Cheers and Jeers: Virginia Tech vs. Syracuse

Look, obviously the dome isn't cursed*. Myself and any rational human observer gets that. But I disagree with the notion that Virginia Tech's complete failure over the decades in that building means nothing. In ten trips the Hokies have only a late-stage Bill Dooley victory from 1986 and a Michael Vick fueled last-minute miracle to pull out a nail biter in 2000. Every other trip has been a failure under three different coaching staffs.

It isn't a curse, it's just a truly bizarre building to play in. Gone is the pressurized facility that literally kept the roof up with forced air and made the entire place feel like flying at high altitude. The pressure would famously launch you out of the exits with a little extra push as the pressure attempted to violently equalize, tossing fans out into many an icy upstate evening like some ethereal bouncer. 

The new roof is a permanent structure that allows for the circulation of normal air —now with A/C!— but lets even less light inside. Despite having the general vibe of an empty airport paring structure, the whole place is oddly intimate, with a capacity that hovers around 50,000 though it's routinely far less than that these days. Even half full like this most recent chapter that building gets incredibly loud purely because it's enclosed. 

And before you say, "I've been to 85,000-seat places inside it wasn't that weird" that's the entire point. This is just a different place to play and I would argue one of the most unique venues among P4 programs. If the Orange can ever return to their consistent winning from the 1990s and early 2000s (sound familiar?) watch out for some wild scenes in Syracuse. 

Below is me this week speaking with my colleagues about the place:

With the Hokies up 21-3 in the third quarter you could have been forgiven for thinking things were looking good. The defense proceeded to give up 28 points in the second half and another seven in overtime to fall 38-31. Make no mistake, Tech's offense stalled out for the most part as well although they did retake the lead and battle back a couple of times during the Orange run. 

The D just got torched included with massive runs up the middle. LeQquint Allen ran 21 times for 121 yards with much of it coming in big chunks during the second half. His three touchdowns set the pace for an Orange offense that was locked down for much of the game. Injuries played a role for sure, but this really feels like Tech should have been able to hold on to a W here. 

I think both of these coaching staffs will have a long list of grievances to submit to the league office this week. The officials were truly, notably bad even by ACC standards. Much of the game the officials struggled to communicate with each other, often milling about after plays like a bunch of middle-aged Dad's who just microdosed at a music festival. 

I'm not sure we'll ever get a full explanation for their botching not only the clock at the end of the first half, but also the explanation. It ended with no points for the Hokies when they seemingly could have managed at least a field goal which was a pretty big deal as it turns out. 

Much of the country was up in arms about the ACC Replay goons overturning Tech's Hail Mary against Miami earlier this year, but I found this game at Syracuse to be a far more damning series of transgressions. 

Nothing sends a wave of panic through the fan base quite like a last second quarterback switch that includes a mystery ailment for your starter. In stepped Collin Schlee and he had one of the best games for a Tech backup QB in a long time. He completed a tidy 16 of 24 passes for 206 yards and a nice touchdown to Ali Jennings. He ran for 54 yards and another score while putting his body on the line repeatedly, often to his detriment.

More impressive, he truly commanded the offense and was decisive with his reads in a way that honestly Kyron Drones has not been for much of the season. 

It's a shame Tech lost for many reasons but tops among them is that Schlee's great outing will be forgotten by most. He certainly gives you confidence for the rest of the year in case anything else strange happens. 

Tech's running backs deserve plenty of credit too. Malachi Thomas is a liability as a blocker but he had his best game in several years with 74 yards  and a couple of catches before getting banged up. Jeremiah Coney added 96 yards on just nine carries including a near-score on a 47-yard scamper as time expired in that unhinged finished to the second quarter. He did put the ball on the ground however, something the Hokies did four times on the day ultimately losing two including on the final play of the game. 

Perhaps the biggest win was me deciding not to make the two-hour drive up the road for this looming tire fire. I just had a terrible feeling all week about this game. I'm generally more agnostic pre-game these days as the Hokies are fully capable of winning or losing most games. This one just didn't sit right with me, Dome vibes or not. 

This season has officially been a disappointment. At this point, I'm hoping the gang can stay motivated just enough to qualify for a berth in the Pop-Tarts Bowl before everyone hits the transfer portal. Yes, that's pretty cynical but it's what happens when you have the gross citrus aftertaste of a loss in your mouth.  

* = It's absolutely a thing and failure to acknowledge it as such will invoke the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing.