Hokies remember getting embarrassed by Panthers

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- The words stung almost as much as the loss, turning Virginia Tech's plane ride home into a study in wounded pride.
Words like "quit" and "laid down."
A year ago, Pittsburgh welcomed the 12th-ranked, once-beaten Hokies to Heinz Field and embarassed them, scoring the last 31 points in a 38-7 victory that was the worst beating Virginia Tech absorbed in five years.
Then some of the Panthers crowed about making the Hokies quit, sapping them of their will to play and making them wish they could go home.
Home is where the No. 3 Hokies (8-0, 3-0 Big East) will be on Saturday night, eagerly awaiting a visit from those same Panthers (6-2, 3-0).
"I'm sure I'll have that going through my mind before kickoff," senior offensive lineman Jake Grove said of the comments. "They thought we quit last year. We have to show them how the Hokies play football."
Stakes are high
The stakes are high for both teams. Virginia Tech needs to shake off three subpar performances in a row and energize its championship drive, and Pitt is trying to beat a top-5 team for the first time since 1987.
More than revenge, which Grove cautioned could cause a team to lose its focus, the Hokies want to reestablish themselves against an upstart team that has become one of their most difficult foes in the Big East.
Two years ago, the Hokies needed a late field goal to win 37-34 at Lane Stadium. The year before that, Pittsburgh exposed the Hokies' secondary by passing for more than 400 yards, but Tech prevailed 30-17.
The sting of last year's loss has lingered more than the close calls.
"This is one of the games I'm looking forward to playing," said Hokies wide receiver Ernest Wilford. "I feel like we have something to prove."
Pitt coach Walt Harris, who is trying to return the Panthers to the glory enjoyed in the days of Dan Marino and Tony Dorsett, holds the Hokies up as an example that it can be done, and regrets the remarks of 2001.
"We don't appreciate that. That's not fair to the next football team. We need to be more humble. The victory said enough. Now we're going to be playing at their place. We know for sure they'll be ready," Harris said.
Panthers have never won here
The Panthers have never started 4-0 in the Big East since the league was formed in 1991, and have never won in four trips to Lane Stadium.
But even with its high ranking, the Hokies come into the game having stumbled through three consecutive victories. They beat Boston College 28-23 and Rutgers 35-14, then needed two interceptions by Vincent Fuller near their own end zone to survive Temple's challenge last week, 20-10.
The Panthers' only losses, meanwhile, are a 14-6 setback against No. 4 Notre Dame and a 14-12 defeat against then-No. 23 Texas A & amp;M.