BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech didn’t just beat Old Dominion on Saturday. It turned last year’s bad memory into a lopsided response.
A year after falling behind 28-0 to the Monarchs at halftime, the Hokies flipped the script in a big way. This time, Virginia Tech carried a 34-6 lead into the break and rolled to a 44-21 win, moving to 2-0 for the first time since the 2021 season. Old Dominion, now 1-1, arrived without the quarterback and all the offensive line starters that powered its win in Blacksburg a year ago.
Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer was steady throughout, finishing 31 of 42 for 327 yards with two passing touchdowns and no interceptions. He was sacked three times, but Virginia Tech kept the offense moving and the defense kept forcing the issue.
That defense was relentless. The Hokies piled up 14 tackles for loss, seven sacks and four forced fumbles. Mylachi Williams was a problem off the edge with 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, while Cortez Harris added 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks of his own.
Old Dominion quarterback Quinn Henicle finished 13 of 21 for 187 yards and a touchdown, but he absorbed seven sacks. He also posted 83 net rushing yards, helped by a 76-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter after the game had already gotten away from the Monarchs.
Virginia Tech set the tone early. Grunkemeyer helped drive the Hokies down the field on the opening possession, including a 30-yard strike to tight end Ja'Ricous Hairston, but the series stalled and John Love kicked a 39-yard field goal.
After a quick three-and-out from Old Dominion, Virginia Tech strung together a 14-play, 77-yard march that ended with Marcellous Hawkins powering in from 20 yards out.
Then came the wildest stretch of the afternoon. Henicle was strip-sacked by Aycen Stevens, and linebacker Keon Wylie initially returned the fumble for a touchdown before losing the ball before crossing the goal line. On the very next play, Henicle fumbled again, and Tyson Flowers scooped it up and raced 14 yards for a score to make it 17-0.
Old Dominion answered with a field goal after Josh Rodriguez hauled in two catches for 55 yards, including a 34-yarder on the left sideline that was reviewed by the ACC and upheld as a catch.
But Virginia Tech kept pushing. Facing fourth down twice on its next drive, the Hokies converted both, including a fourth-and-2 at the Old Dominion 10. Instead of taking the easy points, Grunkemeyer found Luke Reynolds on a play-action throw, and Reynolds turned it into a touchdown to make it 24-3.
The takeaways kept coming. Williams forced another fumble on a high snap, and Kaleb Spencer recovered it to give Virginia Tech the ball at the Monarchs’ 20. Grunkemeyer then found Reynolds again on a 16-yard touchdown pass, giving the Hokies complete control.
By halftime, Reynolds had already caught six passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns, while Grunkemeyer had gone 21 of 27 for 211 yards and two scores. Reynolds finished with 108 receiving yards on eight catches. Ayden Greene added 44 receiving yards, and Que'Sean Brown finished with 41.
Old Dominion finally found the end zone late in the third quarter. Devion Roche helped move the ball with gains of six, 14 and 10, and Rodriguez’s 34-yard catch set up Henicle’s touchdown toss to Leon Haughton Jr. from the 2-yard line.
Virginia Tech answered right back. Grunkemeyer hit Brown for 12 yards, then the Monarchs were hit with a 15-yard facemask penalty. On fourth-and-1, an unsportsmanlike penalty on Old Dominion moved the ball to the 1, and Grunkemeyer punched it in on a quarterback sneak.
Old Dominion added one more score when Henicle broke loose for a 76-yard touchdown run. The Monarchs went for two, missed the first try, got another chance because of defensive pass interference on Sherrod Covil Sr., and Henicle converted by running around the right side to the pylon.
Virginia Tech’s next game is Saturday, Sept. 19, against Maryland at 7:30 p.m. ET on either FOX or FS1. A win there would give the Hokies their first non-conference Power Four victory since 2017, which was also the last time Virginia Tech started 3-0.
The Hokies then open ACC play on the road against Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass., on Saturday, Sept. 26. Kickoff time and TV information have not been announced.
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Virginia Tech got the sort of response it needed against Old Dominion, jumping out early and staying in control the rest of the way in a 44-21 win. Ethan Grunkemeyer delivered a poised outing at quarterback, completing 31 of 42 passes for 327 yards while adding a touchdown on the ground, and the Hokies did enough on defense to force three turnovers and keep the Monarchs from ever truly settling in.
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