Jeff McMillin is likely in for an emotional roller-coaster ride tonight.
Like most in the Mountain Empire, McMillin will be glued to the television when Virginia Tech plays the University of Tennessee in the Chick-fil-A Bowl at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
The Bristol, Tenn., resident is a UT graduate and held season tickets to Volunteer games for years.
However, his son, Bart, is a former Virginia Tech player and at one time was the Hokies’ longsnapper.
So, his loyalties will be split when kickoff comes.
“Someone [asked] who I was pulling for and I said it would be like watching your two sons boxing and having to pick sides,” McMillin said. “You just can’t do it.”
While McMillin will have mixed emotions, many other fans in the area are ready to cheer for either the Hokies or the Volunteers in the much-anticipated showdown.
With Bristol and the surrounding communities in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee sitting almost exactly at the midway point between Blacksburg and Knoxville, the two
programs are easily the region’s most popular teams.
Those fans have been clamoring to see a matchup between the powerhouses for years. Almost annually it seemed a rumor would circulate that the two teams were going to play a
game at Bristol Motor Speedway and smash all kinds of attendance records.
That scenario never came to fruition, but the fact the teams are squaring off will be come a reality tonight as Tech (9-3) and the Vols (7-5) meet up.
While Jeff McMillin will find it hard to root for either side, his son – like many – is true to only one team.
“I grew up a Tennessee fan,” Bart McMillin said. “But my blood, sweat and tears are at Tech.”
The Last Time
As Robbie Colley went through pregame warmups on Dec. 30, 1994 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – a.k.a. The Swamp – in Gainesville, Fla., he made some observations.
“I grew up watching Tennessee and in warmups I had that feeling of being in the Swamp and seeing those orange Tennessee uniforms,” Colley said. “I remember thinking, this is a big-time deal.”
Colley was the punter for Tech the last time the Hokies played the Volunteers. In front of 62,200 fans in Gainesville (the game was originally scheduled to be held in Jacksonville, but
was moved due to renovations), UT collected a 45-23 victory in the 1994 Gator Bowl.
Tennessee freshman quarterback Peyton Manning threw for 189 yards and a score, while UT running back James Stewart rushed for three scores.
“I definitely heard Rocky Top a lot,” Colley said. “I was a fan of that song before that game.”
Growing up in Tazewell, Va., Colley had kept an eye on the exploits of head coach Johnny Majors and the Vols. He was even recruited by UT, but decided to take his skills to Virginia Tech.
He punted five times for a 43-yard average in that Gator Bowl loss to the Volunteers in what would be his final collegiate game. Some of those memories will be rekindled tonight.
“I certainly do remember that being my last ballgame ever at Virginia Tech,” Colley said. “I have a lot memories and it’s amazing it’s been 15 years. It seems like it was just yesterday.”
Area Show
The excitement has steadily built over the past few weeks since it was announced UT and Tech would play in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Freshman running back Ryan Williams and quarterback Tyrod Taylor will lead a Tech offense against a stout Tennessee defense that features star defensive back Eric Berry.
The outcome will mean bragging rights for the winners, especially for the residents of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.
Colley knows the importance of the result.
“It’s about half and half [UT and Tech fans in Southwest Virginia],” Colley said. “This is a big ballgame. … It’s going to be an exciting game.”
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