The Pepsi Guy:  Miami
By The Pepsi Guy, 11/23/99

November 13^th finally arrived. After waiting four weeks, three hours, twenty-two minutes, the Hokies came back home after two closer-than-expected road games. OK, I'm not sure of the precise time since our last home game against Syracuse, but I had been looking forward to Miami's presence on Worsham Field before the season started and, with a possible undefeated season still in the works, my anticipation had grown exponentially.

Usually I worry about every game, and of course this game was no exception for the Pepsi Guy, but when we play top teams, especially the Hurricanes, I don't worry about our beloved team not playing up to their ability. And with what was on the line, an undefeated season, Big East title, our very own "Miami" streak, I knew the Hokies wouldn't let me down in the game face department.

As I took my usually stroll to Lane Stadium, I reflected upon the ambiance created at The Rock this season. Which I must say, since working every home game since 1993, the year's atmosphere is by far the best that I have experienced. To describe it in one word, I would simply say pandemonium, 100 percent pure adrenaline. To expand my thought further, our stadium may not be a domed arena per se, but the bedlam that has been wrought on our opponents due to Lane's atmosphere creates a stadium capped off with fright, a "Terror Dome" if you will and I expected nothing different for this game.

After selling my first couple of trays before game time, I knew this night was going to turn into something special. With screaming students walking by me in groups of tens, all thoughts of this just being another game were immediately thrown out the window. No my friends, Saturday night was to be a game for the ages. No, much more than a game, it was to be a war. A 60 minute battle to be played before 53,000 fans in the Terror Dome and millions of others watching at home.

Forget looking good for the cameras and waving hello to your mom, there were so many collisions you would be fortunate to have all your teeth at the end of this game. Two teams fighting for the same prize with the winner advancing to continue its pursuit of the conference title and the loser virtually assured their season ending in disappointment.

You had Miami still hanging on to its proud tradition and excellence while still backing down from no one. This was the year the Hokie streak was supposed to end. This game had been circled on the Hurricanes’ calendar since their overtime loss last season. Intimidation was not something Miami understood. In fact, they were to be the intimidators. Fifty-three thousand Hokie fans yelling at the top of their lungs weren't going to alarm these white and orange warriors.

Corey Moore vs. Nate Webster. Michael Vick vs. Kenny Kelly. Andre Davis vs. Santana Moss. The story line had been written, but the plot was far from predictable. In battle, nothing is predictable. The sure thing becomes impossible and the impossible becomes the status quo.

Electricity jumped from the stadium and those in attendance as Jimmy Kibble set up for the opening kickoff. The fire in the eyes of the players on both sidelines grew brighter. The atmosphere was ecstatic. The battle was on.

I walked up and down the stands as the Hokies began their first drive. A capacity crowd? I don't think so. It would be very safe to say there were a "few" more spectators than the stadium could hold. All you had to do was try and make your way with a tray full of Pepsis through the hundreds of people standing and sitting in the aisles, and it became apparent that the stairs must have been numbered for seating as well.

The Hokie offense, led by their general Michael Vick, sputtered. Miami's defense had held their ground and held it with a ferocity unseen by our players up to this point in the season as the ball was punted away.

Kenny Kelly, who now played behind the spotlight of Michael Vick, led his team onto the field to test our mighty defense. But with one quick and calculated blow, our defense had been wounded. A long pass had been completed in what seemed an easy fashion and the once rowdy and electrified crowd fell silent. Those buying Pepsi at the time looked to the referees for help, looking for a flag, but none was to be found. Some fans held out hope that the defense could keep the Hurricanes out of the end zone, but many simply shook their heads as one middle aged man to my right did, looked down upon the concrete, and quietly said, "We're in trouble."

But the defense would have none of this, stuffing Miami and holding them to three points. Although Miami scored the initial points of the contest, three points were much preferred to seven and smiles returned to the Hokie faithful because, everyone knew we had an ace up our sleeve. We had Michael Vick.

I was busy selling Pepsi and missed our next offensive series. But once again, our offense was turned back and Jimmy Kibble's leg was called on again. And before I knew it, the Canes had arrived in our end zone and now we were down by 10.

Talk about panic, talk about distress. Fans were throwing things down upon the ground. So the cups and expletives may not have been towels, but they weren't very far from it. As I walked up the steps of The Rock, the faces were in a state of shock. The Pepsi Guy will have to admit he was stunned as well and wondered if maybe this was the game Miami was going to end "the streak."

But just as all seemed lost, as the perfect season was about to turn imperfect, our team did it again. They showed us that they are indeed a resilient lot. We turned a Miami fumble into seven. The Pepsi Guy watched as our team marched the ball to the one. The first try turned back, the second turned back as well, and the third run in a row stopped short of the goal line. Was Miami going to show us a goal line stand? Something our defense is well known for? Not so fast my friend, as my buddy Lee Corso would say. We were granted one more shot due to a Miami penalty. Our line dug into the trenches and Shyrone Stith emerged from the pile of bodies with the nose of the ball over the goal line to awake the sleeping giant of Lane Stadium. The twelfth man was alive and kicking once again.

The hits kept on coming and the Pepsi kept on selling. Fans were screaming and players (in particular quarterbacks) were limping to the sidelines at an alarming rate. At times it looked as if the last team with eleven able bodies was going to take home the "W". No one was immune to the violence of the game. Mothers cringed, fans ooohed and aaahed, and the trainers looked like medics on the battlefield. Finally the Hokies made some sense of it all.

The Pepsi Guy just happened to look upon the field and seen this speeding bullet of a player cutting back and forth between Miami defenders and into the end zone. I smacked high fives with two gentlemen beside me and quickly asked, "Was that Andre Davis?" because of the players' speed. A middle-aged man responded, "No, that was Shyrone Stith." Talk about being shot out of a cannon, but with Stith's run, the Hokies now were on top for the first time. And the planets were aligned once again.

After a missed field goal by Shayne Graham, a reported 59-yarder, the teams went to half-time to rest up for the next 30 minute onslaught.

Even though we were up by four, I was still worried about this game primarily due to Miami's explosive offense. I talked to a youngster underneath the bleachers and asked who he thought was going to win. He looked me square in the eyes and stated, "The Hokies have this one in the bag." I wish I could've returned his confidence, but I wasn't so sure. But as Will has often stated, there is no comparison between Frank and Butch. So maybe this kid was on to something because if coaches were cars, Frank would be something akin to a brand new Porsche or Mercedes, whereas Butch is more like my old three-toned ‘84 Chevrolet whose heater only works in the summer.

The third quarter was underway and I was in the lead for top seller. The teams continued to battle as the quarter slowly ticked off the scoreboard. After a Donovan McNabb-esque move, in which Michael Vick rolled to his right, fumbled the ball, picked it up again, rolled to his left and found tight end Browning Wynn wide open, the offense moved into field goal position while I shook my head in disbelief. My favorite kicker, Shayne Graham, booted a trifecta, giving the Hokies a bit of breathing room.

I was beginning to feel more comfortable because it seemed our defense was starting to take control of the game, but I continued to feel this was going to be a battle to the finish just as every Miami game has been the past five years. The third quarter elapsed and then it happened: an explosion rivaling all the fireworks that were shot off Saturday night, rolled up into one.

Ricky Hall lined up for a punt return. And boy, did he return it. Ricky returned it all the way to the end zone, to the absolute delight of the home crowd. I was high-fiving fans I had never seen in my life, strangers were hugging, and most importantly the Hokies were up by 14. Now I was actually feeling comfortable just as that young boy had at halftime.

But we weren't done, no sir, our team had a few more parting gifts they wanted to bestow upon the Canes. Corey Moore punched the ball away from Miami carrier Clinton Portis and who else but our very own vacuum cleaner, Ike Charlton, picked it up and ran it back for another touchdown. Again the crowd erupted and the fireworks exploded in the Blacksburg sky.

By this time, the night was finished for the Pepsi Guy as he handed in his final tray, leaving tied as the top seller once again. I quickly asked for my ticket to the BC game and headed out to watch the rest of the festivities.

I joined the crowd and had the privilege of watching Anthony Midget grab his third interception of the night. Apparently the Miami quarterbacks didn't understand that Anthony is a Tech player from Florida and not a player who attended a South Florida university. Midget’s third pick led to another Shayne Graham field goal, but the night wasn’t finished yet.

After the field goal, Andre Kendrick capped off the celebration for the Hokies. He zigged and zagged through defenders and headed for the end zone, but a Miami defender knocked the ball out from behind Kendrick. But in a quarter where everything was going Tech's way, Andre Davis proved to be Johnny-on-the-spot as he kicked and fell on the rolling ball in the end zone, a move he has no doubt practiced quite a few times, due to his soccer skills.

With Tech holding onto a decisive advantage, nothing was left but waving a few good-byes to our departing Miami friends and a lot of celebrating. After the final play and the 43-10 Tech victory, I searched for a few Miami souvenirs. I found a Hurricane pom-pom and was about ready to exit the stadium when I saw an older Hurricane fan standing by himself. Not being the type of person who wants to rub in the score, I politely asked him what he thought of Tech's chances in a game against the so-called national powers, since the Canes had played Penn State, Ohio State and Florida State this season.

His response might shock most of you, he looked down upon me and said, "You guys have a great shot. You were definitely the better team tonight. I think Florida State has a great offense, but your defense is really, really quick. I for one, hate the other Florida schools and would like nothing more than to see you guys defeat one of them in the Sugar Bowl. If not for me then for the Big East." I thanked him for his comments and wished him and the Hurricanes good luck the rest of the season.

Now we're not only the team of Blacksburg, the team of Virginia, but we're the team of the Big East as well, as other teams’ fans are jumping aboard our bandwagon and hoping we can do the conference proud. If we can somehow find away to beat our nemesis Temple this Saturday and Boston College after Thanksgiving, we might just get that chance.

Until the 26^th , take care,

The Pepsi Guy

PS: It was nice to meet you, MEHokie

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