“Wakey, wakey! IT’S GAME DAY!!!!!” at 5:02 a.m.: This is the text that 330 sleepy Marching Virginians received on Saturday morning, November 12th. The Marching Virginians Center is filled with activity as we loaded up and prepared to board our buses to join our team in Durham, North Carolina for our game against Duke!
ON THE ROAD!
The Duke University Marching Band (Source: Andrew Stewart)
Mostly asleep, the MVs piled pillows, blankets, and boxed breakfasts onto 8 charter buses and departed for North Carolina. After an easy 3 hour ride, with one stop to distribute lunches, we arrived on Duke’s campus a little after 10 a.m. As we got settled and prepared for the game to begin, we got to watch the Duke University Marching Band, fondly known as DUMB (yes, seriously), perform their pregame show. Then, it was football time!
Playing Tech Triumph as a part of Duke’s pregame show! (Source: Macey Early)
Interesting to note: this was the first game since 2020 that the MVs have attended wearing anything other than the classic Marching Virginians uniform. We opted instead for our standard issue maroon sweatpants and gray t-shirts/sweatshirts. The game at Duke was also the first away game, excluding UVA and bowl games, that the MVs have attended in the last four years!
1st HALF
QB #6 Grant Wells running the ball (Source: HokieSports)
The first quarter was a pleasant surprise for Hokie fans. The Hokies scored a touchdown on the second play of the game and held off Duke for the entire first quarter, allowing only a field goal. The second quarter started to look a little less promising, as Duke scored their first touchdown and VT gained no points.
Halftime
Then it was halftime! Duke’s marching band took the field once again to perform some popular songs, such as Take My Breath by The Weeknd and That That by PSY and SUGA of BTS. In addition to the DUMB, we were also entertained by skydivers! There were three, and they descended from the sky to land on the field, flying flags and blue smoke along the way!
2ND HALF
While the MVs did our best to keep Hokie spirits up in Wallace-Wade Stadium, it proved to be difficult as the game progressed. With each quarter, Duke scored another touchdown, and the ending score was 24-7, with Duke taking the win.
Bringing the Spirit of Tech to Duke! (Source: Macey Early)
After the game, the MVs could only be consoled with pizza, which we sat and enjoyed as the stadium cleared out. Once the buses arrived at the stadium, we loaded back up and rode back to Blacksburg in a caravan of charter buses.