Virginia Tech heads to Boston College on Saturday with a chance to keep rolling, but this one feels a little different than the first three.
The Hokies are 3-0 and will open ACC play at noon ET against the Eagles, who sit at 2-1 after a season-opening loss to Cincinnati and narrow wins over Rutgers and Maine. Virginia Tech is trying to start 4-0 for the first time since 2017, and the matchup gives James Franklin’s team another road test with no margin for slippage.
One of the biggest questions will be how Virginia Tech’s defensive front handles Boston College quarterback Mason McKenzie. The Division II transfer has put up 648 passing yards and three touchdowns through three games, but he has also thrown five interceptions.
His rushing production may be even more of a concern. McKenzie leads Boston College with 225 rushing yards, including 94 against Rutgers and 53 against Maine.
Franklin said this week that McKenzie may be at his best outside of the pocket, pointing to his ability to extend plays and beat defenses with his legs. That puts a premium on discipline for Mylachi Williams, Cortez Harris, and the rest of Virginia Tech’s front.
On the other side, Virginia Tech has gotten exactly what it hoped for from Grunkemeyer early in the season. The Penn State transfer completed 31 of 39 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns in the Hokies’ 35-26 win over Maryland, giving him back-to-back 300-yard games. Luke Reynolds has become his top target, with 25 catches for 265 yards and four touchdowns through three games.
Boston College, though, has made a habit of taking the ball away. The Eagles have six interceptions through three games, with linebacker Anthony Palano and defensive backs KP Price and Marcus Upton responsible for four of them.
Price had two picks against Maine. Grunkemeyer has not thrown an interception yet, and Virginia Tech will want to keep it that way.
That turnover battle ties into another area that could swing the game: third downs. Against Maryland, Virginia Tech converted eight of nine third-down chances in the first half and finished 10-of-16 overall. That kind of efficiency helped the Hokies control the ball, sustain drives, and keep Maryland’s offense from settling in.
Boston College has not been nearly as sharp in that area. The Eagles are 12-of-37 on third down, a 32.4% rate, while opponents are converting 41% of their chances. They are also just 2-of-7 on fourth down.
If Virginia Tech can keep moving the chains on offense and force Boston College into repeated stops on defense, the Hokies should put themselves in position to control the game. They showed against Maryland that they can win on the road against Power Four competition without being perfect. Boston College is a different challenge, but the blueprint does not need to change much.
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Virginia Tech Finally Has A Win That Makes This Start Feel Real
Virginia Tech had already put together a promising opening, but the win over Maryland gave the early season a different kind of weight. The Hokies beat the Terrapins 35-26 to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2017, and they did it against a Maryland team that had not lost a nonconference game in 20 straight tries. Quarterback Grant Grunkemeyer kept the offense moving with 314 passing yards and three touchdown throws, while also finding the end zone on the ground, and Luke Reynolds stayed hot with 12 catches for 107 yards and a score.
For a team trying to prove its start is more than a good first few weeks, this was the kind of result that changes the conversation. Virginia Tech looked efficient enough through the air to stress Maryland all afternoon, and Reynolds has now stacked consecutive 100-yard receiving games as a reliable target in the passing game. The next question is whether the Hokies can carry that same composure into the stretch that usually defines whether an unbeaten start is the real thing or just a September tease. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech's 3-0 Start Faces Its First Real ACC Test
Virginia Techs unbeaten start has given the Hokies a little early momentum, and the timing of their first ACC game could hardly be more telling. At 3-0 for the first time since 2017, they have paired a strong scoring margin with encouraging quarterback play and a defense that has mostly controlled the early part of the schedule, enough to make this opening stretch feel like more than just a warm-up.
Boston College, though, brings a different kind of test to Blacksburg. The Eagles have been living on tight finishes, and their quarterback and overall team dynamic present a sharper league-level challenge than Virginia Tech has seen so far, which is why this matchup feels like the first real measuring stick for where the Hokies stand in the ACC race. [Read more 🡒]