Virginia Tech vs. Florida State • Page 1 No. 24/23 Florida State Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008 SEMINOLES Kickoff: 3:30 PM 5-1, 2-1 ACC Doak Campbell Stadium (82,300) Virginia Tech Tallahassee, Fla. HOKIES Series vs. FSU: FSU leads, 21-11-1 5-2, 2-1 ACC Series Streak: VT, one head coach, including three wins while at West THE CHECKLIST Virginia. • Tech is Florida State’s oldest out-of-state ✓ Florida State holds a 21-11-1 lead in the rival, having first met in 1955. The Hokies and series that dates back to 1955. ‘Noles have met 33 times before, many when ✓ Tech coach Frank Beamer picked up his both were independents. The Tech series is the first win against Bobby Bowden last year. third-longest in FSU history behind Miami ✓ The Hokies are 16-2 on the road in ACC (53 times) and Florida (52 times). contests since joining the league in 2004 with their lone losses coming at Boston STRONG ON THE ROAD … College (2006 and last week). • Virginia Tech has posted a 16-2 overall ✓ Tech’s last win at Doak Campbell record in Atlantic Coast Conference road Stadium came in 1974 and the Hokies games since joining the league in 2004. Tech are just 5-12 at that venue. went 4-0 in 2004, 4-0 in 2005, 3-1 in 2006, 4-0 ✓ Virginia Tech is Florida State’s oldest last year and is 1-1 this year after winning at out-of-state rival. North Carolina and falling at BC last week. BROADCAST INFORMATION COACH TO CURE MD • Head coach Frank Beamer will be one TV Information: The game will be televised THE SERIES of many coaches participating in the AFCA’s regionally by ABC with Ron Franklin • Saturday’s game will mark the 34th Coach to Cure Muscular Dystrophy program (play-by-play), Ed Cunningham (analyst) and football meeting between Virginia Tech and this Saturday to help fight against Duchenne Jack Arute (sideline) calling the action. Florida State. Muscular Dystrophy. Duchenne is the leading Radio Information: The game will be • The Seminoles hold a 21-11-1 genetic killer of young men. Coach to Cure broadcast regionally by the 30-plus station advantage in the series, which began in 1955. MD is a nationwide project designed to build Virginia Tech ISP Sports Network. Calling FSU had won the previous 12 meetings until awareness about the disorder and support the game on the Tech Network are eight-time Tech won 40-21 last year at Blacksburg. FSU researchers trying to find a treatment and cure. Virginia Sportscaster of the Year Bill Roth downed Tech 27-22 for a win in the inaugural College football coaches across the country (play-by-play in his 21st season) and former ACC Championship Game. are wearing the Coach to Cure MD armband Virginia Tech tight end and Virginia Tech • The two met in the 2000 Nokia Sugar during their games this week. Sports Hall of Famer Mike Burnop (analyst Bowl in New Orleans, with the Seminoles in his 26th season). taking a 46-29 win that decided the national LAST ROAD STOP • For a complete list of stations carrying Tech championship and in the 2002 Gator • It took five seasons, but Florida State football, see page 4. Bowl, with the Seminoles winning 30-17 at is the last ACC school the Hokies will play at. • Follow ACC football on XM Satellite Jacksonville, Fla. Tech joined the league in 2004 and has played channels 190-193. • Prior to their meeting in the 2000 Sugar at least one game at the 10 other schools. Bowl, Tech and FSU had not met since the COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF 1991 season when the No. 1-ranked Seminoles 10 Virginia Tech has forced 10 fumbles in seven games. defeated the Hokies, 33-20, in a neutral-site 9 Tech defensive end Orion Martin leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in tackles for game at Orlando. loss with 9.5. • Prior to last year’s win, Tech’s last 8 The Boston College game marked just the eighth time since 1999 that Tech has victory in the series came in 1975 when the outrushed an opponent and lost. Hokies posted a 13-10 win at Lane Stadium. 7 The Florida State game will be Tech’s seventh game away from home in its last 10 • Tech is 5-12 against FSU at Doak outings. Campbell Stadium with its last win coming 6 Tech’s six games away from home in 2008 are the most during the regular season since in 1974. Tech’s Frank Beamer is 1-7 as a head 1995 when the Hokies also had six. coach in games against Florida State. Florida 5 The Hokies have blocked five kicks in 2008. State’s Bobby Bowden is 15-1 versus Tech as a 4 Victor Harris is tied for fourth place in career interceptions at Tech with 13. Brent Bowden, although not 3 Quarterback Tyrod Taylor posted his third career 100-yard rushing game in the loss to PAGE related to Bobby, is quite Boston College. familiar with the Florida State 2 Tech has lost just two ACC road games, both at Boston College. 14 football program. 1 Linebacker Brett Warren scored his first collegiate TD at BC on an interception. www.hokiesports.com Virginia Tech vs. Florida State • Page 2 COACH FRANK BEAMER In 2004, Tech went a surprising 10-3 in a The Beamer File • Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech ’69), season highlighted by an eight-game winning PERSONAL: whose Virginia Tech teams have posted a 148- streak that led to Tech’s ACC championship Born: 10/18/46, Mt. Airy, N.C. 47 record over the past 15-plus seasons and and a trip to the Nokia Sugar Bowl. Hometown: Hillsville, Va. appeared in bowl games each year in that span, During the 2000 season, the Hokies Wife: former Cheryl Oakley is in his 22nd year as the head football coach at posted an 11-1 record that included a 41-20 Children: Shane, Casey Tech. Beamer has guided the Hokies to a 172- win over Clemson in the Gator Bowl. EDUCATION: 87-2 record. In 1999, Tech marched to an 11-0 High School: Hillsville (1965) He became Tech’s winningest football regular-season mark before losing a hard- College: Virginia Tech (1969) Postgraduate: Radford University (1972) coach in 1997 when Tech defeated Arkansas fought 46-29 game to Florida State for the State and became the 47th coach in NCAA national title in the Sugar Bowl. The Hokies PLAYING EXPERIENCE: history (all divisions) to record 200 victories ended the ’99 season ranked No. 2 by AP. Virginia Tech (1966-68) when Tech beat Ohio on Sept. 15, 2007. Another highlight came when Tech beat COACHING EXPERIENCE: Under Beamer, Tech football has enjoyed Texas, 28-10, in the 1995 Sugar Bowl and 1972 Graduate Assistant, Maryland 1973-76 Assistant Coach, The Citadel unprecedented success with 15 consecutive finished 10-2. The bowl streak started in ’93 1977-78 Defensive Coordinator, The Citadel bowl appearances, two ACC titles, two ACC when Tech beat Indiana in the Independence 1979-80 Defensive Coordinator, Murray State Coastal Division crowns, three BIG EAST Bowl to cap a 9-3 season. 1981-86 Head Coach, Murray State Conference titles and a trip to the national Beamer returned to his alma mater in 1981 (8-3) championship game. Tech won the BIG EAST December of 1986 after a six-year stint as the 1982 (4-7) 1983 (7-4) title in 1995 and 1999 and shared it in ‘96. head coach at Murray State University, where 1984 (9-2) Beamer was voted BIG EAST Coach of the he compiled a 42-23-2 mark. 1985 (7-3-1) Year by the league’s coaches each of those During his undergraduate days at Tech, 1986 (7-4-1) Ohio Valley co-champs seasons and was tabbed the ACC Coach of the Beamer started three years as a cornerback and Record at Murray State: 42-23-2 (six years) Year in both 2004 and 2005. played on the Hokies’ 1966 and 1968 Liberty 1987- Head Coach, Virginia Tech 1987 (2-9) In 1997, he was inducted into the Virginia Bowl teams. 1988 (3-8) Tech Sports Hall of Fame and following the The 62-year-old Hillsville, Va., native 1989 (6-4-1) 1999 season, he earned eight national coach began his collegiate coaching career as a 1990 (6-5) of the year honors. Under Beamer, Tech has graduate assistant at Maryland in 1972. He 1991 (5-6) earned a top 10 ranking in the AP poll at some held assistant coaching positions at The Citadel 1992 (2-8-1) 1993 (9-3) Indep. Bowl champs point during seven of the past eight years. and Murray State before being named MSU’s 1994 (8-4) Gator Bowl Last year, Tech won 11 games, an ACC head coach in 1981. 1995 (10-2) BIG EAST champs, title and was ranked as high as third in the Beamer is married to the former Cheryl Sugar Bowl champs country in the BCS. Oakley of Richmond, Va. They have two 1996 (10-2) BIG EAST co-champs, In 2005, Tech won the ACC’s Coastal children, Shane, a former member of his dad’s Orange Bowl 1997 (7-5) Gator Bowl Division and earned a spot in the league’s football team at Tech and now an assistant 1998 (9-3) Music City Bowl champs inaugural championship game. The Hokies coach at the University of South Carolina; and 1999 (11-1) BIG EAST champs, won a school-record tying 11 games, including daughter Casey, a 2003 graduate of Virginia Sugar Bowl the Toyota Gator Bowl, finishing the season Tech who now works for the Carolina Panthers 2000 (11-1) Gator Bowl champs ranked seventh in the country.