Virginia Tech heads to Chestnut Hill with a spotless record, a high-powered offense, and a strong statistical edge over Boston College as ACC play begins.
The Hokies are 3-0 after stacking three very different kinds of wins. They opened with a 73-3 demolition of VMI, a game that gave Virginia Tech its most points in a single contest since Akron in 1995 and its biggest margin of victory since Catholic in the 1922 season.
From there, the Hokies handled Old Dominion 44-21, turning around a 19-point loss from last year. Then came the biggest statement yet: a 35-26 road win at Maryland that snapped Virginia Tech’s 15-game skid against Power Four non-conference opponents and ended the Terrapins’ 20-game non-conference winning streak, the longest in the country.
Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has been at the center of it. Against Maryland, he completed 31 of 39 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns while also running for an 18-yard score. That performance made him the first Virginia Tech quarterback since Ryan Willis in 2018 to post back-to-back 300-yard passing games.
Boston College enters at 2-1 after a more uneven start. The Eagles dropped their opener to Cincinnati, then recovered with a 28-21 win before escaping Maine 22-16 in a game in which BC was heavily favored.
History leans Virginia Tech’s way, too. The Hokies are 22-11 all-time against Boston College and 10-6 on the road in the series. They’ve won four of the last five meetings and each of the last three.
The Football Power Index likes Virginia Tech’s chances to keep the streak going. FPI gives the Hokies an 86.4% chance to beat Boston College on Saturday. The Eagles sit at No. 85 in SP+, making them the second-lowest ACC opponent on Virginia Tech’s schedule this season; only Stanford, at No. 104, ranks lower.
Virginia Tech and Boston College kick off Saturday, Sept. 26, at 12 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
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 🡒]
Virginia Tech Is Earning The Kind Of Respect Hokies Fans Wanted
Boston College coach Bill OBrien spent part of his media session doing what opponents often do when Virginia Tech starts looking legitimate: acknowledging the parts that make the Hokies hard to prepare for. He pointed to receiver Luke Reynolds blocking work and recent play, then moved quickly to the bigger picture, noting Virginia Techs rushing attack and the kind of offensive line depth that tends to travel well in conference play.
The respect didnt stop at the roster. OBrien also reflected on his past coaching relationship with Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin and praised Franklins career, a reminder that the Hokies are drawing attention not just for what they do on Saturdays, but for how theyre being discussed by opposing staffs during the week. For Virginia Tech fans, its the kind of tone theyve been waiting to hear, even if the real test is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]