Virginia Tech’s 21-14 win over Boston College wasn’t clean, and James Franklin didn’t try to dress it up that way. After the Hokies fought back in Chestnut Hill on Saturday afternoon, the head coach made clear the game carried two truths at once: it was messy, and it was the kind of road win teams need to survive a season.
“There’s part of me that’s going to say this wasn’t the prettiest win, but there’s part of me that says it was as pretty as it gets,” Franklin said.
That tension ran through Franklin’s postgame remarks. Virginia Tech had opened the year with three blowout wins, outscoring opponents 152-50.
This one was different. The Hokies had to dig out of trouble, and for the first time all season they were forced into a one-score finish.
Franklin kept coming back to the same point: wins like this matter because not every Saturday gives you room to breathe.
The biggest reason Virginia Tech escaped was Jeff Overton. He carried the offense with 209 rushing yards and put the Hokies ahead for good with a 76-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. His second half alone produced 159 yards, the kind of burst that flipped the game.
“When I got here, Jeff was 185 pounds,” Franklin said. “[Now], he’s 207 pounds.
So, he’s put on that type of weight in a short period of time and hasn’t lost a step. And I make the argument he’s actually gotten faster.”
Franklin credited Overton, the strength staff and the nutritionists for that transformation, and he pointed out that the added bulk has not dulled the running back’s speed. Overton also became Virginia Tech’s first 200-yard rusher since Bhayshul Tuten did it against Boston College in 2024.
Virginia Tech’s comeback was made tougher by the state of its offensive line. Left tackle Justin Terry and right guard Montavious Cunningham were both out, and Brody Meadows was banged up before leaving midway through the game. Michael Troutman III made his first career start, while Layth Ghannam slid over to left tackle for part of the afternoon.
“We’re down two starters [in Terry and Cunningham],” Franklin said. “Troutman comes in and starts his first game of his college career and battles.
Howland’s in there battling his tail off. Layth was playing out of position some of the game.”
Franklin also highlighted a lesser-known piece of the win in receiver Jackson. The Louisiana Tech transfer entered the day with one catch on the season, then came away with three receptions for 41 yards after starting his first game for Virginia Tech with Ayden Greene unavailable.
“You don’t know when your number’s going to get called and he gets an opportunity,” Franklin said. “AG was not available today; [Jackson] steps in and plays his tail off.”
Franklin added that he wouldn’t be surprised if Jackson’s afternoon was the start of a much bigger season.
The Hokies were still trailing 14-6 after McKenzie’s fourth-quarter touchdown, but they answered with the kind of execution Franklin wanted to see. That response included a key two-point conversion, which Franklin said came after a check at the line of scrimmage that sent Virginia Tech back to a running play and produced the push it needed.
That finish mattered, especially after the Hokies had been outscored 27-18 in the second halves of their previous two games. On Saturday, they closed the right way.
“We finished strong today in the fourth quarter and we hadn’t necessarily done that,” he said.
Virginia Tech is now 4-0 after turning what could have been a frustrating conference opener into a comeback win. The Hokies return to action against Pitt on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. ET, with the game set for ESPN.
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