The James Franklin era at Virginia Tech is off to a perfect start.
The Hokies defeated Old Dominion 44-21 on Saturday at Lane Stadium, improving to 2-0 and giving Franklin his second victory as Virginia Tech’s head coach. After opening the season with a 73-3 demolition of VMI, Virginia Tech followed it up by getting revenge against the team that embarrassed the Hokies last season.
Hokies Take Control Early
Virginia Tech wasted no time establishing control.
The Hokies jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, including a defensive touchdown after Tyson Flowers recovered a fumble and returned it for a score. Virginia Tech’s defense continued creating problems for Old Dominion throughout the afternoon, forcing three turnovers.
By halftime, the Hokies had built a commanding 34-6 advantage.
Grunkemeyer Leads The Offense
Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer delivered another strong performance as Virginia Tech’s offense continued to find its rhythm.
Grunkemeyer completed 31 of 42 passes for 327 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding a rushing touchdown. His chemistry with tight end Luke Reynolds was particularly impressive.
Reynolds caught eight passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns, giving the Hokies a consistent weapon in the passing game.
Virginia Tech finished with 416 total yards, controlling the ball for more than 38 minutes.
A Huge Win For Franklin
The victory means more than simply moving to 2-0.
Old Dominion handed Virginia Tech one of its most embarrassing losses last season, jumping out to a huge lead before eventually winning 45-26. That loss contributed to the end of the Brent Pry era.
Franklin’s Hokies made sure there would be no repeat.
There were some concerns in the second half, particularly with penalties and the running game, but Virginia Tech had already created enough separation to cruise to the victory.
Now, Franklin has his new program sitting at 2-0.
The real test is coming next week when the Hokies travel to face Maryland, but after two games, Virginia Tech fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about the direction of the program.
The James Franklin era couldn’t have started much better.
