Virginia has beaten Virginia Tech exactly 1 time since Michael Vick was a redshirting freshman, and 9 other fun facts

No. 25 Virginia Tech beat a surprisingly bowl-bound Virginia on Black Friday, 10-0, reaching consecutive Commonwealth Cup win No. 14 and an 18-1 record in the series since 1998, Michael Vick’s redshirt year. The Hokies legend has since played a full NFL career, gone to jail, played another full NFL career, and taken up a gig as a TV analyst.

During that 1999-2017 span, the Hokies are on the verge of having 14 ranked finishes under Frank Beamer and Justin Fuente, compared to two for the Hoos, none since 2004.

For now, it’s the rivalry’s defining storyline.

“It presents a great opportunity, but at the end of the day, we’re just looking to win another game, man,” [UVA] senior wide receiver Andre Levrone said.

Levrone repeated the advice the team got from offensive coordinator Robert Anae: “‘Don’t play the streak. Don’t play the Hokie mantra. Don’t play the team from 2008. Don’t play the team from last year. It’s 2017 Virginia Cavaliers vs. the 2017 Virginia Tech Hokies.’”

1. A damn Matrix movie was in theaters at the time of kickoff. It was bad, but I guess the last part was OK:

2. 50 Cent was in four of the year’s 21 biggest songs. This might be the most dated:

3. Virginia’s offensive coordinator was Ron Prince, who’d become Kansas State’s head coach during Bill Snyder’s brief retirement and go on to land a Detroit Lions assistant job. Its defensive coordinator was Al Golden, who’d become Miami’s fired head coach and go on to land a Detroit Lions assistant job. Both remain in Detroit.

4. Both head coaches from that game have since retired, Beamer as a Blacksburg institution and Al Groh as Georgia Tech’s defensive coordinator.

5. Virginia’s 2003 QB, Matt Schaub, backed up Vick for the Falcons, then played for the Texans, Raiders, and Ravens, and now backs up Matt Ryan for the Falcons. Virginia Tech’s QB, Bryan Randall, currently plays arena ball in China and is now the second most famous Bryan Randall, after Sandra Bullock’s boyfriend (just learned all this now).

6. Some things that weren’t invented yet in 2003: the iPod Nano, Facebook, the actress who plays Eleven on Stranger Things, and the College Football Playoff.

7. The season’s national champion, LSU, had yet to see its head coach leave for the Miami Dolphins and return shortly later to launch the sport’s best modern dynasty at a division rival.

8. Current head coaches Fuente and Bronco Mendenhall were an Illinois State QB coach and a BYU defensive coordinator, respectively.

9. At the time of kickoff, Janet Jackson was still allowed to perform at Super Bowls, Saddam Hussein was still the president of Iraq, Barack Obama had yet to win any national election, and no eventual president of the United States had ever failed to properly sell a Stone Cold Stunner.