Boston College is heading into its first ACC test of the season with some momentum, but Virginia Tech arrives in Chestnut Hill with a lot more firepower than the Eagles have seen so far.
BC, now 2-1, has strung together back-to-back wins over Rutgers and Maine after dropping its opener to Cincinnati, 34-15. That gives Saturday’s matchup a sharper edge: the Eagles are out of nonconference mode and into a league schedule that, outside of Notre Dame, is all ACC from here on out. Virginia Tech should offer a much clearer read on where this team stands.
The Hokies have rolled through their first three games at 3-0, and they’re coming off a 35-26 win at Maryland in which they controlled things 35-14 entering the fourth quarter. Through three games, Virginia Tech has piled up a 152-50 scoring edge. That opening stretch included a 73-3 demolition of Virginia Military Institute and a 44-21 win over Old Dominion.
A big reason for that surge is quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who followed James Franklin from Penn State to Blacksburg, Va., and has immediately looked comfortable running the show. The former consensus four-star recruit and ESPN’s No. 4 overall prospect out of Ohio in the 2023 class has thrown for 865 yards, 288.3 per game, with seven touchdowns, no interceptions and a 78.2 completion percentage. His 173.3 passer rating ranks fifth in the ACC.
Grunkemeyer’s favorite target has been tight end Luke Reynolds, another former Penn State player and one of the biggest offseason additions Virginia Tech made. Reynolds ranks second among tight ends nationally with 265 receiving yards and leads all tight ends with four touchdown catches.
His 25 receptions are tied for fourth in the country regardless of position. He has already topped his 2025 receiving-yard total by eight yards and is one catch away from matching last year’s reception total.
At 6-foot-5, Reynolds gives the Hokies a matchup problem from just about every spot on the field. He can work the screen game, win on intermediate routes and stretch things deeper, and the chemistry he has built with Grunkemeyer has made him the clear No. 1 option in the passing game.
Virginia Tech has more than just that duo, though. Wide receivers Que’Sean Brown and Ayden Greene have combined for 298 yards and a touchdown on 26 catches, while running backs Jeffrey Overton Jr. and Marcellous Hawkins Jr. have split the workload almost evenly, with 35 and 39 carries respectively.
Both backs have more than 185 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Brown has also been a factor on special teams, averaging 39.0 yards on three punt returns.
The defense has been just as aggressive. Virginia Tech is tied for the national lead in sacks with 14 alongside LSU and has logged 36 tackles for loss.
Penn State transfer Mylachi Williams, a junior, is pacing that group with six tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Kaleb Spencer has added 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and a team-high 13 tackles, giving the Hokies a versatile threat who can affect the game both as a rusher and in coverage.
Up front and at the second level, Cortez Harris, Aycen Stevens, Keon Wylie and Noah Chambers have all played key roles.
For BC, this is a chance to move to three wins, which would already top its 2025 total of two. But after what the Eagles showed against Maine, they’ll need a much cleaner performance across the board to have a shot at slowing down Virginia Tech.
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