The Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry has a long and storied history. The two teams first faced off in Charlottesville in 1895, but the name “Commonwealth Clash” was not coined until the 2014-15 season. Since its beginning, the Virginia Tech football team leads in victories against UVA 62-38. As of the 2024 season, the UVA football team has not won in Lane Stadium since 1998. The buildup to the game was tense, as both teams were 5-6 in their respective football seasons.
6 wins are needed for bowl eligibility, so the question remained:
Happy Senior Night! Photo courtesy of Andrew Single
Pregame
Long after the sun had set, the MVs entered Lane Stadium for the final home game of the season. Energy was high as we eagerly awaited kickoff. As Hokie fans began to arrive, we started our pregame stands performance with Bom Bom, followed shortly by Crosstown Traffic. The football team then presented their graduating seniors, including key players such as Kyron Drones, Bhayshul Tuten, Antwaun Powell-Ryland, and Aeneas Peebles. The Highty-Tighties then gave their final pregame show just before “Enter Sandman” welcomed the football team to the field.
First Quarter
William “Pop” Watson III made his collegiate football debut as quarterback for the Hokies. While the first few minutes of the quarter were slow, things quickly picked up after Tuten scored the first touchdown of the game. The Hokies later sacked UVA quarterback Tony Muskett. Before the quarter ends, kicker John Love successfully scores a 44-yard field goal, putting the Hokies in the lead 10-0.
Second Quarter
Photo courtesy of Andrew Single
Tension began to build in the second quarter as both teams struggled to score. The Cavaliers managed to score a field goal and made their debut on the scoreboard. Watson makes an impressive delivery to Jaylin Lane, who runs it into the endzone for another Hokie touchdown. Just before the end of the half, John Love scored a 31-yard field goal, securing a score of 20-3 as the clock hit zero.
Halftime
During halftime, the MVs took the field and the fan-favorite Metallica show made a return from the 2023 season. The crowd cheered as the MVs played a medley of iconic Metallica songs including “For Whom The Bell Tolls”, “Fuel”, “Fade To Black”, “Lux Æterna”, and “Enter Sandman”. At the end of the performance, the graduating MVs were announced, including drum majors Emily Tucker and Thomas Chase. Congratulations and happy trails to all of our graduating seniors!
Third Quarter
The intensity continued into the third quarter. A few minutes in, Watson ran the ball into the endzone, scoring the Hokies another touchdown. Later on, the Cavaliers managed to score a touchdown of their own along with a two-point conversion. Love scored another field goal for the Hokies, making the score 30-11 by the end of the quarter.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Single
Fourth Quarter
The Cavaliers managed to score another touchdown with a failed two-point conversion, giving them 6 points at the start of the fourth quarter. After a failed tackle from UVA, Tuten is able to run the ball 58 yards into the endzone for another Hokie touchdown—putting VT in a 20-point lead. The game ends with a final score of 37-17, and the Hokies win another Commonwealth Cup.
The students rush the field as the MVs perform their end-of-game concert of Metallica, VPI Victory March, Swag Surfin’, Tech Triumph, and Superman. With this win, the Hokies finish their football season 6-6. Let’s go bowling!