Virginia Tech is back in Lane Stadium with a chance to keep the good times rolling, and James Franklin knows exactly what’s at stake Friday night.
The Hokies are 4-0 after grinding out a 21-14 win over Boston College on Saturday, a game that asked plenty of them. Virginia Tech had to fight through ugly weather and a stubborn Eagles team before finally breaking it open with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. The last one was the knockout punch: Jeffrey Overton’s 76-yard touchdown run.
Now comes a bigger test. Pittsburgh arrives in Blacksburg unbeaten, and the matchup brings together two teams that have handled their business through four games. The Panthers are coming off home wins over Miami (OH), UCF, Syracuse and Bucknell, with UCF giving them their toughest night in a 12-7 win.
At the center of it all is Pitt sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel, who has thrown 13 touchdown passes against just one interception. Virginia Tech has its own sophomore quarterback in Ethan Grunkemeyer, and the parallels are hard to miss: both are 6-foot-2, both are from Ohio, and both will be under the spotlight in what should be the most intriguing quarterback battle in Blacksburg in quite a while.
Franklin’s focus, though, is bigger than the matchup itself. A win would push Virginia Tech to 5-0 and 2-0 in ACC play, while also adding another victory over a longtime conference rival. That’s why he made a direct appeal to Hokie Nation on Monday.
“Being back at home this week is obviously going to be significant,” Franklin said on Monday. “We need it to be a home-field advantage.
We need it to be a four-quarter game, four quarters of support from our fans and from our students. That’s going to be a really important factor in this game.
We need to have a significant home-field advantage.”
No worries, Coach.
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Virginia Tech Just Answered A Big Question Before ACC Play
Virginia Tech got one of those early-season wins that can shape the rest of a fall, leaning on depth, patience and a breakout performance from Jeffrey Overton Jr. to knock off Boston College 21-14 and move to 4-0 for the first time since 2017. With several key players unavailable, the Hokies had to piece together enough offense and enough resistance to stay afloat until the game turned late.
Overton, a sophomore running back, was the difference when it mattered most, rushing for 209 yards and breaking free for a 76-yard touchdown that helped fuel the fourth-quarter comeback. For a team about to enter ACC play, the bigger takeaway was not just the record but the way Virginia Tech handled a shorthanded afternoon and found answers from reserves when the pressure started to build. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech May Be Getting Undervalued Before Its Biggest Test Yet
Virginia Tech kept its early momentum rolling with a 21-14 win over Boston College, and now the Hokies are headed into a September showdown that suddenly feels a lot bigger than a standard conference game. The victory pushed Virginia Tech to 4-0 for the first time since 2017, with sophomore running back Jeffrey Overton Jr. earning ACC Running Back of the Week honors for his work in the backfield.
Next up is Pitt on October 2, and the matchup carries a rare kind of national weight for two teams that are still unranked but both unbeaten. It is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, and it will be a historic meeting between 4-0 Power Four programs, the first of its kind in modern college football history. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Faces A Huge Early Test Against Pitts Defense
Virginia Techs next ACC test comes with a little extra weight, because Pitt arrives in Blacksburg with both teams still unbeaten in league play. The Hokies have been one of the conferences most productive offenses so far, ranking second in the ACC in scoring, while Pitt has built its early success on a defense that has not allowed a point in the first or third quarter this season.
Those are the kinds of numbers that tend to make a game feel like a chess match before kickoff, especially with key players and injuries shaping the matchup on both sides. For Virginia Tech, the challenge is clear: get its offense moving early and avoid letting Pitt dictate the games rhythm, because the Panthers have shown they can squeeze space, force long drives and make every possession matter. [Read more 🡒]