Click here to read Part 1 of this series

Part 2: Great Expectations, then Tragedy

Even without defensive coordinator Charley Pell on staff, the “Bowl-Bound in ’76” bumper stickers looked prophetic eight games into the 1976 season. Virginia Tech was 6-2 and very much in play for a bowl bid heading into a November 6 game against Tulsa in Lane Stadium.

On a beautiful sunny day better suited for golf than football, Hokies running back Roscoe Coles gained a then-school-record 214 rushing yards and Tulsa had eight turnovers. Easy double-digit win, right? Except that the Hokies fumbled a punt attempt at their own three, allowed a Tulsa kick returner to sprint 100 yards up the middle untouched, fumbled at their own 33 and 3 to set up two Tulsa touchdowns, and finally fumbled a fifth time at the Golden Hurricane 7-yard line with time running down – and lost 35-31. (Why, in recapping this game, does the movie Eight Men Out come to mind?) It just goes to show that when it comes to turnovers, quality trumps quantity.

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