Battle of Backbone Mountain

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2004 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 10 Virginia Tech $   7 – 1     10 – 3  
No. 15 Florida State   6 – 2     9 – 3  
No. 11 Miami (FL)   5 – 3     9 – 3  
No. 23 Virginia   5 – 3     8 – 4  
North Carolina   5 – 3     6 – 6  
Georgia Tech   4 – 4     7 – 5  
Clemson   4 – 4     6 – 5  
NC State   3 – 5     5 – 6  
Maryland   3 – 5     5 – 6  
Wake Forest   1 – 7     4 – 7  
Duke   1 – 7     2 – 9  
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2004 Virginia Tech Hokies football represented the Virginia Tech in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. Virginia Tech won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in its inaugural year in the conference, running off a streak of eight straight wins to end the regular season after a 2–2 start. Tech posted a 10-3 record and finished 10th in the final Associated Press after losing to undefeated Auburn in the Sugar Bowl. The team's head coach was Frank Beamer, who was named ACC Coach of the Year. [1] Tech was led on the field by quarterback Bryan Randall, who was named ACC player of the year. [2]

Virginia Tech began the season unranked nationally, and picked sixth in the ACC's preseason poll, [3] having lost five of its last seven games the previous season. The Hokies faced a daunting schedule, beginning with a nationally televised game against the defending national co-champion USC Trojans. That game, known as the BCA Classic, was the first NCAA college football game of the year, and would be followed by a tough conference schedule.

ACC membership

Virginia Tech had been spurned by the original seven ACC members in May 1953 when the charter schools broke off from the Southern Conference. [4] The University of Virginia, which had left the Southern Conference in the 1930s, was added to the original seven in October 1953. In December of that year, a proposal to invite Virginia Tech and West Virginia, made by the University of North Carolina, was tabled. [5] In 1977, Tech's application to the conference was put forward by UVA, Duke, and Clemson, but rejected. [6]

BCA Classic

Tech lost to eventual BCS National Champion USC at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, 24-13, losing the lead late in the third quarter.

Regular season

After a 63-0 shellacking of Western Michigan, Tech played its first ever ACC game on September 18, against Duke. Tech prevailed 41-17 in Lane Stadium.[7] The Hokies dropped to 2-2 following a 17-16 home loss to N.C. State, in which the Hokies missed a would-be winning field goal as time expired. The team then needed to win five of its next eight games to extend its 11-season streak of playing in a post-season bowl game.

After reeling off three-straight wins, including a 19-13 squeaker over then #7 West Virginia, the Hokies' fortunes looked bleak in the fourth quarter of their game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta on ESPN Thursday night college football. Tech was down 14-0 at one point and trailed 20-12 with 5:28 left in the fourth quarter. Tech racked up 22 unanswered points to exterminate the Yellow Jackets.[8]

Tech would go on to win their remaining regular-season games, including a 24-10 win over then #16 Virginia in Lane Stadium and a 16-10 away victory over then #9 Miami, to clinch the ACC Championship. As ACC Champions, Virginia Tech was awarded a bid to the 2005 Sugar Bowl, a Bowl Championship Series game in New Orleans, Louisiana. Virginia Tech faced Auburn, a team that had gone undefeated in the regular season but was denied a bid to the national championship game by virtue of its lower rank in the BCS poll. In a game that was not decided until the final two minutes,[9] Virginia Tech lost to Auburn 16-13.

Virginia Tech defense

Linebacker Vince Hall was one of the stars of the Virginia Tech defense.

At the conclusion of the regular season, Virginia Tech's defense was ranked third nationally in scoring defense (12.6 points allowed per game), fourth in total defense (269.5 total yards allowed per game) and fifth in pass defense (149.8 passing yards allowed per game).[10] The Tech defense featured two highly regarded cornerbacks, Jimmy Williams and Eric Green, who finished the regular season with 50 tackles[11] and 31 tackles,[12] respectively. Williams also had four interceptions (the most on the team), including one returned for a touchdown,[11] and was named first-team All-ACC.[10] Green, meanwhile, had one interception.[12] Auburn wide receiver Courtney Taylor praised the two players highly in an interview before the game, saying, "Those cornerbacks are amazing to me every time I look at them. I think, 'God, those guys are very athletic.' We're going to have our hands full."[citation needed]

Linebacker Mikal Baaqee was first on the team in tackles, recording 63 during the regular season.[13] Fellow linebacker Vince Hall ranked second, with 62.[10]

On the defensive line, defensive tackle Jonathan Lewis was considered a key player. Though limited by a cast protecting a broken pinky finger suffered during Virginia Tech's game against Virginia, Lewis was expected to continue to perform well. Heading into the Sugar Bowl, Lewis had 38 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and four sacks.[14] Also on the defensive line was Darryl Tapp, who led the team in sacks, tackles for loss, and quarterback hurries.[15] Tapp earned first-team All-ACC honors[10] and had 55 tackles and one interception during the regular season.[15]

Virginia Tech Offense

Heading into the Sugar Bowl, the Virginia Tech offense was led by quarterback Bryan Randall, who completed 149 of 268 passes (55.6 percent) for 1,965 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 466 yards and held Tech career records for total offense and passing yards. His 37 consecutive starts also are a school mark for a quarterback.[16] In the preseason, Randall competed for the first-string quarterback spot with Marcus Vick until the latter was suspended from Tech for a semester after a criminal conviction.[17] In the weeks leading up to the Sugar Bowl, Randall was named the Virginia Division I Offensive Player of the Year by the Roanoke Times[16] and was named the ACC Player of the Year.[18]

Tech's rushing offense featured two running backs who shared time on the field: Mike Imoh and Cedric Humes. During the regular season, Imoh rushed the ball 152 times for 704 yards, an average of 4.6 yards per carry. He scored four touchdowns and set a school record for rushing yards in a game when he ran for 243 yards in Virginia Tech's game against North Carolina.[19] Humes was on the field slightly less than Imoh, but earned 595 yards and five touchdowns on 124 carries.[20] Tech offensive tackle Jimmy Martin was expected to play in the game after recovering from a high ankle sprain.[21]

On special teams, Tech's Jim Davis blocked three field goals during the regular season, and teammate Darryl Tapp blocked a punt.[22] Tech's success on special teams was at least partially due to head coach Frank Beamer's emphasis on that aspect of the game, a strategy known as "Beamerball." Due to Tech's acumen on special teams, Auburn was forced to spend extra time in preparing its special teams to face Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.[22]

The Sugar Bowl was a homecoming for Tech punter Vinnie Burns, who played high school football 15 miles (24 km) from the Louisiana Superdome, site of the Sugar Bowl. In addition, Burns' father, Ronnie Burns, was a longtime Sugar Bowl committee member, and Vinnie committed to attend Virginia Tech while the Hokies were in New Orleans to play in the 2000 Sugar Bowl, that year's national championship game.[21]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
August 287:40 p.m.vs. No. 1 USC*
ESPNL 13–2491,665[23] [24] [25]
September 111:00 p.m.Western Michigan*
W 63–065,115[26] [27] [28]
September 1812:00 p.m.Duke
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
JPSW 41–1765,115[29] [30] [31]
September 2512:00 p.m.NC State
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
ESPNL 16–1765,115[32] [33] [34]
October 212:00 p.m.No. 6 West Virginia*
ESPNW 19–1365,115[35] [36] [37]
October 912:00 p.m.at Wake Forest
JPSW 17–1032,433[38] [39] [40]
October 161:00 p.m.Florida A&M*
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 62–065,115[41] [42] [43]
October 287:30 p.m.at Georgia TechNo. 22
ESPNW 34–2048,398[44] [45] [46]
November 612:00 p.m.at North CarolinaNo. 18
ESPN2W 27–2458,000[47] [48][49]
November 18[50]7:30 p.m.MarylandNo. 15
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
ESPNW 55–665,115[51] [52][53]
November 271:00 p.m.No. 16 VirginiaNo. 11
ABCW 24–1065,115[54] [55] [56]
December 41:00 p.m.at No. 9 Miami (FL)No. 10
ABCW 16–1062,205[57] [58][59]
January 3, 20058:00 pmvs. No. 3 Auburn*No. 9
ABCL 13–1677,349[60] [61][62]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

Rankings

See also: 2004 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP———————23221816151110910
Coaches Poll———————22221816151111910
BCSNot released252220181514128Not released

Personnel

The Hokies take on USC in the BCA Classic.

Coaching staff

Position Name First year at VT First year in current position
Head coach Frank Beamer 1987 1987
Associate head coach and running backs coach Billy Hite 1978 2001
Offensive coordinator and offensive line Bryan Stinespring 1990 2002
Defensive coordinator and inside linebackers Bud Foster 1987 1995
Wide receivers Tony Ball 1998 1998
Strong safety, Outside linebackers, and Recruiting Coordinator Jim Cavanaugh 1996 2002
Quarterbacks Kevin Rogers 2002 2002
Tight ends and Offensive tackles Danny Pearman 1998 1998
Defensive backs Lorenzo Ward 1999 1999
Defensive line Charley Wiles 1996 1996

Roster

Quarterback
Tailback
Flanker
  •    Justin Born – Redshirt Freshman
  •  4 Eddie Royal – Freshman
  • 12 Richard Johnson – Senior
  • 39 Jeremy Gilchrist – Redshirt Freshman
  • 87 David Clowney – Sophomore
Split end
  • 16 Chris Clifton – RS Junior[64]
  • 17 Josh Morgan – Freshman
  • 19 Josh Hyman – RS Freshman[65]
  • 41 Chris Albright – Sophomore
  • 80 Robert Parker – RS Sophomore
  • 81 Justin Harper – Freshman
  • 88 Michael Malone – RS Sophomore
Fullback
  •    Billy Gorham – Freshman
  •    Mike Green – Freshman
  • 43 John Kinzer – RS Freshman
  • 37 Jesse Allen – RS Sophomore
  • 39 Carlton Weatherford – RS Freshman
Tight end
  • 83 Maurice Reevey – Freshman[66]
  • 83 Matt Roan – RS Freshman
  • 85 Jared Mazzetta – RS Senior
  • 89 Duane Brown – RS Freshman
  • 90 Jeff King – RS Junior
  • 92 Andrew Fleck – RS Sophomore
  
Center
  •    Kevin McGlothlin – Freshman
  • 57 Tripp Carroll – RS Freshman
  • 58 Ryan Shuman – Redshirt Freshman
  • 66 Will Montgomery – RS Junior
  • 69 Danny McGrath – RS Sophomore
Offensive guard
  •    Jared Horton – Freshman
  •    Zac Lowe – Sophomore
  •    John Massie – Freshman
  • 50 Mike Parham – RS Sophomore
  • 51 Matt Welsh – Redshirt Freshman
  • 61 Reggie Butler – Junior
  • 63 Rashad Ferebee – Junior
  • 76 James Miller – Senior
  • 72 Jason Murphy – RS Junior
  • 77 Brandon Gore – RS Sophomore
Offensive tackle
Defensive tackle
  •    Scott King – Freshman
  • 56 Jonathan Lewis – Junior
  • 59 Barry Booker – RS Freshman
  • 60 Chris Burnett – RS Sophomore
  • 70 Kevin Lewis – RS Senior
  • 71 Tim Sandidge – RS Junior
  • 75 Kory Robertson – RS Freshman
  • 86 Isaac Montgomery – RS Senior
  • 91 Jason Lallis – RS Senior
  • 95 Jim Davis – RS Senior
  • 99 Carlton Powell – RS Freshman
Defensive end
  •    Greg Kezmarsky – Junior
  •    David Martin – Freshman
  •    Watson Stelly – Freshman
  • 41 Jordan Trott – RS Junior
  • 49 Chris Ellis – RS Freshman
  • 54 Bob Ruff – Senior
  • 55 Darryl Tapp – Junior
  • 91 Jason Lallis – RS Senior
  • 96 Noland Burchette – RS Sophomore
  
Linebacker
  •    D.J. Preston – Freshman
  •  6 Andrew Bowman – Redshirt Freshman
  •  9 Vince Hall – RS Freshman
  • 11 Xavier Adibi – RS Freshman
  • 33 Chad Cooper – Senior
  • 35 Stevie Ray Lloyd – RS Freshman
  • 36 Aaron Rouse – RS Sophomore
  • 40 Blake Warren – RS Junior
  • 42 James Anderson – RS Junior
  • 45 Mikal Baaqee – RS Senior
  • 47 Brett Warren – Freshman
  • 48 Brandon Manning – RS Senior
  • 86 Chad Grimm – Sophomore
Free safety
  • 8  Vincent Fuller – RS Senior
  • 28 Corey Gordon – RS Freshman
  • 31 Mike Daniels – RS Senior
Rover
  •    Derrick Burks – Freshman
  •    Purnell Sturdivant – Redshirt Freshman
  • 22 James Griffin – Senior
  • 24 D.J. Walton – RS Junior
  • 26 Kent Hicks – Redshirt Freshman
  • 30 Cary Wade – RS Sophomore
  • 82 Brendan Hill – RS Sophomore
  • 94 Jake Patten – Sophomore
Cornerback
  •  1 Eric Green – RS Senior
  •  2 Jimmy Williams – Junior
  • 15 Roland Minor – RS Freshman
  • 18 Brandon Flowers – Freshman
  • 21 Chris Caesar – Redshirt RS Sophomore
  • 25 D.J. Parker – Freshman
  • 26 Ryan Hash – RS Sophomore
  • 29 Brian McPherson – RS Sophomore
  • 47 Theodore Miller – Redshirt Freshman
  • 97 Cory Price – Sophomore
Snapper
  •    Bart McMillin – RS Freshman
  • 53 Nick Leeson – RS Sophomore
  • 62 Travis Conway – RS Senior
Punter
  • 23 Nic Schmitt – RS Sophomore
  • 38 Vinnie Burns – RS Senior

Place kicker

  • 46 Brandon Pace – RS Sophomore
  • 92 Jud Dunlevy – RS Freshman
  • 98 Jared Develli – Freshman

Starters are in bold and players who left the team are struck out
Redshirt Players who sat out during 2004 ("redshirted") are indicated with a "red shirt" icon

References

  1. ^ "Beamer, Miller honored; Tech coach, U.Va. end get league, national honors..." Richmond Times-Dispatch. December 10, 2004. pp. E1. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  2. ^ "Randall's tally tops". The Roanoke Times. December 11, 2004. p. 21. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  3. ^ "Beamer, Miller honored; Tech coach, U.Va. end get league, national honors..." Richmond Times-Dispatch. December 10, 2004. pp. E1. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  4. ^ "Two European groups announce new awards". Physics Today. 27 (12): 79–79. December 1, 1974. doi:10.1063/1.3129061. ISSN 0031-9228.
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  12. ^ a b 2005 Sugar Bowl Virginia Tech Media Guide Archived 2018-05-22 at the Wayback Machine (PDF) "Eric Green" Virginia Tech Sports Information, December 2004. Blacksburg, Virginia. Page 17
  13. ^ 2005 Sugar Bowl Virginia Tech Media Guide Archived 2018-05-22 at the Wayback Machine (PDF) "Eric Green" Virginia Tech Sports Information, December 2004. Blacksburg, Virginia. Page 11
  14. ^ Lewis now one of the big guys Randy King, The Roanoke Times. December 30, 2004. Accessed June 21, 2008.
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  17. ^ Quarterback would contend to start The Associated Press, ESPN.com. December 31, 2004. Accessed June 22, 2008.
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  19. ^ 2005 Sugar Bowl Virginia Tech Media Guide Archived 2018-05-22 at the Wayback Machine (PDF) "Mike Imoh" Virginia Tech Sports Information, December 2004. Blacksburg, Virginia. Page 20
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  63. ^ a b Cedric Humes started the first four games and Mike Imoh started the others.
  64. ^ Clifton was also the emergency quarterback
  65. ^ Josh Hyman began the season at flanker, then moved to split end for the remainder of the season.
  66. ^ Collegiate Times. "Former Virginia Tech football player charged with stalking". Archived from the original on May 24, 2011.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Virginia_Tech_Hokies_football_team