virginia Tech
|
13
|
West Virginia
|
13
|
West Virginia 11–4–1
|
|
October 28, 1967
|
Morgantown, WV
|
Virginia Tech
|
20
|
West Virginia
|
7
|
West Virginia 11–5–1
|
|
October 26, 1968
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
Virginia Tech
|
27
|
West Virginia
|
12
|
West Virginia 11–6–1
|
|
September 22, 1973
|
Morgantown, WV
|
West Virginia
|
24
|
Virginia Tech
|
10
|
West Virginia 12–6–1
|
|
November 23, 1974
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
West Virginia
|
22
|
Virginia Tech
|
21
|
West Virginia 13–6–1
|
|
October 25, 1975
|
Morgantown, WV
|
West Virginia
|
10
|
Virginia Tech
|
7
|
West Virginia 14–6–1
|
|
October 30, 1976
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
Virginia Tech
|
24
|
Virginia Tech
|
7
|
West Virginia 14–7–1
|
|
November 12, 1977
|
Morgantown, WV
|
West Virginia
|
20
|
Virginia Tech
|
14
|
West Virginia 15–7–1
|
|
October 14, 1978
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
Virginia Tech
|
16
|
West Virginia
|
3
|
West Virginia 15–8–1
|
|
November 3, 1979
|
Morgantown, WV
|
West Virginia
|
34
|
Virginia Tech
|
23
|
West Virginia 16–8–1
|
|
November 1, 1980
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
Virginia Tech
|
34
|
West Virginia
|
11
|
West Virginia 16–9–1
|
|
October 17, 1981
|
Morgantown, WV
|
West Virginia
|
27
|
Virginia Tech
|
6
|
West Virginia 17–9–1
|
|
October 16, 1982
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
#13 West Virginia
|
16
|
Virginia Tech
|
6
|
West Virginia 18–9–1
|
|
October 15, 1983
|
Morgantown, WV
|
#4 West Virginia
|
13
|
Virginia Tech
|
0
|
West Virginia 19–9–1
|
|
September 15, 1984
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
West Virginia
|
14
|
Virginia Tech
|
7
|
West Virginia 20–9–1
|
|
October 5, 1985
|
Morgantown, WV
|
West Virginia
|
24
|
Virginia Tech
|
9
|
West Virginia 21–9–1
|
|
October 4, 1986
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
Virginia Tech
|
13
|
West Virginia
|
7
|
West Virginia 21–10–1
|
|
November 7, 1987
|
Morgantown, WV
|
West Virginia
|
28
|
Virginia Tech
|
16
|
West Virginia 22–10–1
|
|
October 1, 1988
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
#7 West Virginia
|
22
|
Virginia Tech
|
10
|
West Virginia 23–10–1
|
|
October 7, 1989
|
Morgantown, WV
|
Virginia Tech
|
12
|
#9 West Virginia
|
10
|
West Virginia 23–11–1
|
|
October 6, 1990
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
Virginia Tech
|
26
|
West Virginia
|
21
|
West Virginia 23–12–1
|
|
October 5, 1991
|
Morgantown, WV
|
Virginia Tech
|
20
|
West Virginia
|
14
|
West Virginia 23–13–1
|
|
September 26, 1992
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
West Virginia
|
16
|
Virginia Tech
|
7
|
West Virginia 24–13–1
|
|
October 2, 1993
|
Morgantown, WV
|
#25 West Virginia
|
14
|
Virginia Tech
|
13
|
West Virginia 25–13–1
|
|
September 22, 1994
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
#14 Virginia Tech
|
34
|
West Virginia
|
6
|
West Virginia 25–14–1
|
|
October 28, 1995
|
Morgantown, WV
|
Virginia Tech
|
27
|
West Virginia
|
0
|
West Virginia 25–15–1
|
|
November 23, 1996
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
#17 Virginia Tech
|
31
|
#23 West Virginia
|
14
|
West Virginia 25–16–1
|
|
October 25, 1997
|
Morgantown, WV
|
#21 West Virginia
|
30
|
#19 Virginia Tech
|
17
|
West Virginia 26–16–1
|
|
October 31, 1998
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
#20 Virginia Tech
|
27
|
#20 West Virginia
|
13
|
West Virginia 26–17–1
|
|
November 6, 1999
|
Morgantown, WV
|
#3 Virginia Tech
|
22
|
West Virginia
|
20
|
West Virginia 26–18–1
|
|
October 12, 2000
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
#3 Virginia Tech
|
48
|
West Virginia
|
20
|
West Virginia 26–19–1
|
|
October 6, 2001
|
Morgantown, WV
|
#6 Virginia Tech
|
35
|
West Virginia
|
0
|
West Virginia 26–20–1
|
|
November 20, 2002
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
West Virginia
|
21
|
#13 Virginia Tech
|
18
|
West Virginia 27–20–1
|
|
October 22, 2003
|
Morgantown, WV
|
West Virginia
|
28
|
#3 Virginia Tech
|
7
|
West Virginia 28–20–1
|
|
October 2, 2004
|
Blacksburg, VA
|
Virginia Tech
|
19
|
#6 West Virginia
|
13
|
West Virginia 28–21–1
|
|
October 1, 2005
|
Morgantown, WV
|
#3 Virginia Tech
|
34
|
West Virginia
|
17
|
West Virginia 28–22–1
|
The Mountaineers dominated the series up until about the late 80's when the Hokies won three straight starting in 1989. The last two decades saw Tech dominate with a record of 13-8 in their 21 meetings since 1985. But since 2005, with the last great Hokie team beating WVU 34-17 in Morgantown, we've been without this great rivalry. How have both programs fared since then?
Virginia Tech:
|
Season
|
Record
|
Bowl Game
|
Final AP Ranking
|
|
2006
|
10-3 |
Chick-fil-A (Lost to Georgia) |
#19 |
|
2007
|
11-3 ACC Champs |
Orange Bowl (Lost to Kansas) |
#9 |
|
2008
|
10-4 ACC Champs |
Orange Bowl (Beat Cincinnati) |
#15 |
|
2009
|
10-3 |
Chick-fil-A (Beat Tennessee) |
#10 |
|
2010
|
11-3 |
Orange Bowl (Lost to Stanford) |
#16 |
|
2011
|
11-3 Lost ACC Championship to Clemson |
Sugar Bowl (Lost to Michigan) |
#21 |
|
2012
|
7-6 |
Russell Athletic Bowl (Beat Rutgers)
|
Unranked |
|
2013
|
8-5 |
Hyundai Sun Bowl (Lost to UCLA)
|
Unranked |
Combined record of (88-30). Two outright ACC Championships. Eight bowl appearances (3-5). (1-4) in BCS Bowls. Average final Associated Press Ranking: #11.
West Virginia:
|
Season
|
Record
|
Bowl Game
|
Final AP Ranking
|
|
2006
|
11-2 |
Gator Bowl (Beat Georgia Tech)
|
#10 |
|
2007
|
11-2 Big East Co-Champs
|
Fiesta Bowl (Beat Oklahoma)
|
#6 |
|
2008
|
9-4 |
Meineke Car Care Bowl (Beat North Carolina) |
#23 |
|
2009
|
9-4 |
Gator Bowl (Lost to Florida State)
|
#25 |
|
2010
|
9-4 Big East Co-Champs
|
Champ Sports Bowl (Lost to NC State) |
Unranked |
|
2011
|
10-3 Big East Co Champs
|
Orange Bowl (Beat Clemson) |
#17 |
|
2012 (BIG 12)
|
7-6 |
Pinstripe Bowl (Lost to Syracuse) |
Unranked |
|
2013 (BIG 12)
|
4-8 |
Not Bowl Eligible |
Unranked |
Combined Record of (70-33.) Three Big East Co-Championships. Seven Bowl appearances (4-3). (2-0) in BCS Bowls. Average Final Associated Press Ranking: #10.
During the rivalry game hiatus both teams have had their ups and downs. Although it seems like like both programs have been fairly even and you could make a case for both of them, WVU has a slight edge in BCS Bowls and average final rankings.
But in three years the rivalry will be renewed on the field and should be a great game to watch. It will continue the trend of good non-conference opponents for Tech in the past and near future with teams like Ohio State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, and Purdue on future schedules.
See you all in Landover!
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