Tommorrow, Georgia Tech will play their first ever game in Blacksburg. However, it’s not the first time that the Yellow Jackets have attempted to play at Blacksburg.

Sure, the Hokies and Jackets have met before. Georgia Tech squeaked out a win over Virginia Tech (a team that just beginning their ascent to be a national power) by a scant score of 6-3, thanks to the kicking leg of Scott Sisson, during the 1990 National Championship year. There was also last year’s unreal comeback when VT dropped 25 points on Georgia Tech in the final five and half minutes of the game to win 34-20. Incidentally, this was probably the only game where Adriene was angrier about the result than I was. She was ready to have Chan Gailey fired immediately that very night.

But, the really interesting game was the one that never happened. In 2000, Georgia Tech travelled up to Blacksburg for the 2000 BCA Classic, a “pre-season” matchup that was to feature Micheal Vick, fresh off of VT’s run to the National Championship and the Sugar Bowl in 1999. This was also George Godsey’s first start at quarterback after Joe Hamilton graduated. I was convinced a slow white boy like Godsey was destined for disaster and all hope had left with Hamilton, but Godsey did just fine, going 25-12 during his three years as starting quarterback.

As the teams warmed up on the field for the night game, the storm clouds gathered above the stadium. As the two teams lined up on the field of the opening kickoff and the Hokie crowd began to roar, the officials blew the whistle and ordered the teams off the field just moments before the kicker was to start the game. Lightning had been spotted in the area and the teams were send to their locker rooms for safety. Moments later the rain began to pour and lightning and thunder surrounded the stadium.

The highlight of the evening came when ESPN captured live a lightning strike right outside of the stadium, hitting a car and sending a shower of sparks up around the car. The car turned out to be none other than ESPN analyst Lee Corso’s rental car. That’s what you get for picking the Hokies, Corso. Heavy rain and lightning continued throughout the evening and finally the game was cancelled.

It’s probably just as well that the game never happened. The next week Georgia Tech opened their season at home against Central Florida and Godsey struggled mightily in his first start ever until pulling the game out at the end to win 21-17. One suspects Georgia Tech would not have had that kind of good fortune against Virginia Tech in 2000 as the Hokies steamrolled to an 11-1 record capped off with a Gator Bowl victory over Clemson.

So, this year, Georgia Tech will try again to play their first ever game in Blacksburg. Quarterback Reggie Ball is recovering from an illness this week and his health and stamina could go a long way towards determining whether the Yellow Jackets have a shot at a big upset on the road.

….but at least this year, maybe the game will actually happen.