Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 13 No. 2 | October 2020

inside.hokiesports.com 11 THE OFFICIAL KIDS’ CLUB OF VIRGINIA TECH ATHLETICS TWO PLANS TO CHOOSE FROM ORANGE LEVEL: FREE MAROON LEVEL: $35 Visit hokiesports.com/hokiekidsclub to join! The victory was every bit as gratifying as the week before, and every bit as challenging. But in that game, some of the football fun returned. The fans dubbed the Hokies’ offensive line the “Vice Squad,” and Khalil Herbert shattered the program record for all-purpose yards with 357. And again, for a few hours, the Hokies’ success allowed us to forget about the challenges it took to get there and the challenges we all have faced in our own lives. Which, I suppose, is why it remains so imperative to press forward and welcome the return of Tech football, regardless of how disjointed and bizarre it seems at times. I promise you, as Herbert sprinted down the sideline on his 60-yard game-sealing touchdown run at Duke, I thought nothing about the pandemic and its problems. I thought about how good this Hokies team could be at full strength and hoping that we get to witness that at some point, along with some more electrifying moments along the way. We all struggled to get to this point in the season. My message to you Hokies is to enjoy this magical mystery tour as it unfolds. It is likely to be a story retold for decades, and I, for one, know that I hold a newfound appreciation for the opportunity to be a part of it all—and for representing all of you! Here’s to many more calls of “Touchdown Tech”—and the unified feeling it gives us when it happens. Stay well, Hokies, and enjoy the season! Despite missing 23 players, Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente and the Hokies got it done at Duke, beating the Blue Devils 38-31— and deservedly celebrating afterward.