1970 Virginia Tech Gobblers football team

1970 Virginia Tech Gobblers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record5–6
Head coach
Home stadiumLane Stadium
1970 NCAA University Division independents football records
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 2 Notre Dame     10 1 0
Villanova     9 2 0
No. 16 Air Force     9 3 0
No. 13 Georgia Tech     9 3 0
Boston College     8 2 0
No. 19 Houston     8 3 0
West Virginia     8 3 0
No. 17 Tulane     8 4 0
No. 18 Penn State     7 3 0
West Texas State     7 3 0
Cincinnati     7 4 0
Florida State     7 4 0
Virginia Tech     5 6 0
Syracuse     6 4 0
Dayton     5 4 1
Pittsburgh     5 5 0
Rutgers     5 5 0
Utah State     5 5 0
Colgate     5 6 0
Southern Miss     5 6 0
New Mexico State     4 6 0
Miami (FL)     3 8 0
Northern Illinois     3 7 0
Marshall     3 6 0
Buffalo     2 9 0
Navy     2 9 0
Army     1 9 1
Xavier     1 9 0
Holy Cross     0 10 1
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1970 Virginia Tech Gobblers football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. The Gobblers finished the 1970 season with a record of 5–6 under tenth-year head coach Jerry Claiborne. Senior quarterback Gil Schwabe led the offense, completing 61 of 126 passes for 815 yards and five touchdowns. Sophomore Don Strock appeared in nine games as a backup, throwing for 189 yards and one touchdown. Fullback Tommy Barber paced the ground game with 501 rushing yards on 93 carries, averaging 5.4 yards per attempt. The Gobblers averaged 18.1 points per game while allowing 20.7, with close wins over VMI, Wake Forest, and Richmond offset by narrow losses to Kentucky and Florida State. The defense was anchored by linebacker Mike Widger and lineman George Foussekis, while Dave Strock handled kicking duties. Virginia Tech played as an independent and hosted home games at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Days after the season ended, tenth-year head coach Jerry Claiborne resigned; his overall record in Blacksburg was 61–39–2 (.608).