Then it was time for some football.

“Let’s go Hokies! Let’s go Hokies!” the crowd roared, clearly ready to get on with the healing.

Suddenly, the Metallica anthem “Enter Sandman” began pumping throughout the stadium, the student body bouncing up and down with glee, the rest of the sellout crowd of 66,233 letting out a roar that must have reverberated throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Virginia Tech band assembled at one end of the stadium. The school’s cadet corps lined up at the other. Both teams came on the field together, passing each other at midfield without any trash talk or taunting. In fact, Hokies linebacker Corey Gordon paused to clap for the Pirates.

“It was such as emotional day for everyone,” Wheeler said. “It’s just good we came out with a win.”

Outside Lane Stadium, it looked like any other football Saturday beforehand as fans fired up the grills, turned up plenty of beers and got into a Hokies state of mind.

There was one major difference, however.

The handful of East Carolina fans, easily identifiable in their purple and yellow attire, were invited to join the Virginia Tech party. At one Hokies tent, they flew the Pirates flag right underneath the U.S. and Virginia Tech banners. An SUV decorated in Virginia Tech’s distinctive maroon and orange colors had a huge sign draped across its windshield: “Thank You ECU For Your Support.”

“We’re here for our team and to support our team,” said Alexis Zell, a Virginia Tech sophomore, “but we’re here to support everybody else that has been there for us.”

East Carolina has to go without quarterback Rob Kass, who was scheduled to make his first career start. He was suspended Tuesday after being charged with driving while impaired.

Sophomore Brett Clay, who had not thrown a pass in a game since high school, started in place of Kass but didn’t last. He was lifted after completing only 2-of-6 throws, including a horribly thrown pass from his own end zone.

The ball went straight to Harris, who took off the corner, dove for the pylon and just got across before losing the ball. After a video review, the touchdown stood and East Carolina’s 7-3 lead was gone.

Third-stringer Patrick Pinkney went the rest of the way at quarterback for the Pirates.

East Carolina scored its lone touchdown after Branden Ore lost a fumble near midfield. Chris Johnson capped the 52-yard drive with a 2-yard plunge over left tackle.

The Hokies know they’ll have to play much better next weekend, when they travel to Baton Rouge to face No. 2 LSU.

But at least they have this one behind them.

“There was so much riding on this game, outside of the game itself,” Glennon said. “There was so much attention and emphasis on things that were not related to football. Our heads were somewhere else.”

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