Virginia Tech’s weekly tune-up for Old Dominion brought a little of everything Monday: quarterback talk, schedule philosophy, praise for the defense and a reminder that last year’s 45-26 loss still hangs around.
James Franklin didn’t sound interested in turning that defeat into a motivational crutch. The Hokies know what happened at Lane Stadium, and they know Old Dominion has had their number often enough to matter. But Franklin made it clear he doesn’t think extra theatrics are needed.
“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,” Franklin said. “The reality is they already have our attention. 2-2 over the last four years, and the last time we played them was not just a loss, but a convincing loss. ... I don't think we're going to have to do any bulletin-board material, any of those types of things.”
Left guard Layth Ghannam echoed that mindset, saying the group is driven by a bigger goal.
“We want to come out here winning every game on our schedule, so that's enough motivation to be able to open up. ... we don't need old games that'll motivate us,” he said.
On the field, one of the biggest positives from Virginia Tech’s opener against VMI was Bryce Baker’s work as QB2. He completed 10 of 12 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown in the Hokies’ 73-3 win, including a 40-yard strike to Chanz Wiggins for the receiver’s first catch and first touchdown.
“Bryce went in and did some really nice things,” Franklin said. “It's funny we hadn't hit that part of the progression [in the naked bootleg play where Baker threw a touchdown to Wiggins], and it had been open a couple times.
It's really not part of our true read; it's more of an alert. Once he went through his first progression, his second progression, his third progression, he had time, looked down the field; it was open, and [he] took it.”
Even with that showing, Virginia Tech isn’t ready to lock in a permanent backup behind Grunkemeyer, who went 17-of-20 for 224 yards before exiting with the Hokies ahead 52-0. Baker, Kelden Ryan and Troy Huhn are still in the mix.
“I thought {Baker] did a nice job, but it's not like we're ready to crown him as the No. 2 quarterback... that will continue to be a competition,” Franklin said. “All three of those guys, again, we feel like the competition is close enough that it will continue, and we'll see how that plays out this week, as well.”
Franklin also spent time breaking down Old Dominion’s defense, giving Blake Seiler’s group a strong review. He described them as “fast and physical,” and pointed to the way they attack downhill.
“They make their mind up; they are triggering, downhill and running the ball,” Franklin said. “... On defense, if you can get all 11 guys running to the ball with the right mentality, you can be a pretty good defense just with that kind of main core ingredient.”
That challenge gets a little more complicated because Old Dominion uses a three-down front with a third safety, which changes the picture in both the run game and coverage.
“They do a really good job there, and obviously, it's going to be a factor in coverage as well,” Franklin said. “But they do a nice job of presenting; they do a lot of different things. offensively, you have to be prepared... Coach Seiler does a really good job of keeping it simple for them.”
Virginia Tech’s opener also gave Franklin something to build on up front. The offensive line allowed just one negative play against VMI, and the Hokies averaged 6.7 yards per carry on the ground.
“It’s a good building block, right?” Franklin said. “It’s a good first step, opportunity to create an identity, opportunity to build confidence.”
He added that the number of players rotated through the game mattered too, both for depth and for keeping the locker room healthy while also learning more about the scheme.
“It was a good first step for us from a protection standpoint, from a run game standpoint,” Franklin said.
Another name that surfaced Monday was Brand, the former quarterback who switched to receiver in the spring after slotting in as the likely QB5. He lined up as a Wildcat quarterback twice against VMI and scored his first Virginia Tech touchdown on a 1-yard run.
“He's still raw as a receiver, but he's got some God-given talents and abilities that you can't necessarily teach. When he's got the ball in his hands, he can make hings happen.
He did it against our defense all spring and a little bit in summer camp, as well. But he's still kind of an inexperienced wide receiver and learning some of those movements, techniques and fundamentals. ...
I think he's got a very, very bright future.”
Franklin closed by touching on scheduling, arguing that decisions should be made with Virginia Tech’s best interests in mind rather than budget alone. He said it’s impossible to know how teams will look years down the line, which makes long-range planning tricky.
“It’s hard to predict, also, when you're making these schedules, how teams are going to be five, six, seven, eight years out.”
Still, he believes the Hokies should be aiming for seven home games, not six, and said non-conference scheduling should help make that happen.
“In those years where you're going to have less conference home games, you've got to have more non-conference home games to make sure that you're able to get seven [at home],” Franklin said.
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Virginia Techs Quarterback Battle Isnt Over Behind Ethan Grunkemeyer
Virginia Tech left its season-opening win over VMI with one part of the quarterback picture looking settled and another still very much in motion. Junior Ethan Grunkemeyer handled the job well enough in the opener, completing 17 of 20 passes for two touchdowns, and the Hokies got the kind of steady start they wanted from the top of the depth chart.
The more interesting question now sits behind him. Head coach discussed the quarterback situation after the game and made clear the backup role is still a competition among Bryce Baker, Kelden Ryan and Troy Huhn, with Baker getting into the opener but no definitive No. 2 yet named. For a team trying to build early-season rhythm, that kind of uncertainty matters, and it gives the next stretch of practice a little extra edge. [Read more 🡒]
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The matchup carries an edge beyond the usual in-state intrigue because Old Dominion was the team whose victory helped trigger Prys dismissal. It is rare enough for a coach to return to the same program after getting let go, and even rarer for that reunion to come against the opponent most closely tied to the end of his first run. For Virginia Tech, it turns Saturday into more than an early-season test. It is also a charged reminder of how quickly the narrative around one program can turn. [Read more 🡒]
James Franklin Showed Virginia Tech Fans What To Watch Closely
Virginia Techs 73-3 win over VMI gave James Franklin his first game as head coach, and the result was never really in doubt once the Hokies settled in. Still, the opener offered a clear look at the kind of details Franklin will value as he sorts through a roster that includes 27 transfers, because even a blowout can tell a coach plenty about how his team responds in live action.
Franklin also used the game to get a better feel for his depth, especially at quarterback, where backup Bryce Baker saw significant playing time. For a team trying to establish a new baseline under a new coach, those reps matter just as much as the score, and Virginia Techs next stretch will show which of those early evaluations were simple opening-day housekeeping and which ones hint at bigger roles ahead. [Read more 🡒]