Pitt’s first road trip of the season sends the Panthers straight into their biggest challenge yet, a Friday night visit to Lane Stadium for a primetime matchup with Virginia Tech.
The Hokies are 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the ACC, and they’ve already built plenty of buzz around a first-year staff that has energized the program. James Franklin is in his first season at Virginia Tech after going 132-60 in 16 seasons overall, and the early returns have matched the hype: the Hokies are off to their first 4-0 start since 2017.
Virginia Tech has leaned on a balanced attack, with quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer steering the offense. The Penn State transfer has completed 101 of 136 passes for 1,012 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions, including two 300-yard games. His top target has been another Penn State transfer, Luke Reynolds, who leads the Hokies with 30 catches for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
The Hokies also have more than one way to move the ball on the ground. Marcellous Hawkins has handled 50 carries for 206 yards and four scores, while Jeffrey Overton Jr. has been the bigger explosive threat. Overton has 60 rushing attempts for 409 yards and four touchdowns, and he’s coming off a 200-yard outing that earned him ACC Running Back of the Week honors.
That ground game helped Virginia Tech survive its ACC opener at Boston College. The Hokies were held to just three first-half points in rainy conditions, trailed 14-6 early in the fourth quarter and still found a way to pull out a 21-14 win. After tying the game with 8:05 left, Overton ripped off a 76-yard touchdown run to put Virginia Tech ahead for good.
The numbers show a team that can score and can also get after people on defense. Virginia Tech is averaging 43.2 points per game, ranking 12th nationally, and is allowing just 16 points per game.
The Hokies have been especially disruptive up front, piling up 17 sacks and a nation-leading 45 tackles for loss. Cortez Harris leads the way with five sacks, Aycen Stevens has 4.5, and both Kaleb Spencer and Mylachi Williams have three apiece.
Pitt’s defense, though, has been even stingier through four games, allowing only 8.5 points per game. The Panthers also rank fourth nationally in rushing defense at 53.2 yards allowed per game. On the other side of the ball, Pitt’s offense has been productive, ranking sixth nationally in total offense at 523.8 yards per game and fifth in passing at 347.2 yards per game.
The Hokies’ own team rankings stack up well across the board too. Virginia Tech is 31st in total offense at 462.5 yards per game, 22nd in total defense at 269.2 yards allowed, 14th in run defense at 83.2 yards allowed, and 26th against the pass at 186 yards per game. Pitt, meanwhile, checks in 11th in total defense and 49th in pass defense.
There’s also some familiar personnel on Virginia Tech’s roster. Jordan Bass, who signed with Pitt in the class of 2023, spent two seasons with the Panthers before transferring and has appeared in all four games this year without recording a statistic.
Samuel Okunlola, now part of the Hokies’ defensive end rotation, had four tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss this season. He signed with Pitt in 2022, posted five sacks as a redshirt freshman in 2023, transferred to Colorado, and then ended up in Blacksburg for his final year.
Franklin also brought a strong Penn State imprint with him. Virginia Tech’s roster includes 12 players who suited up for Penn State last season, including Grunkemeyer, Reynolds, defensive starters Cortez Harris and Keon Wylie, and several other familiar names.
Friday’s game will be the 24th meeting between Pitt and Virginia Tech, a series that dates back to 1993 when both teams were in the Big East. It will also be the 12th game in Blacksburg, where the Hokies have held the edge 8-3. Pitt’s wins at Lane Stadium came in 2002, 2015 and 2021, while the Panthers’ most recent trip there ended in a 38-21 loss in a night game.
Game time is set for Friday, October 2 at 7:00 p.m. at Lane Stadium, which seats 65,632. ESPN will televise the game with Mike Monaco, Jordan Rodgers and Dana Boyle on the call, while the radio broadcast will air on 93.7 The Fan with Bill Hillgrove, Pat Bostick and Dorin Dickerson.