Tag: Lane Stadium

Sam Howell says Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium is the loudest place in which he has ever played

Sam Howell said Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium is the loudest place in which he’s ever played. This Sunday, Howell and the Commanders play at Lumen Field in Seattle.

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell has started 10 NFL games. Before his time in the NFL, Howell was a three-year starter at North Carolina.

Howell is coming off consecutive 300-yard performances as he and the Commanders face a tough Seattle Seahawks team on the road in Week 10. Sunday’s game against the Seahawks will be a difficult one as Seattle is not only the co-leader in the NFC West but also has, arguably, the best home-field advantage in the NFL.

Lumen Field in Seattle is a difficult place to play. Howell was asked Wednesday about playing in Seattle.

“I mean, obviously, road games are different from home games, and especially when you go to Seattle, it’s going to be really loud, and it’s an exciting environment that we’re excited to play in,” Howell said.

“We’ll be in our silent cadences; you won’t be able to use the cadence. I truly don’t know how loud it’s going to be, so I really don’t know how to prepare for it. I try to prepare for it, kind of how I did the other road games, but most of the other road games it’s really only loud on third down. I don’t know if Seattle’s the same way or not.”

Howell said as far as NFL stadiums in which he has played, Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High has been the loudest.

“Probably Denver,” Howell said. “Denver was probably the loudest in the NFL, but I think some stadiums I played in in college were louder.”

Which college stadium?

That would be Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va., home of the Virginia Tech Hokies.

“Virginia Tech, for sure,” Howell said about the loudest stadium. 

Howell was 0-2 at Lane Stadium during his college career.

Three of Howell’s teammates (TE Logan Thomas, CB Kendall Fuller and K Joey Slye) should be happy to hear their quarterback praise the Hokies’ home field.

Ranking the ACC’s football stadiums based on capacity

Home-field advantage plays a pivotal role in college football, and in the ACC, that advantage is magnified based on varying levels of fan capacities in stadiums.

Fans make a difference in the outcomes of games in sports, and there is no more apparent evidence of that phenomenon than in college football.

Every Saturday, hundreds of thousands of fans pack themselves in stadiums across the country in hopes that their cheers will aid a team in victory.

For Clemson, the fan involvement on gameday has greatly benefited the team’s success. With the aid of thousands of fans screaming, the Tigers have won their last 34 games in Memorial Stadium dating back to Nov. 12, 2016, when Clemson lost to Pittsburgh.

In total, there are 14 football stadiums in the ACC, one for each team. Seven of the 14 can hold 60,000 or more fans, while two are also home to NFL teams on Sundays.

Just like an army, there is strength in numbers for a fan base, so here’s every football stadium in the ACC ranked based on attendance capacities.

Notre Dame at Virginia Tech: Second-Quarter Analysis

Progress has been made.

The second quarter went much better for Notre Dame. It was able to make a key stop and get on the board before Virginia Tech completely took over the game. Next thing you knew, they were ahead on the scoreboard shortly before halftime. The Irish gladly will take a 14-13 lead into the locker room.

The second quarter began with the Hokies continuing to march on a drive that began in the first. They got into the red zone, then to the Irish’s 1-yard line on a 15-yard reception by Tre Turner. The Irish pulled off the goal-line stand by stuffing Raheem Blackshear, then forcing two incomplete passes. The Hokies had to settle for a 19-yard field goal from John Parker Romo.

The Irish went to their third quarterback in four drives when Tyler Buchner was called upon. This time, the offense looked like a well-oiled machine, getting the ball to midfield on runs before Buchner hit Kevin Austin for a 46-yard completion. Two plays later, Buchner ran 3 yards for the Irish’s first touchdown.

The Irish’s defense then forced a three-and-out. The highlight came when Isaiah Foskey sacked Braxton Burmeister for a 10-yard loss on third down. The offense couldn’t respond on the next drive as it also failed to pick up a first down. It could have happened but for Chris Tyree dropping a short pass from Buchner right by the marker.

After another Hokies drive went almost nowhere, the Irish had one more chance to get points on the board before the half. When Buchner completed a 37-yard pass to Avery Davis, that possibility became very real. Aided by a defensive holding call, the Irish quickly got themselves in the red zone. They then quieted Lane Stadium completely when Buchner hit Kyren Williams with an 8-yard touchdown pass.

With time running out in the first half, the Hokies made a final desperate attempt to get the lead back or at least chip into their new deficit. They were able to get across midfield and then into field-goal range. Only three seconds remained after that, so they only had time for Romo to attempt a 52-yard field goal. The kick was successful, so the message was sent that this game is not going to be won easily by either team.

Watch: Notre Dame hype video for Virginia Tech

Will a trip to Blacksburg be what the doctor ordered for Notre Dame?

If you’re looking for inside information as to who will start at quarterback for Notre Dame on Saturday night at Virginia Tech you’ve come to the wrong place.  We speculated early in the week that it’d be Drew Pyne based off things Brian Kelly said but the closer to gametime we get the more aware we become that we really don’t know who will start.

What we do have for you however is Notre Dame’s freshly released hype tape for the Virginia Tech game.  The last time the Irish lost a regular season contest they bounced back with a last-second win over Virginia Tech.

Will the Hokies be the medicine this Notre Dame squad needs entering their bye week at the season’s halfway point?

Enjoy the hype video and check out our links to get you ready for everything related to Notre Dame and Virginia Tech on the following page.

NEXT – NOTRE DAME-VIRGINIA TECH PREVIEW LINKS

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Watch: Virginia Tech enters Lane Stadium to ‘Enter Sandman’

Imagine having to play in this environment.

We’re all excited for the return of college football, and with capacity crowds allowed again, another layer of that excitement is added. Few things have illustrated that thus far than the first time Virginia Tech entered a packed Lane Stadium to the sounds of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” before Friday’s 17-10 upset win over North Carolina:

This is what Notre Dame has to look forward to when it heads to Blacksburg to play the Hokies on Oct. 9. After starting their season on such a high note, there’s no reason to think this environment will get anymore forgiving, especially when it comes to high-profile opponents like the Irish. Although our editor doesn’t think highly of Virginia Tech, it’s not necessarily a team to sleep on. If the talent alone isn’t enough to beat the Irish, the confidence definitely will give this team a boost if it’s still there next month.

The Irish may not have to battle tougher elements this season, but they have the personnel to come out on top. Of course, a nice showing through the five games before that will help stoke that belief.