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1968 VPI Gobblers football team

Summary

The 1968 VPI Gobblers football team represented the Virginia Polytechnic Institute or VPI (now known as Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University or Virginia Tech) as an independent during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Jerry Claiborne the Gobblers compiled an overall record of 7–4 and with a loss against Ole Miss in the Liberty Bowl. VPI played home games at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia.[1]

1968 VPI Gobblers football
Liberty Bowl, L 17–34 vs. Ole Miss
ConferenceIndependent
Record7–4
Head coach
Home stadiumLane Stadium
Seasons
← 1967
1969 →
1968 NCAA University Division independents football records
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 2 Penn State   –   11 – 0 – 0
Rutgers   –   8 – 2 – 0
West Texas State   –   8 – 2 – 0
No. 5 Notre Dame   –   7 – 2 – 1
Florida State   –   8 – 3 – 0
Air Force   –   7 – 3 – 0
Army   –   7 – 3 – 0
Buffalo   –   7 – 3 – 0
No. 18 Houston   –   6 – 2 – 2
Utah State   –   7 – 3 – 0
Boston College   –   7 – 3 – 0
West Virginia   –   7 – 3 – 0
VPI   –   7 – 4 – 0
Pacific   –   6 – 4 – 0
Syracuse   –   6 – 4 – 0
Villanova   –   6 – 4 – 0
Xavier   –   6 – 4 – 0
Colgate   –   5 – 5 – 0
Dayton   –   5 – 5 – 0
Miami (FL)   –   5 – 5 – 0
New Mexico State   –   5 – 5 – 0
Georgia Tech   –   4 – 6 – 0
Southern Miss   –   4 – 6 – 0
Holy Cross   –   3 – 6 – 1
San Jose State   –   3 – 7 – 0
Navy   –   2 – 8 – 0
Tulane   –   2 – 8 – 0
Pittsburgh   –   1 – 9 – 0
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule edit

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 21at No. 7 Alabama
L 7–1463,759[2][3]
September 28at William & Mary
W 12–015,000[4]
October 5Kansas State
L 19–3419,000[5]
October 12Wake Forest 
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 7–631,000[6]
October 18at No. 13 Miami (FL)
L 8–1336,844[7]
October 26West Virginia
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA (rivalry)
W 27–1233,000[8]
November 2at No. 18 Florida State
W 40–2231,342[9]
November 9Richmond
  • Lane Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 31–1812,000[10]
November 16at South Carolina
W 17–640,137[11]
November 28vs. VMI
W 55–617,000[12]
December 14vs. Ole Miss
L 17–3446,206[13]
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Game summaries edit

At No. 7 Alabama edit

Tech lost 14-7 to the 7th-ranked team in the nation in front of a crowd of 63,759 in Birmingham. At the time it was the largest audience in school history. The Gobblers scored on a blocked punt by Larry Creekmore recovered in the end zone by Jud Bronwell. Tech was dominated by the Crimson Tide defense, racking up only three first downs, the first coming in the fourth quarter.[14]

At William & Mary edit

The Tech special teams scored a touchdown and a safety by blocking two punts and put up its first offensive points of the year with a 20-yard field goal by Jack Simscack. The Gobblers defense pitched a shutout, helped by defensive back Ron Davidson who picked off three W&M passes.[15]

Roster edit

The following players were members of the 1968 football team according to the roster published in the 1969 edition of The Bugle, the Virginia Tech yearbook.[16]

VPI 1968 roster
  • Art Aguilar
  • David Bailey
  • Frank Beamer
  • David Binko
  • Preston Blackburn
  • Steve Bocko
  • William G. "Jerry" Boykin
  • Jud Brownell
  • James Edward "Eddie" Carter
  • Dennis Cogan
  • Chris Frank Collis
  • George Constantinides
  • Donald Dewitt Cooke
  • Larry Creekmore
  • J. Dee Crigger
  • Daniel Cupp
  • Ron Davidson
  • Peter Francis Dawyot
  • Nick DelViscio
  • Kenneth Wayne Edwards
  • Doug Gainous
  • Jerry Green
  • George Butch Hall
  • Waddey Harvey
  • Bert Henderson
  • D. Hickman
  • Wayne Humphries
  • Hank Immel
  • John Ivanac
  • Al Kincaid
  • Larry Kushner
  • Dickie Longerbeam
  • Leonard Angelo Luongo
  • T. MacDonald
  • John Lawrence Maxwell
  • Tom Mikulski
  • Frederick Marshall Mooney
  • Thomas Irwin Parks
  • James Anthony Pigninelli
  • Rick Piland
  • Paul Ripley
  • Gil Schwabe
  • Jack Simcsak
  • Bill Skinner
  • Bobby Slaughter
  • Leonard James Smith
  • Terry Smoot
  • L. Wayne Stonesifer
  • Larry Duke Strager
  • Tom Swords
  • Perry Tiberio
  • John Randolph Treadwell
  • Joe Tucker
  • Danny Waller
  • Mike Widger
  • S. Womack

References edit

  1. ^ "1968 Virginia Tech Hokies Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  2. ^ Whittaker, Dave (September 22, 1968). "Tide tames Gobblers". The Florence Times. p. 9. Retrieved October 12, 2013 – via Google News Archives.
  3. ^ Land, Charles (September 22, 1968). "Tide just good enough, 14–7". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 11. Retrieved October 12, 2013 – via Google News Archives.
  4. ^ "Gobblers block out W-M, 12–0". The Miami Herald. September 29, 1968. Retrieved October 26, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Young, Ed (October 6, 1968). "Inspired K-State Team Devours Virginia Tech's Football Gobblers, 34-19". The Danville Register. Danville, Virginia. Associated Press. p. 1D. Retrieved January 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com  .
  6. ^ Lindquist, Jerry. "Gobblers nip Deacons 7–6". Richmond Times Dispatch.
  7. ^ Brill, Bill (October 19, 1968). "Miami is 13–8 winner over Tech's Gobblers". Roanoke Times.
  8. ^ "Tech defeats WVU with offense, 27–12". Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 27, 1968. Retrieved January 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Virginia Tech Gobblers clout luckless FSU Seminoles 40–22". News-Press. November 3, 1968. Retrieved January 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Virginia Tech turns back Richmond by 31 to 18 count". The Danville Register. November 10, 1968. Retrieved October 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Gamecocks bow to VPI by 17–6". The News and Observer. November 17, 1968. Retrieved January 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Tech express floods VMI in wave of touchdowns". The Commercial Appeal. November 29, 1968. Retrieved January 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Ole Miss overcomes early Tech blitz, 34–17". Richmond Times-Dispatch. December 14, 1968. Retrieved October 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "7th ranked Crimson Tide creams VPI". Sunday News, Lancaster, PA. September 22, 1968.
  15. ^ "Gobblers block out W-M, 12–0". The Miami Herald. September 29, 1968. Retrieved October 26, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "The Bugle 1969". Virginia Tech Bugle. 1969. p. 88. Retrieved August 25, 2019.