Tony Muskett on rivalry vs. Virginia Tech: 'It would feel good' to beat them

The Virginia Cavaliers are looking for a bounce-back season on the shoulders of quarterback Tony Muskett in 2024. A big part of that would be finding a way to beat rival Virginia Tech.

Virginia hasn’t beaten Virginia Tech in the time that Muskett has been with the program. Still, as he explained at ACC Media Days, he knows that it would feel good to find a way to beat the Hokies.

“I mean, yeah, it’s definitely a big game,” Tony Muskett said. “I mean, we’re focused on the other 11, as well. I know Tech is our rival, a big rivalry game. Every game on the schedule is a big game for us. We want to win all 12 of them, come back here win the ACC championship, go on and make a playoff run.”

Virginia last beat Virginia Tech in 2019, when the teams were coached by Bronco Mendenhall and Justin Fuente, respectively. That win for the Cavaliers was their only win over the Hokies since 2004. That included a 15-game Hokies winning streak, making this one of the more one-sided rivalries in college football over the last two decades.

“It would feel good. But just like the other game, we want to win them all,” Muskett said.

In 2023, Virginia Tech dominated the game against Virginia in a 55-17 win. That came a season after the game was canceled in the wake of the tragic shooting that led to the deaths of three different Cavaliers football players.

The rivalry between Virginia and Virginia Tech has been played since 1895 and the two teams compete for the Commonwealth Cup. The first eight games of the series had been won by the Cavaliers, setting Virginia up with an early lead in the series. Virginia also had long periods of success in the late 1940s and early 1950s and in the late 1980s. Virginia Tech leads to all-time series over Virginia 61-38-5.

For his part, Tony Muskett is going into his second season with Virginia. He played in six games last season, completing 63.3 percent of passes for 1,031 yards and six touchdowns. He also ran for 66 yards and a touchdown. However, he didn’t play in the game against Virginia Tech. An injury forced him to miss time in 2023.

Muskett and the Cavaliers are going to have some time to wait before getting their shot at the Hokies. The two teams are set to play on November 30th in Lane Stadium.