Boston College coach Bill O’Brien didn’t spend much time trying to soften the picture around Virginia Tech. His message was simple: the Hokies are big, fast, well coached, and a real problem on both sides of the ball.
That started with Luke Reynolds, whose game caught O’Brien’s eye on film. Reynolds, from Westford, Massachusetts, is close enough to Chestnut Hill to feel like a local name, and O’Brien had plenty to say about what makes him difficult to defend.
"It's been fun to watch him on film," O'Brien said. "And he blocks; obviously, he's great in the passing game, but the reason why he's going to be a great NFL player is because he blocks. He's a massive challenge for us, no doubt."
Reynolds is fresh off a 100-yard, two-touchdown outing against Old Dominion that earned him ACC offensive receiver of the week honors. With rain and wind expected off the Atlantic, though, O’Brien suggested the weather could push Virginia Tech even more toward its ground game and the backs behind Reynolds.
"[The Hokies] running backs are tough; they do a great job, you're going to have to tackle well," O'Brien said.
That run game has been a calling card for Virginia Tech through the first three weeks, and O’Brien pointed to the strength up front and the depth beyond the starters as part of why it has worked.
"We think highly of him," James Franklin said about backup left tackle, Logan Howland. "He's been a leader in the locker room.
So, the fact that he kept preparing and was ready for when his number was called. We'll find out about JT [Justin Terry], but it's going to be important for [Howland] to continue to develop and get better."
O’Brien’s broader assessment of the Hokies was even more direct.
"This is a huge challenge for us, all the way across the board," O'Brien exclaimed. "Virginia Tech is an excellent football team in all areas. Very well coached, big, strong, fast... their offensive line is very good... we're going to have to show up ready to play."
He also reflected on his past with Franklin, a connection that goes back to their time on the Maryland staff in 2003 and 2004. O’Brien joined the Terps as running backs coach, while Franklin was handling wide receivers and recruiting under Ralph Friedgen.
"We coached together at Maryland; he was the wide receiver coach and recruiting coordinator for Ralph Friedgen. I came from Georgia Tech, where I had been a GA for Ralph," O'Brien said. "Our offices were side by side... he taught us a lot about football."
O’Brien finished by noting Franklin’s path since then and the job he has done at Virginia Tech, which has opened the season 3-0.
"He's been the head coach at Vanderbilt, he's been the head coach at Penn State, now Virginia Tech; that's pretty impressive," O'Brien exclaimed about Franklin. "He's doing a great job with these guys; they're 3-0, they're on fire, and it's a big challenge for us."
In Other News...
Virginia Tech's Transfer Surge Is Fueling A Start Fans Can't Ignore
Saturday night in College Park offered another sign that Virginia Techs early-season turnaround has real substance behind it. The Hokies beat Maryland to move to 3-0, and the win was their first on the road under coach James Franklin, with a pair of Penn State transfers driving much of the offense. Ethan Grunkemeyer piled up 314 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Luke Reynolds caught 12 passes for 107 yards and a score as the passing game kept Maryland under pressure.
The transfer footprint went well beyond the box score, too. A total of 18 transfers took part, and safety DQ Smith handled his biggest workload of the season as Virginia Tech kept leaning on newcomers in a game that asked plenty of them. For a team still trying to define its ceiling, the blend of immediate production and growing roles from the transfer class is becoming impossible to overlook, even before the tougher tests arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Techs Hot Start Suddenly Comes With One Big O-Line Concern
Virginia Techs 3-0 start has been built on plenty of things going right, but the offensive line has been the quiet backbone of it all. Through three weeks, advanced metrics have rated the Hokies as the fifth highest-graded unit in college football, a big reason the offense has looked steady and the team was able to handle Maryland in a win that snapped a long non-conference road losing streak against Power Four opponents.
Now the attention shifts to left tackle Justin Terry, who went down against Maryland with a lower-leg injury and was later seen on crutches. Head coach James Franklin has kept the specifics of Terrys status under wraps while the injury is evaluated, and for a line that has set the tone so far this season, his availability is the one issue that could matter most in the days ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Ethan Grunkemeyer Faces Virginia Techs Biggest ACC Question Yet
Ethan Grunkemeyer has given Virginia Tech exactly the kind of opening it wanted from its new starting quarterback. Through three games, he has been sharp, efficient and careful with the ball, completing 79 of 101 passes for 865 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions while helping the Hokies roll to a 3-0 nonconference start.
Now the calendar gets more serious. As Virginia Tech prepares to open ACC play against Boston College, Grunkemeyer finds himself measuring against the leagues other early quarterback standouts, including Miamis Darian Mensah, SMUs Kevin Jennings and Louisvilles Lincoln Kienholz. The accuracy has been there and the ball security has been even better, but the next stretch will say a lot more about how far that start can carry Virginia Tech once the conference games begin. [Read more 🡒]