(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Regardless of how Virginia Tech has played during the regular season, one thing is always guaranteed for a Thursday night game.  Lane Stadium will be electric.

The Hokies have had an up-and-down season to say the least, but after a bye week, which followed a loss, Hokie fans are ready for some football.

Virginia Tech dominates on Thursday night games, and the only team that seems to give them trouble on this particular day of the week is Boston College who will not be in attendance. 

Instead, North Carolina will be playing their second Thursday night game this season, and the second Thursday night game in school history.

Nothing can prepare a team with the atmosphere Hokie fans provide on Thursday nights.  Lets take a look at the last three Thursday night games in Blacksburg.

In 2006, Virginia Tech went from the 10th ranked team in the country to unranked after a couple of losses.  Clemson came into town with the No. 10 placed to the left of their name, then the Tigers left with their tails between their legs.

The Hokies won 24-7, and held the "Thunder and Lightning" tandem (James Davis and C.J. Spiller) to 12 yards rushing.  Where's there's lightning, thunder is near but neither were in attendance on that night.

In 2007, the eighth-ranked Hokies were taking on the second-ranked Boston College Eagles, and after shutting out the Eagles for the first 57 minutes and 49 seconds I guess you could say lightning struck and thunder followed (and it wasn't from Hokie fans). 

Instead it was from the Boston College sideline as the Eagles scored 14 points in the last 2:11 of the game to stun the Hokies on Thursday night.

Students were literally piling up at the bottom of their respective sections, ready to pounce the field, but were instead left with one of the worst losses in Virginia Tech history. Not to mention a long, cold, wet walk home.

Lane Stadium went from the loudest it had ever been, with people jumping to "Enter Sandman" as it was played before Boston College's first scoring drive, to the most deafening silence one could imagine with 66,000-plus people at any one place on earth.

Then last year the Hokies hosted Maryland and Darren Evans ran over the Terps, breaking the school record for rushing yards in a game while he did it.

So the Hokies are 2-1 the last three years on Thursday night in Blacksburg, and could easily be undefeated in that span, but I'm not about to play the "What-If" game.

North Carolina is coming off a tough loss after blowing a large lead to Florida State in Chapel Hill, and Thursday night won't be any easier for the Tar Heels.

Playing in Blacksburg is tough enough, but under Thursday night lights it's close to impossible to beat the Hokies on Worsham Field. That is, except when lightning strikes.

Will the Tar Heels be able to muster any thunder come Thursday?  I guess we'll have to wait and see.

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