Ethan Grunkemeyer’s night against VMI checked just about every box on the stat sheet. He completed 17 of 20 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns, didn’t take a sack, and was done for the evening midway through the third quarter with Virginia Tech already cruising to a 73-3 win.
But the throws that mattered most were the ones he didn’t make.
Two of Grunkemeyer’s three incompletions were the kind of shots Virginia Tech will need him to connect on if Saturday is going to look anything like a tune-up. Both came on passes to Duke transfer Que'Sean Brown, and James Franklin didn’t gloss over it on Monday.
"We had some opportunities for two big explosive plays that we missed; we've got to be able to hit those," Franklin said. "We're going to need those moving forward." He added that Grunkemeyer played well overall.
That’s where the real conversation starts. VMI came in at No. 405 in Bill Connelly’s SP+, fresh off a 38-10 loss to Idaho State.
Old Dominion is a much stiffer test at No. 88, and Virginia Tech is No. 25.
The Monarchs visit Lane Stadium at noon Saturday on The CW, and this is the first game that actually tells you something about where Grunkemeyer stands.
He’s not short on experience. Saturday will be his second start in Blacksburg and the ninth of his career after he opened the final seven games at Penn State last season.
He’s already shown he can hit the deep ball, too - in his last game at Penn State, he delivered a 73-yard touchdown to Trebor Pena in a 22-10 Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson. Backup Bryce Baker also hit a long one against VMI, connecting with Chanz Wiggins for a 40-yard score.
Against Old Dominion, those explosive plays may be less of a luxury and more of a requirement. The Monarchs allowed 19.6 points per game last season, good for 15th nationally, and their defense made life miserable up front.
They led the Sun Belt with 39 sacks last season and tied for fourth in the country in sacks per game at 3.1. Franklin also said they tied for sixth in sacks per game.
Defensive coordinator Blake Seiler, now in his seventh year in Norfolk, has turned down Power Four opportunities to stay put. Last weekend, his unit held Norfolk State to 220 yards on 60 plays in a 31-10 win.
That sets up another area Virginia Tech has to clean up fast: third down. The Hokies converted just 3 of 8 against VMI, and while it barely mattered in a game where they piled up 619 yards, scored on their first six possessions and never punted in the first half, it will matter a lot more when the defense across from them isn’t overwhelmed.
"We've gotta hit those gimmies specifically on third and fourth down, so we can stay on the field and not put our defense in a challenging spot," Franklin said.
Grunkemeyer has already seen the heavy stuff. He started against Ohio State, Indiana, and Clemson last fall. What he hasn’t done yet is prove it in this setting, behind this line, in an offense where coordinator Ty Howle is calling plays at the Power Four level for the first time.
There’s also the memory of last September, when Virginia Tech lost to Old Dominion 45-26 at Lane Stadium, dropped to 0-3, and fired then-head coach Brent Pry the next day. Franklin said Monday that the staff will watch that tape, but he doesn’t view it as something the team needs to lean on.
"We'll watch last year's tape and be aware of it, but no, I don't think we're going to need to offer things like that as fuel," he said.
Grunkemeyer wasn’t part of that game. Saturday, he’ll be judged by it anyway.
In Other News...
James Franklin Knows Exactly What Virginia Tech Is Up Against
James Franklin enters this matchup with a clear sense of the challenge ahead, and not just because Virginia Tech is trying to set a tone early. Franklin knows Old Dominion well through his close personal and professional relationship with Monarchs coach Ricky Rahne, a connection that goes back to Franklins time away from Penn State, when he visited Old Dominions sideline after being fired. Now he is preparing to face a coach he respects in a setting where familiarity only raises the level of urgency.
Franklin acknowledged Rahnes success at Old Dominion and the confidence the Monarchs will bring into the game, which only sharpens the stakes for Virginia Tech. It also adds an unusual layer to an already meaningful meeting, with the two coaches set to stand on opposite sidelines and each knowing the others background, habits and expectations. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Techs Blowout Just Changed How The Rest Of The Schedule Looks
Virginia Tech opened the season with a rout of VMI that did more than fill up the scoreboard. The Hokies used the opener to make an early statement, and the result has reshaped the way the rest of their schedule looks from here. With Old Dominion next on the docket, the conversation around this team has already shifted from simply getting through September to how quickly a strong start can build.
ESPNs Football Power Index took notice, too, and the projections now look more favorable for Virginia Tech in the weeks ahead. There are still plenty of tests to navigate, and the margin for error will tighten once the schedule gets deeper, but the early read is clear enough: this kind of performance changes expectations, both inside the building and in the way the next few opponents are viewed. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech's Bowl Outlook Just Got A Lot More Complicated
Virginia Techs bowl picture is still very much in flux, and the range of national projections tells the story. Different outlets have the Hokies headed to different postseason destinations, a reflection of how hard it is to pin down this teams ceiling under new head coach James Franklin. The uncertainty is part of the appeal at this point, especially with the season still offering enough swing game potential to move the conversation in a hurry.
Recent results and Franklins track record have kept the Hokies in the mix, but not settled anywhere just yet. The broader read is that Virginia Tech has enough talent and coaching structure to stay bowl-bound, though the exact landing spot remains one of the more interesting unresolved questions around the program as the year unfolds. [Read more 🡒]