Virginia Tech gets Old Dominion in Lane Stadium on Saturday, and the Hokies are looking at a chance to start 2-0 while also flipping the memory of last year’s 45-26 loss to the Monarchs on its head. If Tech wins, it would move to 5-3 all-time against Old Dominion.
Around the Virginia Tech On SI staff, the outlook is pretty consistent: the Hokies are expected to win, and win comfortably.
Lucas Boyd sees Virginia Tech leaning on a strong ground game and using last year’s setback as fuel. He pointed to the change in Old Dominion’s offense and said the Hokies should take control behind another productive rushing performance.
Final score prediction: Virginia Tech 45, Old Dominion 17
Jackson Caudell also expects a home-field edge to matter, noting that Old Dominion has James Franklin’s attention this week. He wrote that the Monarchs still have enough talent to be a Sun Belt contender, but he thinks they’ll run into a motivated Virginia Tech team eager to open the season 2-0.
Final score prediction: Virginia Tech 35, Old Dominion 13
James Duncan focused on how different this ODU group looks from the one that rolled up 377 yards of total offense in Blacksburg last season, with Colton Joseph now at Wisconsin and the Monarchs missing the top three receivers from that game after their moves to LSU, Vanderbilt and Maryland. He also highlighted Quinn Heinicle’s two rushing touchdowns in a 31-10 win over Norfolk State and a defensive effort that produced five sacks, 11 tackles for loss and an interception.
Final score prediction: Virginia Tech 34, Old Dominion 10
Thomas Hughes made a similar case, saying the Monarchs are “light-years” removed from the team that beat Tech a year ago. He noted Heinicle’s 137 passing yards on 12 attempts against Norfolk State, while also pointing out that Norfolk State went 1-11 last season and is No. 205 on SP+ right now. He listed Old Dominion at No. 90 in SP+ and Virginia Tech at No. 25, and still expects a fairly comfortable Hokies win.
Final score prediction: Virginia Tech 42, Old Dominion 14
Kaden Reinhard rounded out the predictions by calling this another step in Virginia Tech’s season-opening ramp-up, even with an FBS opponent on deck. He said Old Dominion’s defense was “fast and physical,” cited the Monarchs allowing just 126 rushing yards on 40 attempts in Week 1, and added that Tech’s backs should still be able to produce if the blocking is there. He also noted that Heinicle will be asked to do more in Blacksburg if his offensive line can hold up.
Final score prediction: Virginia Tech 45, Old Dominion 13
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James Franklin Brings One Intriguing Trend Into Virginia Techs In-State Tests
James Franklin arrives in Blacksburg with a track record that should matter to anyone watching Virginia Techs in-state slate. As a head coach, he has gone 11-3 against opponents from his own state, and the last time one of those teams beat him came back in 2016 against Pittsburgh. That history includes some eye-opening results along the way, from his Vanderbilt days against Tennessee to repeated success against Penn States in-state rivals.
Now Franklin gets a new version of that challenge at Virginia Tech, where the schedule is quickly moving from a tune-up against VMI to a more relevant test against Old Dominion and, soon enough, the Commonwealth Clash with Virginia. For a coach still settling in with the Hokies, those games will say a lot about how quickly his formula translates to the kind of regional matchups that can define a season in Blacksburg. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Faces A Week 2 Quarterback Concern It Cant Ignore
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The bigger intrigue now is Week 2, where several ACC quarterbacks are headed into matchups that should say more about where they stand than opening weekend ever could. With the top eight quarterbacks in the league already being sorted and upcoming opponents lined up across the conference, Virginia Tech has a close eye on whether its own passing game can climb with the rest of the pack before the schedule starts tightening up. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Techs Offense Faces A Real Test Against Old Dominion
Virginia Techs offense opened the season with plenty to like, piling up 619 yards and showing a balanced attack that looked in sync from the start. Quarterback Grunkemeyer settled in quickly in his debut, moving the ball efficiently while running back Overton handled the early scoring burst with two rushing touchdowns in the first quarter. Wide receiver Brown also gave the Hokies a steady big-play target, finishing with six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown.
The challenge now gets more interesting with Old Dominion coming to town, because the Monarchs already showed they can make life uncomfortable for an opponent. Their opener featured a strong defensive performance and a knack for creating extra possessions, the kind of trait that can test how clean Virginia Tech really is when the game tightens up. For a Hokies offense that looked explosive out of the gate, this is a chance to find out whether that rhythm travels against a defense that has already shown it can force mistakes. [Read more 🡒]