VMI didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard in its opener, but the Keydets did show the shape of what Ashley Ingram wants this offense to be. Against Idaho State last Saturday, VMI threw it nine times for just 11 yards and leaned hard on the ground game, running 52 times for 229 yards.
That’s no accident. Ingram spent 16 years at Navy, then went 16-6 over two seasons at Division II Carson-Newman, where his triple option ranked fourth nationally in rushing at 265.8 yards per game. He brought that system to Lexington in January and installed it on a roster that went 1-11 and 0-8 in the Southern Conference last fall under Danny Rocco, who is now Virginia Tech's senior defensive analyst for offense.
The Keydets lost 38-10, but they still held the ball for more than half the game. Afterward, Ingram made it clear he sees the opener as a starting point, not a finished product.
"I'm proud of the way we kept battling and kept fighting," Ingram said afterward. "This is the first step in a long, long process."
If Virginia Tech wants to get through Saturday night without letting VMI’s option game find a rhythm, these are the three offensive names that matter most.
The first is Wilson, who came off the bench and still led the Keydets in rushing. He carried seven times for 62 yards and scored VMI’s only touchdown on a 31-yard run straight up the middle in the fourth quarter.
Wilson’s background gives VMI some versatility, too. He made his first career start at Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium as a redshirt freshman in 2024, then played in eight games and started five, completing 53 of 109 passes for 424 yards and three touchdowns.
He also threw for 135 yards in VMI's 21-17 win over Furman that season. Against Idaho State, he had just one pass attempt, and it went for minus-2 yards.
Even so, his seven carries produced more than VMI starting quarterback JoJo Crump managed on nine.
The biggest burst of the night came from another young piece. Simon, a true freshman, turned five carries into 49 net yards and delivered a 46-yard run in the fourth quarter that got VMI into the red zone.
He’s listed at 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds out of Ascension Catholic in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. If Virginia Tech’s linebackers lose track of pitch responsibility, Simon is the one who can make them pay.
Then there’s Boehling, the back who still carries the most weight in this offense. He is VMI’s workhorse and its most important returning producer.
Against Idaho State, he handled 17 carries for 40 net yards and averaged 2.4 yards per attempt as the Keydets struggled to generate much inside. Last season, Boehling rushed 128 times for 534 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games.
At 6-foot and 235 pounds, he’s the piece that makes the whole thing go, and the question for Virginia Tech is simple: can a defensive tackle win the dive before the option starts rolling?
Virginia Tech’s game against the Keydets is set for 7:30 p.m. ET tomorrow on the ACC Network. James Franklin said Monday that Ethan Grunkemeyer will start at quarterback for the Hokies.
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