Its only loss was to Miami, in a game in which Tech star Michael Vick was only able to play sparingly due to an ankle sprain two weeks previously.

Vick did have his share of highlights before his injury: his career rushing high of 210 yards against the Boston College Eagles in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts; racking up 288 yards of total offense and scoring two touchdowns against West Virginia in a 48–20 win; and leading the Hokies back from a 14–0 deficit against Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, cementing the victory with a 55-yard run with 1:34 left.

After a win over Clemson in the Gator bowl, Vick was faced with a similar choice when he was assured that he would be the top pick in the 2001 NFL draft.

Virginia Tech began the 2000 season ranked 11th in the Associated Press pre-season poll [41] after losing in the BCS National Championship game the previous year.

Before the Hokies entered the game through the tunnel from their locker room, a brand new video scoreboard[54] was utilized to play a segment that began with a stormy scene with a lightning strike.

As the teams were lined up for the opening kickoff (Tech's kicker Carter Worley actually had his hand in the air signaling his readiness to kick) a giant lightning bolt lit up the Blacksburg sky.

[59] Tech breezed through its first five games, never trailing while beating Akron, East Carolina, Rutgers, Boston College and Temple.

[60] Suggs was a unanimous choice for the All Big East team, and co-Offensive MVP, a title he shared with Antonio Bryant of Pittsburgh and Santana Moss of Miami.

[62] The previous December, Tech had emerged from the complex BCS ranking formula [c] as the second-ranked team and was automatically given a chance to play Florida State in the National Championship.

Once the championship game participants was determined, the other three bowls selected from the remaining conference champion, with the traditional affiliations being the primary constraint.

Miami beat Florida State in the regular season, and was ranked second in the AP (writers) poll behind Oklahoma.

In the final week, Tech athletic director Jim Weaver reportedly lobbied to have the Fiesta choose a Notre Dame versus Miami matchup and give the Sugar Bowl the choice between the Hokies and Beavers.

[72] In the run-up to the Miami game, on November 1, the banner headline at the top of the Richmond Times Dispatch sports page said "Beamer: No interest in Tide.

Before he left Chapel Hill on Sunday evening, Baddour tried to convince Beamer to stay overnight and make an announcement to the North Carolina media the following morning.

In the end, Vick might have played his way out of the Heisman race after his statistically poor start through the first six games and abysmal performance against Syracuse.

On ECU's first possession, Tech tackled the Pirate punter on a bumbled snap to set up a Warley 47-yard field goal.

On the very next series, ECU moved to the 50, but André Davis put a cap on the Beamer-ball display as he returned a punt 87 yards for another score.

In an instant replay of a move that cost Vick a start the previous season, he leaped through the arms of a Rutgers defender and did a perfect somersault into the end zone.

Unlike the flip in his Tech debut in the season opener against JMU in 1999, Vick landed on his back and rolled immediately to his feet.

Boston College had a three-and-out and the Hokies' André Davis made the lead 14–0 on a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown with 7:41 left in the quarter.

BC quickly tied the game at 14, before Suggs toted the ball for a 24-yard TD, Vick put up a 26-yard tally to make it 28–14.

On the next three series, he scored on a 30-yard reverse to give the Hokies the lead, caught a 64-yard TD bomb from Vick on the first play of the next drive, and returned a punt 76 yards to the end zone.

Syracuse scored touchdowns on its first two possessions of the game, but the Hokies' secondary caused five turnovers that gave Tech a 22-14 come-from-behind victory.

Willie Pile picked off his first of three 'Cuse passes, enabling Carter Warley to hit a 47-yard field goal mid-way through the second quarter.

Defensive back Eric Green caused a fumble on a completed pass that gave Tech its next short-field possession.

Michael Vick sprained his ankle late in the first half, but the Hokies came back to beat the Panthers 37–34 on a 12-play 72-yard drive engineered by Dave Meyer and capped off by a 27-yard field goal by Carter Warley.

Vick entered for starter Dave Meyer near the end of the first quarter and was ineffective in running 19 plays as Miami added a touchdown to its lead.

Vick sat on the bench in the second half as the Hokies outscored the Hurricanes by one, but never seriously contended after scoring the first time in the fourth quarter after Miami was already up 28–0.

Lee Suggs scored four touchdowns and Michael Vick returned to the lineup, passing for 202 yards as the Hokies racked up a 42–21 win over their in-state rivals in the Commonwealth Cup.

Tech's defense allowed star quarterback Woody Dantzler only one passing touchdown, and the Tigers could muster only two other field goals before he took a seat in the fourth quarter.