Let me open by saying I am a Pepsi guy. To those of you who don't know us Pepsi guys, we're like the beer guys in the commercials except we're usually younger and we don't sell beer. We're the ones who walk up and down Lane Stadium selling Pepsi to those of you in the stands and walking in the gates. Most of my brethren are high school students from the surrounding area, that's how I started, and for the most part are fans of the Hokies and just enjoy the atmosphere and, well the money too.

This is my seventh year selling Pepsi and attending the home games. That's right, my first year selling Pepsi was in 1993, the first year Tech started its current string of bowl games. Do you think there is a connection here? I like to think so.

You ask, why sell Pepsi if you're such a big fan? Well the answer is simple, as someone who doesn't attend Tech, it's a great way to see all the games for free and make money while you are doing it. But now to my thoughts on Saturdays' game.

First off, I have to say getting to the game wasn't as bad as I expected. I was anticipating major delays once driving into the Tech campus for parking lot attendants collecting money, but I experienced no such delays, which left me pleasantly surprised.

As I made my stroll to the hallowed grounds of Lane Stadium/Worsham Field, I walked by tailgaters, boys throwing footballs with their fathers, the Marching Virginians and let me not forget the cheerleaders, oh how I can not forget the cheerleaders, and I thought to myself this is what fall Saturdays are all about. This is what I had been waiting for all week, heck all summer, well that and Michael Vick.

I made my way to the Pepsi room and strapped on the tray of 20 Pepsi cups and headed out amongst the orange and maroon. In between my shouts of "Pepsi here, how bout some Pepsi" I could just feel the excitement building amongst the fans as they entered through the gates.

The game started and from outside the stands I could hear the crowd continuing to roar play after play, I wasn't sure what was happening, but I knew that if the crowd was that loud it had to be something good for the Hokies. I later found out that was the defensive stand after the long Keaton run to drive JMU out of field goal territory.

As I was walking down the lower east stands, I witnessed my first ever Michael Vick pass and boy was it a thing of beauty. I watched as the ball went into the air and, then I found the intended target, Andre Davis. I watched as Andre made an adjustment to the ball and I just kept saying to myself, "c'mon Andre you can do it, you can do it." The ball landed right in his hands and I thought it was a sure touchdown, but Andre's feet came out from under him and he fell to the ground, but I didn't care. First our receiver held on to the ball and we proved that we are a deep threat team. I yelled out in excitement!

But then the man sitting down to the right of me, brought me back to reality, and said, "Son, how much do I owe you for this drink?"

I looked at him blankly for a second and then said, "I'm sorry, two dollars sir." Such is the life of a Pepsi guy.

After I finished selling my tray. I went back into the stands and eventually I witnessed my next Vick pass, again it was another bomb, and this time it was to Ricky Hall. And this one was a little more precise then the last, I was so thrilled and thinking to myself, "man, this Vick kid is all they said he was and a bag of chips too."

I continued to hear the cannon boom and every time I heard it, I knew something good was happening for Tech. It was everything I could have hoped for the first game. The stands were full, the fans were excited, the offense was scoring, JMU was not and it was hot outside so I was selling lots of Pepsi.

Then I walked down the east stands again and saw a group of trainers tending to a player in the endzone. I wasn't sure who it was, but then someone yelled out, "No not Vick, not our QB." I was shocked, not another quarterback hurt, and in the first game of the season and of his career. But my worries for the most part were for naught, when I later learned that it was only a contusion of his leg and that he was begging the coaches to let him go back into the game.

Awhile later I was once again walking down the east side bleachers when I observed Dave Meyer leading the troops. Meyer went back into the pocket and looked downfield, but couldn't find a receiver, then the JMU defenders were approaching him and I thought for sure it was a certain sack, but Dave showed his feet are pretty quick too and made the first couple of defenders miss. Then I thought the play was going to be positive for the Hokies O, but just as that thought popped into my head, a couple of more defenders came into the picture and they proved to be too much. Dave tried to juke and jive his way through them, but this time he forget the ball and laid it on the ground and the JMU defenders quickly covered it up. I didn't see any more plays from Meyer, but I heard he later settled himself down and had a good performance. Although I thought his fumble was bad, I thought Dave gave a good effort trying to make something out of nothing and for that, I do not fault him.

That sums up all of the action I was able to witness on Saturday. The only defensive play I remember seeing and, my view wasn't that great, was the Corey Moore safety. But all and all it was a great day. The Hokie offense put up 47 points. The defense held JMU to a shutout. Shayne Graham became the Big East's leading scorer in history and Michael Vick looked impressive in his quarter and a half of play. And, oh yeah I was the leading seller in my room and took home the "bonus" if you can call it that.

Once again I left my apartment at 11 in the morning, after my pre-game ritual, to make my way to Virginia Tech’s second contest of their 1999 campaign, the Alabama-Birmingham game. I’m not sure how many other Hokies have a set pre-game ritual as I do, but it’s just something I’ve adapted over my seven years of watching the Hokies play football in Blacksburg, and oh yeah some working too.

For those of you interested in what a Pepsi guy might do before a game, it’s pretty simple. First I pour myself a large bowl of Cheerios with lots of sugar and a glass of orange juice. The Cheerios and orange juice provide me with the necessary energy to walk the thousand or so stairs at Lane and the sugar, well I guess just gets me hyper. Then while eating my bowl of Cheerios I read the Roanoke Times. OK, not the whole paper just the Sports section. I like to read the key match-ups and make sure there isn’t some late breaking developments that I’m unaware of and also check out the local high school scores to see how the teams faired the night before. After that I hop into my car, pop in a tape or turn on my CD player, crank up the volume and head down 460. And then I’m truly ready to sell Pepsi.

Now back to Saturday’s action.

As I am for every game, I was ready for the Tech-UAB match-up, but with Vick out, some of the posters comments warning of a let down and possible upset by UAB loomed in my mind. I knew the players had said all the right things before the season, but I didn’t think Temple would happen last season either and besides UAB had played Missouri tough the previous Saturday so I was a bit worried.

Well I strapped on my tray of 20 and headed out amongst the crowd yelling and screaming and pleading with people to purchase a Pespi. I used some of my famous coined phrases such as, “Drink the Pepsi, keep the cup.” Or “It’s a hot game today, grab a Pepsi and cool down.” I don’t know how much these phrases of mine work, but they usually seem to make a few people chuckle and get people to notice me so I guess I’ll continue to go with them.

Anyway in between some of my “salesmanship”, a Hokie fan approached me and purchased a Pepsi and asked me if I was a Pepsi guy and knew of the guy who posted on Hokiecentral. I told him I was the one. I was really surprised that I had made a name for myself even if it was only one person. The only problem, I forget to ask him his board name so if you’re out there, it was a pleasure to meet you sir.

After I finished selling my first tray of the game, I headed back to my room to get another tray and continued to sell, as I waited for the game to start. I was still outside the stadium when I heard the cannons go off for the first time and knew we must have scored. Soon after I walked into the stands and heard a few students talking about Dave Meyer’s touchdown pass and one student was even bragging to his friends how he knew Dave was a great quarterback and could light up opposing defenses with the long pass. I was pretty excited as well, but as the day was hot and the Hokie fans excited, I was seeing a lot more action in the stands than I was on the field, but I wasn’t complaining. Before I knew it, Shayne had kicked a field goal and we had an early 10-0 lead.

It was still in the first quarter and I was doing great, as far as selling Pepsi and my favorite team winning. I couldn’t carry enough drinks for the demand of my customers, even my Diet Pepsi was selling out quick. Then the second quarter began and the Hokies offense opened the scoring in the period with their second touchdown giving us a 17-point lead. At this point I still had seen more faces with painted VT’s than helmets with VT’s, but I was on a record setting pace for Pepsi sold in a game.

Then it happened. Our offense went south and the UAB’s offense was given some great opportunities to put points on the board. Also at the same time, the Hokie fans attention turned from purchasing drinks to concentrating on the game and becoming somewhat frustrated.

As every veteran Pepsi guy knows, the key to selling a lot of drinks, even more than a warm, sunny day, is for the fans to be excited, happy and to not have to worry about the outcome of the game being in doubt. Because if the game gets to be close or the Hokies are playing poorly, fans just don’t want to buy Pepsi. I don’t make the rules, I just write what I’ve observed over the years. The only positive that can be taken from these situations is that I’m able to watch some of the game, whether I would like to or not because usually Tech is playing poorly. The first play I remember seeing is the UAB touchdown after a Tech turnover.

I was thinking to myself if our defense can just hold, we will have an excellent chance for a shutout. But at that very second, the UAB quarterback, Dixon, took the snap, and it looked like a reverse was in the mix, but Dixon only faked the handoff and went back in the pocket with some time. He looked down the middle of the field and to his left. Then Dixon returned his eyes to the right of the field and to the back he had just faked the reverse to and found him wide open inside the Hokies 10. There wasn’t a Tech player within eight yards and by the time contact was made, the UAB receiver was in the endzone for six. Now I’m aware that the touchdown was a trick play, but a small hush could be heard over the crowd and the defense seemed to be disappointed that the shutout was lost. But as I walked back up the stairs, I could hear people telling one another it’s only seven we’re still up by 10 and with our D there’s no need to worry.

I finally finished selling my tray and when I came back I noticed UAB had possession again, and again they were in Tech territory, this from a team who never got past the 50 at home against us last season. I wasn’t sure if the Blazers had driven the ball on our defense or if our offense had turned the ball over again. But I did know that it was late in the second quarter and we could ill afford another UAB score. I watched as our defense held tight and forced a field goal attempt. As I walked down the stairs, I knew the field goal was from a fair distance and even our own Shayne Graham might have trouble booting this one through. That combined with our outstanding field goal blocking unit, I was pretty confident this was going to be a miss. But somehow the kicker, Jolly, managed to knock it through the uprights cutting our lead to seven. The UAB sidelines erupted with cheer and you could tell they really thought they were in this game and Jolly was high-fiving his teammates as he should of, considering it was a career best for the Virginia-born kicker.

This time a real hush came over the crowd and flashbacks of Temple were looming in my head. But one good thing, well actually it was probably more of a great thing, happened after that field goal, I saw Corey Moore run over to his teammates and tell them a thing or two. I’m not sure exactly what he said, but I could see his teammates were definitely listening. Then I wondered if this is what we needed, Corey to take charge of the team, but then I thought about last season and the senior leaders we had on that team especially in the defensive secondary in Loren Johnson and Pierson, but how the Temple loss had still happened. But then it occurred to me, Loren and Pierson were only cornerbacks, they weren’t a 6’0, strong as an ox defensive lineman. And they didn’t have those Corey Moore eyes.

I tell you what, if Corey Moore grabbed me by the facemask and started telling me we weren’t going to let down and the Blazers weren’t going to score any more points regardless of where they got the ball, with his eyes popping out of his head, you can better believe I’m listening and believing every word and syllable that leaves his mouth because I would be too afraid to do otherwise.

At the same time, I noticed that the fans who were earlier cheering for Meyer, now where cursing his very existence. I was no longer hearing Meyer is the man conversations. They had all turned to Meyer is a goat without an arm and we want Vick chants. From those very distinct words and opinions I had a feeling that Meyer had, had a rough second quarter. It wasn’t until half-time underneath the bleachers, that I was talking to and selling an older gentleman a Pepsi, that I was informed that Meyer threw three interceptions and that we fumbled twice for a grand total of 5 turnovers, not only in the half, but in the second quarter. After I thanked him for his purchase, I told him we were very lucky to even be in this game, yet alone leading. I was just shocked at how many turnovers we had. But it also showed me how great of defense we must have been playing to escape with only 10 points off of five turnovers and to still be up by seven.

The second half began and I was hoping we could turn things back around like they were in the first quarter. The fans were still not in the buying mood, so that meant a lot of walking to the top of the bleachers, to the fans who usually seem to get forgotten by us Pepsi guys during the games because of the climb.

I’m not sure if our defense forced a turnover or what, but I remember seeing our offense with the ball in very good field position. I was thinking to myself, OK this is where we have to punch it in the endzone. Our offense started moving the ball, but then stalled. I was really shocked that our offensive line couldn’t have exploded off the ball more and created huge holes for our backs to run through. It seemed we had that problem all day, because I remember hearing a lot of, “It’s fourth down and the Hokies are going for it!” calls by the PA announcer. I don’t think we were stopped any of the times we went for it on fourth down, but just the fact that we had to use four downs concerns me a bit.

But anyway, back to the offensive series.

The drive stalled and we had to settle for a short field goal, but the only problem was Shayne missed the field goal. Now I was really worrying, even after seeing the leadership displayed by Corey Moore, because I remembered Shayne missed an easy attempt last year during the Temple game too and now there were getting to be too many similarities between the games. (Though a friend told me after the game that Shayne put up his hands after watching the kick and definitely thought it was good. As someone else mentioned on the board, Beamer said on the Point After Show that Shayne usually isn’t wrong so I guess we’ll have to watch a replay to know for sure or wait for Beamer’s comments about it today on the Hokie Hotline).

The third quarter ended and our defense was still playing like the unit we all know and love, especially Corey Moore, but we still hadn’t been able to increase our lead and one trick play or one more costly turnover and the game could easily be tied. I know that was on my mind, that and wishing the sun would go down cause it was so hot outside, and I’m sure it was on the mind of the coaches, players and other fans.

But then in the fourth quarter our coaches brought out a bit of trickery. Unfortunately I was reloading, but as I was waiting for my next tray, I heard the cannon go off and a smile went across the faces of all the people in my room selling Pepsi because we knew Tech had increased the lead and was in command again. I went back into the stands and my drinks started selling again and I heard comments like, “Why isn’t he playing quarterback for us with an arm like that?”

I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I later found out that Andre Kendrick threw a half-back option to Andre Davis for a touchdown and that’s what the gentlemen were referring too. After that play it was all Tech and soon after, it was time for me to hang up my Pepsi tray for the day. Although I didn’t sell the most during this game, I still came in second and that was good enough for me, especially since I was able to watch the last seven minutes of the game.

I climbed into an empty spot in the stands and got one of the few opportunities we Pepsi guys get to become a regular fan. I watched the Hokies run the ball down the throat of the Blazers defense and score the final touchdown of the game. And boy was it a thing of beauty, but the defense is what stood out most to me in my short time of watching the game. First when the defense took the field, there appeared to be this giant of a player playing linebacker for Tech. I wondered to myself who this might be and then I soon realized it was Jake Houseright. All I can say is Jake certainly looks the every bit of the part of the hype he received when he arrived on Tech’s campus, if we can just keep his knees together, watch out.

But one defensive play really stood out in my mind, the Hokies had just been called for a personal foul, then the Blazer quarterback took a cheap on Jake for some reason and was called for a personal foul himself. Jake was not too happy and seemed to have a few choice words for the QB, but low in behold who grabbed Jake and pulled him away, none other than Ronyell Whitaker. OK so maybe that wasn’t exactly a play, but the fact that Ronyell Whitaker, a redshirt freshmen, watched what was going on and pulled big Jake away and got him to calm down says a lot to me. It reminded me of the leadership Corey Moore displayed earlier in the game, and in my opinion leadership is what won us this game, the refusal to let miscues, penalties and turnovers keep us down. I’m not saying that we wouldn’t have pulled this game out last season or in year’s past, but with leaders on our team like Corey Moore and the other seniors and even Ronyell, I’m not going to panic anymore when things aren’t going our way or we look like we’re in a jam, because with just one look of Corey’s eyes I know everything that can possibly be done, will be done. You can bank on it.

Until the 23rd, take care and get prepared for prime time with Clemson,