All smiles for Game Day pictures! From left to right is Thomas Giattino, Olivia Holmes, and Breanna Goode. Source: Breanna Goode.
The game against Notre Dame was set to be a thriller, with Virginia Tech losing in their last face off, they were ready for some revenge. The excitement in Lane Stadium was electric, the crowd roared and there was no room for sitting. If you came to this game, you would have known that this could be the game of the season.
In the first quarter, it was relatively slow, while Notre Dame struggled against the Hokies. Brian Kelly, the head coach for the Irish, started with Jack Coan as quarterback, but then soon put him on the bench for the rest of the game and chose Tyler Buchner as his replacement. During this time, the Hokies eventually had 10 points on the board, while the Irish had 0. And in a sudden turn of events, Raheem Blackshear of VT had a 7 yard touchdown, which revitalized Hokie spirit, and in the next play, allowed for the Hokies to score a 19 yard field goal against Notre Dame. The Marching Virginians continued to pep the crowd with familiar tunes and cheer on the Hokies during the first quarter, especially during the 2 sacks that allowed for Burmeister to rush right into their first touchdown against the Irish.
The MV Bones sure know how to have fun during a game! Pictured from left to right is Charles Tapp, Breanna Goode, and Rafael Garcia-Rodriguez; Source: Breanna Goode.
When Tyler Buchner, from the Irish, came into the game, he managed to drive the ball into Hokie territory, and he even managed to get a 3 yard rushing touchdown. An important part of this play was set up by the Irish’s Kevin Austin’s 46 yard catch, which allowed them to have a first down. Near the end of the first half, Notre Dame had a surprising touchdown by an 8 yard pass from Buchner to Karen Williams. However, this did not diminish Hokie morale, as they only got more fired up. They were hungry for victory. During the end of the first half, Virginia Tech executed a 52 yard field goal to end the half at 14-13, with Notre Dame in the lead.
MV Pix photoshoot! From left to right (starting at the top row) is Brad Vezzetti, Jaden Catalfamo, Emy Delaporte, Breanna Goode, Emma Blair, and Erin Stevenson; Source: Breanna Goode.
With a close game ahead, The Marching Virginians knew that they had to keep spirit alive in order for their team to succeed. In their halftime performance, they featured various selections from the infamous Super Spy James Bond, which included No Time to Die and Live And Let Die by Paul McCartney. The VT Colorguard had some rifle features during the first selection, and the band had many marching illusions, which no doubt wowed the audience. At the end of the first piece, the band spelled out “BOND.” In their second tune, the MVs blew away the crowd with Adele’s Skyfall and The World Is Not Enough, the 1999 James Bond theme song by Garbage. This second piece had the band spelling out “SKYFALL” and marching a few difficult sets. And last, but not least, they concluded their spectacular performance with two famous themes, the iconic and timeless theme and the 1964 hit, From Russia With Love. Our feature twirlers dazzled the crowd with their fire tricks and twirls, and the crowd loved when the band spelled out “007,” a direct reference from the infamous movies. And of course, The Marching Virginians marched off the field with every Hokie’s favorite song… Tech Triumph! Be sure to check out this video taken by Carla Neigh! A professional video should be uploaded later on our YouTube channel.
And what’s a VT football game without our VTubas?! Featured is Truman DeWalch, Humberto Negrini, Vincent Bornhorst, and Breanna Goode; Source: Breanna Goode.
Even the HokieBird had to come crash the party! Pictured is Alex Santiago-Anaya, the HokieBird, and Kat Newby; Source: Breanna Goode.
Revitalized from the spectacular MV performance, the second half started! The Hokies were able to press into the Irish’s territory at the beginning of the third quarter, but the Notre Dame defense was able to hold them off, and Virginia Tech kicked off another field goal to make the score 16-14 with Tech now in the lead. During the next few plays, however, TaRiq Bracy from the Irish caught a pass from Burmeister, an important interception, which then allowed for a 10 yard rushing touchdown by Kyren Williams. After successfully holding back the Hokies, Notre Dame threw an interception to Waller, which was taken for a touchdown. However, a failed 2 point attempt made the game 22-21 Virginia Tech. And after many more turnovers, Burmeister ran for a 19 yard touchdown, putting the Hokies up 29-21 with not even 5 more minutes in the game. The MVs played a lot of stand tunes during this time, as the game was ramping up in intensity. The Hokies were on a roll! After an injury, Coan was back on the field for Notre Dame and found Avery Davis, which eventually led to a touchdown for the Irish, to make it 29-27 VT. As it was getting closer and closer in points, the crowd grew louder. After tying up the game, Notre Dame punted a 48 yard field goal with 17 seconds left in the game, and with such little time left in the game, the Hokies could not pull off another touchdown. So, the game ended 32-29, with the Irish claiming victory.
Even through it all, The Marching Virginians had a blast supporting the team, and will continue to do so during our Homecoming game, which is set to be next Saturday (October 16th) against Pittsburgh. Be sure to support the Hokies at the upcoming games!