1983 Virginia Tech Hokies football team

The 1983 Virginia Tech Hokies football team was an American football team that represented Virginia Tech as an independent during the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their sixth year under head coach Bill Dooley, the Hokies compiled an overall record of 9–2.[1] Tech was never ranked during the year by the Associated Press and didn't get an invitation to one of the 15 post-season bowls played after the 1983 season. The Hokies lost its only game to a ranked team, 13-0, to No. 4 West Virginia in Morgantown with a national TV audience watching. The team also lost its season opener at home against Wake Forest by a 13-6 score. Tech won its final game of the season over UVA 48-0 in Charlottesville.

1983 Virginia Tech Hokies football
ConferenceIndependent
Record9–2
Head coach
Defensive coordinatorJohn Gutekunst (3rd season)
Home stadiumLane Stadium
Seasons
← 1982
1984 →
1983 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Miami (FL)       11 1 0
Virginia Tech       9 2 0
No. 19 Boston College       9 3 0
No. 16 West Virginia       9 3 0
No. 20 East Carolina       8 3 0
No. 18 Pittsburgh       8 3 1
Florida State       8 4 0
Penn State       8 4 1
Southern Miss       7 4 0
Memphis State       6 4 1
Notre Dame       7 5 0
Syracuse       6 5 0
South Carolina       5 6 0
Cincinnati     4 6 1
Southwestern Louisiana       4 6 0
Temple       4 7 0
Tulane       4 7 0
Louisville       3 8 0
Navy       3 8 0
Rutgers       3 8 0
Army       2 9 0
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 10Wake ForestL 6–1326,300[2] [3] [4]
September 17at Memphis StateW 17–1039,528[5] [6][7]
September 24VMI
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA (rivalry)
W 28–032,300[8] [9]
October 1Louisville
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 31–028,300[10] [11]
October 8Duke
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 27–1440,700[12] [13]
October 15at No. 4 West VirginiaCBSL 0–1357,181[14] [15]
October 22Richmond 
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 38–034,400[16] [17]
October 29William & Mary
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 59–2128,300[18] [19]
November 5at TulaneW 26–1021,391[20] [21]
November 12Vanderbilt
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 21–1027,300[22] [23]
November 19at VirginiaW 48–044,572[24] [25]
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Computer Ranking

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Using the Simple Rating System (SRS) of College Football Reference that takes into account strength of schedule and modified point differential, Tech was the 20th ranked team in the country. [26]

Roster

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1983 Virginia Tech Hokies football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB 11 Perry Agee Jr
QB 8 Mark Cox Jr
WR Donald Snell Fr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB 21 Bryan Burleigh Sr
DE 36 Rusty Cook Jr
DE 78 Bruce Smith Jr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P 15 David Cox Jr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

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


References

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  1. ^ "1983 Virginia Tech Hokies". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  2. ^ "Wake, errors stop Tech". Richmond Times-Dispatch. September 11, 1983. p. 21. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  3. ^ "Tech-nical difficulties lift Wake". The Roanoke Times. September 11, 1983. p. 25. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  4. ^ "Schofield rallies Wake to 13–6 win over VPI". The News and Observer. September 11, 1983. Retrieved January 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "First-half scores, second-half stands life Tech". Richmond Times-Dispatch. September 18, 1983. p. 21. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  6. ^ "Tech defense denies Tigers". The Roanoke Times. September 18, 1983. p. 161. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  7. ^ "Tech spolis MSU's night". The Commercial Appeal. September 18, 1983. Retrieved January 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Virginia Tech outclasses VMI Keydets, 28–0". Kingsport Times-News. September 25, 1983. Retrieved February 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Hokies make it look easy: Tech blanks VMI". The Roanoke Times. September 25, 1983. p. 23. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  10. ^ "Louisville's win streak ends at Virginia Tech". The Park City Daily News. October 2, 1983. Retrieved January 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Tech defense smokes Cards". Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 2, 1983. p. 5. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  12. ^ "VPI defense smothers Blue Devils". The Charlotte Observer. October 9, 1983. Retrieved January 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Defense powers Hokies to 4-1". The Roanoke Times. October 9, 1983. p. 31. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  14. ^ "West Virginia tops Virginia Tech, 13–0". The Pittsburgh Press. October 16, 1983. Retrieved January 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Mountaineers shut down Tech". The Roanoke Times. October 16, 1983. p. 27. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  16. ^ "Va Tech enjoys homecoming win". Kingsport Times-News. October 23, 1983. Retrieved November 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Gobblers squish Spiders 38-0: Nothing hokey about offense". The Roanoke Times. October 23, 1983. p. 27. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  18. ^ "Tech offense makes points, buries W&M". Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 30, 1983. Retrieved January 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Tech offense dominates W&M: Hokies gain 617 yards". The Roanoke Times. October 30, 1983. p. 25. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  20. ^ "Cox engineers Hokies over Tulane, 26–10". Daily Press. November 6, 1983. Retrieved October 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Hokies beach Green Wave 26-10: Bowl dreams come into focus as Tech sputters early..." The Roanoke Times. November 6, 1983. p. 27. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  22. ^ "Hokies win as Lee sets NCAA record". Tampa Bay Times. November 13, 1983. Retrieved January 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Tech's bowl outlook Peachy? Possib-lee!". The Roanoke Times. November 13, 1983. p. 23. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  24. ^ "Virginia Tech thinks 9–2 should mean bowl". Tallahassee Democrat. November 20, 1983. Retrieved January 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "It's Tech: Hokies give Cavaliers a memory to forget". The Roanoke Times. November 20, 1983. p. 25. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  26. ^ "1983 Virginia Tech Hokies Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 1, 2024.