Tech has no sympathy for UVa

There’s very little room for sympathy in a football rivalry like Virginia Tech-Virginia.

That the Cavaliers have fallen on some hard luck this season doesn’t change how badly the 14th-ranked Hokies want to beat them today in Charlottesville.

Tech (8-3, 5-2) is serious about wanting to win 10 games this year, and it wants to play on or near New Year’s Day when it goes bowling. Moreover, it wants to keep its five-game win streak alive against Virginia (3-8, 2-5).

So what if that means they have to add to the Cavaliers’ misery?

“I’ve got sympathy for them when it comes to (their struggles) emotionally, but when it comes to the field, it doesn’t matter,” said Tech senior defensive end Nekos Brown.

The stakes won’t be as high today as they’ve been in past years, which oddly enough could add even more intrigue to the matchup.

Last year, Tech was playing for a spot in the ACC championship game, and UVa was playing for a bowl berth. Two years ago, the ACC’s Coastal Division title was on the line for both teams.

Today’s game is devoid of any such postseason significance. Playing for pride will have to be enough.

“I think it’s still just as important as previous years, even if we’re not going to the ACC championship game,” Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor said. “It’s for pride and even bragging rights. It’s still a big game in our heads.”

Hokies coach Frank Beamer thinks the rivalry is enough to keep both teams hungry for a win. He reminds his players that when they look back on their playing days, they may not remember if they beat other teams, but they’ll remember if they beat Virginia.

“I think (the rivalry is) every bit as intense,” Beamer said. “I tell you, every time you play in one of these games, they’re hard fought, they’re tough, they’re rugged.”

A win over the Hokies would make the Cavaliers’ season. Some of the players have said this is their bowl game.

Virginia is trying to avoid its first nine-loss campaign since George Welsh’s debut season in 1982, and many of its players are motivated by the rumors that this could be Al Groh’s last game as the Cavs coach.

UVa’s seniors are also trying to avoid an 0-4 mark against their in-state rivals.

“The rivalry is big and they’re going to pull out all the stops to try to win the game,” Brown said.

On the other side, Virginia Tech has a chance to acquire more ammunition for its claim as the best football program in the state.

The Hokies have dominated this series of late, winning nine of the last 10 games, and they aren’t eager to experience what it’s like to be on the losing end.

“I realize that it’s a different type of game in a sense that it’s a big rivalry and those guys out there, they thrive off of beating us,” Tech running back Ryan Williams said. “That is a very, very big win (for them) and that’s a very, very big win for us also.”

It’s big for the fans, too. The players don’t get many chances to cash in on those “bragging rights,” but the fans do.

“If you ask (our fans) the question, ‘If you’re going to win one game this year, what’s that one game that you’d like to win?,’ and about 96 percent would say Virginia … so, yeah, I don’t think there’s any question that this is an important game for us and Virginia,” Beamer said.

If anybody knows how much beating Virginia means to the Hokies faithful, it’s Beamer, who started his career 1-5 against the ’Hoos.

“Yeah, I think I got the message that we needed to beat Virginia,” said Beamer, who is 13-9 against the Cavaliers. “If you had ears, you heard that.”