1996 Virginia Tech Hokies football team

The 1996 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) as a member of the Big East Conference during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by 10th-year head coach Frank Beamer, the Hokies compiled an overall record of 10–2, with a mark of 6–1 in conference play, finished as Big East co-champion, and lost the Orange Bowl against Nebraska. Virginia Tech played home games at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia.

1996 Virginia Tech Hokies football
Big East co-champion
Orange Bowl, L 21–41 vs. Nebraska
ConferenceBig East Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 12
APNo. 13
Record10–2 (6–1 Big East)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorRickey Bustle (3rd season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorBud Foster (2nd season)
Base defense4–4
Home stadiumLane Stadium
Seasons
← 1995
1997 →
1996 Big East Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 13 Virginia Tech +   6 1     10 2  
No. 14 Miami (FL) +   6 1     9 3  
No. 21 Syracuse +   6 1     9 3  
West Virginia   4 3     8 4  
Pittsburgh   3 4     4 7  
Boston College   2 5     5 7  
Rutgers   1 6     2 9  
Temple   0 7     1 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

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DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 77:00 p.m.at Akron*No. 15W 21–1812,293[1]
September 1412:30 p.m.at Boston CollegeNo. 19ESPNW 45–744,500[2]
September 2112:00 p.m.RutgersNo. 18ESPN PlusW 30–1447,204[3]
September 283:30 p.m.at SyracuseNo. 18CBSL 21–5249,069[4]
October 121:00 p.m.Temple 
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 38–044,208[5]
October 2612:00 p.m.Pittsburgh
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
ESPN PlusW 34–1743,625[6]
November 21:00 p.m.Southwestern Louisiana*
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 47–1635,643[7]
November 94:00 p.m.East Carolina*No. 25
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
ESPN2W 35–1449,128[8]
November 163:30 p.m.at No. 18 Miami (FL)No. 21CBSW 21–738,814[9]
November 2312:00 p.m.No. 23 West VirginiaNo. 17
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA (rivalry)
ESPN2W 31–1450,086[10]
November 292:30 p.m.No. 20 Virginia*No. 17
CBSW 26–950,128[11]
December 317:00 p.m.vs. No. 6 Nebraska*No. 10CBSL 21–4151,212[12]
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[13]

Rankings

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Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
AP16141519181825211717151013
Coaches Poll151419161622232321201713999912

Roster

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1996 Virginia Tech Hokies football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
C 63 Bill Conaty   Sr
G 64 Gennaro DiNapoli Jr
QB 16 Jim Druckenmiller Sr
TE 81 Bryan Jennings Sr
RB 28 Ken Oxendine Jr
G 57 Dwight Vick   So
C 72 Tim Wade Sr
OT 76 T.J. Washington   Sr
G 75 Todd Washington Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
CB 9 Antonio Banks Jr
DE 58 Cornell Brown Sr
FS 1 Keion Carpenter So
S 14 Torrian Gray   Sr
CB 20 Pierson Prioleau So
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P 3 John Thomas   So
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  •   Injured
  •   Redshirt

Roster
Last update: 1997-07-08

Team players in the NFL

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Player Position Round Pick NFL club
Jim Druckenmiller Quarterback 1 26 San Francisco 49ers
Torrian Gray Safety 2 49 Minnesota Vikings
Antonio Banks Cornerback 4 13 Minnesota Vikings

References

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  1. ^ "Va. Tech sweats out tight win". The News and Advance. September 8, 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Hammering Hokies; No. 19 Virginia Tech manhandles Boston College". The Home News & Tribune. September 15, 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Tech-nical knockout". Asbury Park Press. September 22, 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Syracuse's ground assault halts Hokies". The Buffalo News. September 29, 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Tech trounces Temple". Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 13, 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Hokies have little trouble with lowly Panthers". The Daily News Leader. October 27, 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Time for the main course; Tech devours last appetizer after slow start". The Roanoke Times. November 3, 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Hokies hammer Pirates". Daily Press. November 10, 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Franklin's Stuewe helps Virginia Tech top Miami". The Courier-News. November 17, 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Virginia Tech stays in Big East title chase". The Charlotte Observer. November 24, 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Virginia Tech rips Virginia to go 10–1". Austin American-Statesman. November 30, 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Nebraska offense rules 41–21". Omaha World-Herald. January 1, 1997. Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "1996 Virginia Tech Hokies Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 10, 2024.