Virginia Tech wasted no time turning Lane Stadium into a runaway. By halftime, the Hokies had built a 45-0 lead over VMI, and the margin was already out of hand before the second quarter settled in.
It started with a burst from sophomore running back Jeffrey Overton Jr., who broke loose for a 50-yard touchdown on Virginia Tech’s opening drive to put the Hokies in front 7-0. From there, the ground game kept pounding away.
Marcellous Hawkins followed with a 9-yard score on the next drive, a play set up when safety Tyson Flowers blocked a punt. Overton answered again on the Hokies’ next possession, this time finishing a 23-yard run to stretch the lead to 21-0. After another defensive stop, Hawkins punched in a 1-yard touchdown to make it 28-0.
Virginia Tech’s fifth drive ended with John Love adding a field goal, pushing the advantage to 31-0.
Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer had already been flirting with a big first half, just missing Que’Sean Brown on two deep balls. The connection finally came through in the second quarter, and Brown turned it into a 51-yard touchdown to make it 38-0.
The special teams and defense kept piling on, too. Defensive end Cortez Harris blocked a VMI punt, the ball rolled into the end zone, and defensive back Knahlij Harrell fell on it for his first career touchdown, extending the lead to 45-0.
At the break, Virginia Tech had held VMI to 32 yards on 28 plays and piled up four sacks.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech Faces One Trap Fans Cannot Ignore This Week
William "Pop" Watson III has already given Virginia Tech fans a reminder that a former backup can still change a Saturday. After leaving Blacksburg, Watson helped UMass pull off a 37-21 win over Rutgers as a heavy underdog, a result that only sharpened the spotlight on the Hokies as they turn their attention to VMI. On paper, this looks like the kind of game Virginia Tech should control, but the history of these matchups is exactly why it can still feel tricky.
VMI brings a triple-option offense under first-year coach Ashley Ingram, a style that can chew up tempo and force discipline even when the records do not suggest much danger. Virginia Tech is also entering the week with Ethan Grunkemeyer, the Penn State transfer, settled in as the starting quarterback and team captain, which gives the Hokies a clearer direction on offense. The bigger issue now is whether they can avoid letting a lesser opponent turn the game into something uncomfortable, the kind of trap that lingers far beyond the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Is Chasing A Recruiting Win Mike Young Needs
Virginia Tech is spending real time on the road and on campus with some of the nations youngest rising basketball prospects, a sign of how Mike Young wants to shape the roster moving forward. The Hokies have hosted official visits from Joshua Tyson and Tyran Frazier, while Micah Gunter also made an unofficial stop, all part of a broader push into the 2027 and 2028 classes as the staff leans into development as a selling point.
Tyson, a 6-foot-1 point guard ranked No. 42 in the 2027 class, and Frazier, a 6-foot-10 center ranked in the 52nd-to-59th range, give Virginia Tech a look at two very different building blocks. Gunter, a highly regarded 6-foot-3 combo guard in the 2028 class, adds another layer to the effort, and the Hokies willingness to get in early suggests this is more than just background scouting. It is a deliberate shift from how they have approached recruiting before, and one that could tell you a lot about where the program wants to go next. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Just Sent A Loud Message In James Franklins Debut
Virginia Tech did not spend much time easing into the James Franklin era. In Franklins debut as head coach, the Hokies rolled past VMI 73-3 in their season opener, a performance that was as lopsided on the scoreboard as it was everywhere else. Ethan Grunkemeyer handled the passing game efficiently, throwing for 224 yards and two touchdowns, while the Hokies piled up the kind of total dominance that can make an opener feel more like a statement than a tune-up.
The defense matched that tone from the start, collapsing VMIs offense with relentless backfield pressure and the kind of disruption that usually changes a game before halftime. Virginia Tech also got a boost from its quarterback depth, with Bryce Baker adding a touchdown pass in relief as the scoring kept coming. For Franklin, the first game on the sideline offered a clear glimpse of the identity hell want in Blacksburg, even if the larger question is how much of this opening burst can carry once the schedule turns serious. [Read more 🡒]