Virginia Tech’s win over Clemson didn’t just snap a long drought. It also gave the Hokies a very different look in the numbers game that comes with the back half of the season.
After the 20-16 upset at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 24, Virginia Tech is bowl-eligible in James Franklin’s first year at the helm and sitting at 6-2 overall, 3-2 in the ACC.
The Hokies trailed 16-10 heading into the fourth quarter, then closed with a 10-0 burst to steal the game late. Ethan Grunkemeyer found Luke Reynolds for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:44 left, and that was enough to seal Virginia Tech’s first win over Clemson since 2007.
Grunkemeyer finished 20 of 32 for 156 yards and two touchdowns, both going to Reynolds. The defense did its part too, piling up 13 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Now comes the stretch run, and ESPN’s Football Power Index has Virginia Tech favored in two of its final four games. The path is still bumpy, though, with road trips to SMU and Miami looming.
SMU is up first in the toughest category of those remaining matchups. The Mustangs improved to 6-1, 4-1 ACC with a 59-20 win over California on Saturday, turning a three-point halftime deficit into a runaway by scoring 42 unanswered points after the break.
Kevin Jennings threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns as SMU extended its winning streak to four games and pushed its overall run to five straight since its only loss. The Hokies will face the Mustangs in Dallas on Friday, Nov. 6, and FPI gives Virginia Tech a 28% chance to leave Gerald J.
Ford Stadium with a victory.
Stanford comes next, and the Cardinal finally got back on track Friday night with a 31-28 win over NC State. That result lifted Stanford to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the ACC, and it was its second conference win of the season.
The Cardinal had been trying to steady themselves after a rocky start that included lopsided losses to Wake Forest and Notre Dame. Even with the victory, Stanford remains a major underdog when it heads to Blacksburg.
Miami, meanwhile, keeps looking like the heavyweight of Virginia Tech’s remaining slate. The Hurricanes stayed unbeaten at 7-0, 5-0 ACC, with a 52-23 win over Pittsburgh.
Darian Mensah was once again electric, throwing for 387 yards and four touchdowns. On the season, he has 22 touchdown passes and just one interception.
Freshman receiver Malachi Toney added a program-record 16 catches for 194 yards and three scores, and the two have formed one of the country’s most dangerous quarterback-receiver pairings. Miami also showed it can survive a fight, edging Florida State 43-35 in double overtime the week before.
The Nov. 21 trip to Miami Gardens is Virginia Tech’s most difficult remaining game by a wide margin.
Virginia, the final opponent on the schedule, dropped to 4-4, 2-3 ACC after a 19-16 loss to Duke at Scott Stadium on Friday night. The Cavaliers were trying to bounce back from a 23-13 road defeat at SMU, but the offense never found enough traction against the Blue Devils.
Virginia held the ball for more than 17 minutes longer than Duke, yet it was outscored 12-3 in the second half. After starting 2-0, the Cavaliers have now lost four of their last six, and their Nov. 28 trip to Blacksburg now carries added weight.
FPI gives Virginia Tech a 57.1% chance to beat its in-state rival, down a bit from 57.6% last week.
With bowl eligibility already secured, the Commonwealth Cup offers Virginia Tech one more chance to add a meaningful win before the postseason begins.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech Defense Faces Its Biggest Test After Promising Start
Brent Prys first year as Virginia Techs defensive coordinator has given the Hokies a real foundation to build on, even with some rough edges still showing. At 6-2 through eight games, the defense has done enough to keep the team moving forward, and its overall numbers have been solid, sitting 26th nationally in total defense. The pass defense has had its issues, but the run defense has held up well, and several Hokies have put themselves near the top of ACC statistical categories.
Now comes the part that will tell Virginia Tech a lot more about what this defense really is. The next stretch on the schedule brings a different level of challenge, the kind that can expose whether the strong early-season profile is sustainable or just a product of a manageable opening run. For Pry and the Hokies, the encouraging start has bought them credibility, but the weeks ahead will determine how much of that progress holds up when the opposition gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Bye Week Is Putting Pressure On Two Key Battles
A bye week gives Virginia Tech a chance to catch its breath after opening the season 6-2, but it also puts a spotlight on the little things the staff wants cleaned up before the Hokies return to action against SMU on Nov. 6. James Franklin spent part of the break talking through recent performances and the way practice has been adjusted, with an eye toward keeping the team sharp while it resets for the stretch run.
Franklin also pointed to the ongoing competition behind the starting quarterback spot, a battle that has stayed active as the Hokies sort out their depth. He praised the way some freshmen have helped, while also noting there is more room for young players to earn trust as Virginia Tech tries to turn close losses into lessons and keep building on a resilient first half of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Has A Rising Draft Name Fans Need To Watch
Virginia Tech still has no players from its 2025 roster drafted, but there is at least one name moving fast enough to change that conversation. Tight end Reynolds has become one of the more intriguing risers on the Hokies pro radar after a strong season, with his stock climbing from a consensus seventh-round grade in June into much more favorable territory on some midseason boards.
Wide receiver Brown and defensive lineman Stevens have also turned in notable production, giving scouts a few more reasons to keep watching the Hokies down the stretch, even if Stevens still has work to do to rise into the upper tiers. Quarterback Grunkemeyer has added another layer to the evaluation with impressive efficiency, as his completion rate is tracking toward a program mark, and that mix of individual momentum could make Virginia Techs draft picture look very different by the time the season ends. [Read more 🡒]