You are looking – LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! (or plausibly live, to borrow a Dick Ebersol gimmick) – at, uh, the back of the seat in front of me on Northwest Airlines flight 2970 from Lincoln to Detroit.

High above The Heartland on the way back to Roanoke, so I decided to pound out a few numbers I crunched this morning while combing through Virginia Tech’s media guide to confirm ACC Feudal Lord David Teel’s amazing stat from last night.

And it appears as though Teel is correct. The Hokies had never won three consecutive games by fewer than seven points … until now.

Here are some more numbers that you might find interesting …

- The last time the Hokies won three straight by seven or fewer – as opposed to fewer than seven – was 1975.

- Tech has won the past three games by a combined 11 points, and its average margin of victory for the season is seven points. Consider its average margin of victory from the past three seasons: 20.5 in 2007, 23 in 2006 and 27 in 2005.

- Before this season, the Hokies were 1-3 in games decided by fewer than seven points in the past three seasons, with their only win coming, 20-16, in the 2005 season opener against North Carolina State.

- The last time three consecutive Tech games were decided by less than seven points was 1990, when five straight games, and 6 of 11 overall, fell into that category. The Hokies were 4-2 in those games. Tech finished 6-5 in 1990.

- Since 1990, and before this season, Tech was 14-19-1 in games decided by less than a touchdown, including 0-5-1 in 1992, when they went 2-8-1 overall.

- Tech is now 17-20-1 since 1990 in games decided by less than a touchdown, because, as you recall, the Hokies lost this year’s season opener to East Carolina 27-22.

A look at Tech’s games since 1990 that were decided by fewer than seven points (and whether the Hokies blocked a kick or scored a defensive/special teams touchdown in those games) …

WINS
2008 at Nebraska, 35-30 (blocked punt for safety)
2008 at North Carolina, 20-17
2008 vs. Georgia Tech, 20-17 (blocked extra point)
2005 at North Carolina State, 20-16
2004 at Miami, 16-10
2004 at North Carolina, 27-24
2004 vs. West Virginia, 19-13 (blocked field goal and returned for TD)
2003 at Temple, 24-23 OT
2002 at Boston College, 28-23
2000 vs. Pittsburgh, 37-34 (blocked extra point)
1999 at West Virginia, 22-20
1997 vs. Miami, 27-25
1996 at Akron, 21-18 (blocked extra point)
1995 vs. Miami, 13-7 (blocked extra point)
1994 at Boston College, 12-7 (interception return) 
1993 at Virginia, 20-17 (blocked punt; fumble return)
1991 at West Virginia, 20-14

LOSSES
2008 vs. East Carolina*, 27-22 (blocked extra point and returned for two points; fumble return)
2007 vs. Kansas*, 24-21 (punt return)
2007 vs. Boston College, 14-10
2005 vs. Florida State*, 27-22
2004 vs. Auburn*, 16-13
2004 vs. North Carolina State, 17-16
2003 vs. California*, 52-49 (punt return)
2003 at Pittsburgh, 31-28
2002 vs. West Virginia, 21-18 (blocked punt)
2001 vs. Miami, 26-24 (blocked punt and returned for TD; blocked field goal)
1998 vs. Virginia, 36-32
1998 at Syracuse, 28-26 (blocked punt and recovered for TD; fumble return)
1998 vs. Temple, 28-24
1995 vs. Boston College, 20-14 (blocked extra point)
1993 at West Virginia, 14-13
1992 vs. Virginia, 41-38 (blocked extra point)
1992 vs. Southern Mississippi, 13-12
1992 at Rutgers, 50-49 (interception return)
1992 at Louisville, 21-17 (kickoff return)
1992 at East Carolina, 30-27 (blocked extra point; interception return)

TIES
1992 vs. North Carolina State 13-13

* Denotes neutral site. All were bowls except East Carolina (regular season) and Florida State (ACC championship)

Breaking it down by year …
2008 3-1
2007 0-2
2006 0-0
2005 1-1
2004 3-2
2003 1-2
2002 1-1
2001 0-1
2000 1-0
1999 1-0
1998 0-3
1997 1-0
1996 1-0
1995 1-1
1994 1-0
1993 1-1
1992 0-5-1
1991 1-0