History of the Black Diamond Trophy rivalry

Teams: West Virginia & Virginia Tech
Series: West Virginia Leads 28-22- 1
Games: 51
Last Winner: Virginia Tech (October 2005)
Largest Upset: West Virginia over #3 Virginia Tech in 2003

What is now known as the Black Diamond Bowl has been played 51 times dating back to 1912. In 2005, the Hokies bested the Mountaineers and toted the Black Diamond Trophy back to Blacksburg, where it would remain for 12 years. Now, in 2017, West Virginia has the opportunity to reclaim the coveted trophy.

History of the Black Diamond Trophy
The Black Diamond Trophy was created in 1997 to symbolize the rich coal heritage in the Appalachia area. “Black Diamond” is often used to describe coal. The victor takes claim of the trophy and returns it to their respective campus.

Notable Games
November 3, 1979: This game has been arguably the most exciting of the entire series. Virginia Tech had gone into halftime at Old Mountaineer Field with a 23-6 lead on the Mountaineers. However, the Frank Cignetti squad would storm back thanks to quarterback Oliver Luck. The sophomore would score three times for the Mountaineers and the stingy West Virginia defense would only allow the Hokies to find pay dirt once in the second half. West Virginia would go on to win 34-23.

October 1, 1988: To this day, the 1988 season is considered the single greatest season in West Virginia history. The Mountaineers entered its contest with Virginia Tech with a blemish free record after defeating Bowling Green 62-14, Cal-Fullerton 45-10, Maryland 55-24, and Pitt 31-10. West Virginia was ranked 7th in the nation, but the Virginia Tech defense was thought to be stout enough to stop the Mountaineers high-powered offense. In the end, the Mountaineers would move to 5-0 after escaping Lane Stadium with a 22-10 victory.

October 20, 2002: After four straight losses to the Hokies, The Mountaineers were starved of a win. West Virginia stormed into a hostile Lane Stadium and handed the Hokies its third straight loss in 2002. The rushing duo of Avon Cobourne and Quincy Wilson racked up 205 yards and two scores en route to a 21-18 victory.

October 22, 2003: Finally, the biggest upset of the entire Black Diamond series took place during this chilly night in Morgantown. The Hokies were the 3rd ranked team in the country. Virginia Tech was an elite team with aspirations of playing for a BCS title looking for revenge against a Mountaineers team that upset them just a year ago. None of this mattered. The Mountaineers were in full control the entire game. The Mountaineer defense would hold the Hokies offense to 211 total yards. The three-headed monster of Quincy Wilson, Kay-Jay Harris, and Rasheed Marshall would push the Mountaineers to a shocking 28-7 beat down of the Hokies.

WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
The series between these two teams will be renewed on September 3rd. This is the first game in 12 years and a lot has changed between the two old Big East foes. Rich Rodriguez and Frank Beamer are gone. There are no Rasheed Marshalls, Michael Vicks or Major Harris’. This game will be a dog fight from the beginning kick. The Hokies are replacing a ton on offense and the Mountaineers are replacing a lot on defense. However, the Mountaineers will bring in their best QB in five years in Will Grier. Look for the Mountaineers to win a close one 35-32.