James Franklin’s first game at Virginia Tech came with the kind of scoreboard that turns heads fast.
In his head coaching debut with the Hokies on Saturday, Franklin’s new team rolled past VMI 73-3, and the blowout featured several familiar names from his Penn State days helping set the tone. Virginia Tech didn’t just win comfortably; it overwhelmed the Keydets from start to finish behind an offense that piled up yards and a defense that smothered just about everything in sight.
Ethan Grunkemeyer, now Virginia Tech’s starting quarterback, threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns before handing things over to his backup in the second half. Luke Reynolds chipped in as the Hokies’ second-leading receiver, catching five passes for 50 yards and a touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, Mylachi Williams picked up the first sack of his career in the first quarter. And Messiah Mickens, the freshman running back who had been set to join Penn State but stayed with Franklin, made his college debut with five carries for 23 yards.
The numbers across the board were lopsided. Virginia Tech outgained VMI 619 to 83 and held the Keydets to minus-4 rushing yards.
But the afternoon wasn’t spotless. The Hokies were flagged 11 times for 93 penalty yards and lost the turnover battle 2-1.
The next test comes next Saturday against Old Dominion, which is coached by former Penn State offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne, who worked under Franklin. Virginia Tech is planning a “white effect” for Lane Stadium for that matchup.
Penn State, meanwhile, is getting ready for its first road game of the season, though it will be played in Philadelphia against Temple.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech Still Has One Big Quarterback Decision Before Old Dominion
Virginia Tech heads into Week 2 with one of the more practical questions of the early season still hanging over it: who settles in as the backup quarterback behind the starter. James Franklin said Bryce Baker has put himself in the conversation, and that battle for QB2 has become part of the buildup to Old Dominion, even as the Hokies try to keep their focus on the larger shape of the season. Franklin also spent time praising the defense and talking through the value of how future games are scheduled, a reminder that the first few weeks can shape more than just the win-loss column.
Old Dominion brings a little extra edge because of what happened a year ago, but Franklin made clear the Hokies are treating this matchup as its own test rather than a chance to relive last seasons loss. The result is a familiar early-season mix of urgency and evaluation: Virginia Tech wants to clean up the details, keep building confidence on defense and, at the same time, sort out a quarterback depth chart that could matter later even if it does not decide Saturday. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Techs Quarterback Battle Isnt Over Behind Ethan Grunkemeyer
Virginia Tech left its season-opening win over VMI with one part of the quarterback picture looking settled and another still very much in motion. Junior Ethan Grunkemeyer handled the job well enough in the opener, completing 17 of 20 passes for two touchdowns, and the Hokies got the kind of steady start they wanted from the top of the depth chart.
The more interesting question now sits behind him. Head coach discussed the quarterback situation after the game and made clear the backup role is still a competition among Bryce Baker, Kelden Ryan and Troy Huhn, with Baker getting into the opener but no definitive No. 2 yet named. For a team trying to build early-season rhythm, that kind of uncertainty matters, and it gives the next stretch of practice a little extra edge. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Gets A Charged Reunion With One Painful Opponent
Brent Prys return to Virginia Tech has already added an unusual layer to James Franklins first season in Blacksburg. Fired as the Hokies head coach in September 2025, Pry is back on the staff as defensive coordinator, and the schedule wasted little time in putting him in a spotlight game with extra meaning. Virginia Tech hosts Old Dominion on Sept. 12, 2026, with both teams off to 1-0 starts and the Hokies installed as the favorite.
The matchup carries an edge beyond the usual in-state intrigue because Old Dominion was the team whose victory helped trigger Prys dismissal. It is rare enough for a coach to return to the same program after getting let go, and even rarer for that reunion to come against the opponent most closely tied to the end of his first run. For Virginia Tech, it turns Saturday into more than an early-season test. It is also a charged reminder of how quickly the narrative around one program can turn. [Read more 🡒]