Virginia Concludes 2012 Season on Saturday at Virginia Tech

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Nov. 19, 2012

Virginia and Virginia Tech Clash for the Commonwealth Cup Saturday
•Virginia concludes its 2012 season with a trip to Blacksburg for a meeting with inter-state rival, Virginia Tech, Saturday at noon. The game will be televised live on ESPNU.

Virginia-Virginia Tech Rivalry
• Virginia Tech leads the all-time series 51-37-5 and has won 12 of the last 13 meetings, including eight-straight. Tech has also taken 15 of the teams’ last 19 meetings.
• The series began in 1895 with UVa gaining a 38-0 win in Charlottesville.
• UVa’s most recent victory in the series was a 35-21 win at home in 2003.
• The Hokies (93 games) are UVa’s second-most frequent opponent – UVa has played North Carolina 117 times.

Commonwealth Cup Up for Grabs
• The winner of this game claims the Commonwealth Cup for the next year.
• After holding the trophy following wins in 1997 and 1998, the Cavaliers have taken it just once since then (2003) with the Hokies winning 12 of the last 13 meetings.
• The award was started for the 1996 game between the two state foes, with the Hokies receiving the trophy for the first time with a 26-9 win.
• The Cup is made of marble and cherry wood, stands four feet high and weighs more than 100 pounds.
• The scores of all 93 games in the rivalry are engraved on the sides of the trophy.

Coaches Familiar With Rivalry
• Three UVa coaches are veterans of the Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry.
• Shawn Moore and Anthony Poindexter are Virginia alums.
• Moore quarterbacked the Cavaliers in wins over the Hokies in 1988 and 1989 and missed the 1990 game with an injury.
• Poindexter was 2-2 during his tenure at defensive back from 1995-98, with wins over Tech in 1997 and 1998, although he was injured for the 36-32 victory in 1998 in Blacksburg.
• Head coach Mike London was a UVa assistant coach during the 2001-04 and 2006-07 seasons, with the Cavaliers going 1-5 during that span, including a victory in 2003. He is 0-2 as a head coach against Virginia Tech.
• In addition, graduate assistant Marques Hagans played for the Commonwealth Cup as Cavalier player. UVa Graduate assistant Jonathan Lewis played in the rivalry on the other side of the ball, for Virginia Tech. Lewis, a defensive tackle, played in four Commonwealth Cup games for the Hokies (2002-05).
• Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer was a varsity defensive back for the Hokies from1966-68. He made his first start in Tech’s 1966 game against Virginia, a 24-7 Hokies’ victory.

City of Lynchburg Turns out FBS QBs
• UVa’s Michael Rocco hails from Lynchburg, Va., as does Virginia Tech’s starting QB Logan Thomas.
• Rocco played for his father Frank at Liberty Christian Academy and Thomas starred at Brookville HS.

32 is Virginia’s magic Number
• Scoring plenty of points against the Hokies means good things for the Cavaliers.
• Virginia has scored at least 32 points in each of its last seven series wins dating back to 1989.

Virginia in Season-Enders
• This game is the Cavaliers’ final contest of the 2012 season.
• UVa is 44-74-4 all-time in regular-season finales and has lost its last eight.
• This is the seventh straight year and the 18th time in the last 22 seasons Virginia has closed the regular season against the Hokies.