10 Things to Know for Virginia Tech Football's Matchup Against Old Dominion
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BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech football's 73-3 season-opening drubbing of VMI provided about as strong of a start to the James Franklin era as possible. Now comes a considerably greater test.
Ahead of Virginia Tech's Week 2 matchup against Old Dominion, here are 10 things to know about Saturday's contest if you're going in blind.
No. 1: Old Dominion has already burned Virginia Tech before.
Virginia Tech doesn't need to look far for motivation. Old Dominion marched into Lane Stadium last September and defeated the Hokies 45-26, a loss that dropped Virginia Tech to 0-3 and ultimately resulted in Brent Pry's dismissal as head coach the following day.
No. 2: Last year's loss is being played on a loop around the facility.
Franklin wasn't in Blacksburg for last year's loss, but he certainly knows about it. During his Monday press conference, Franklin revealed that the footage from the 2025 defeat will be displayed on a loop throughout Virginia Tech's football facilities ahead of the rematch alongside Old Dominion's season opener this year. That doesn't mean that the motivation rests on avenging last year's loss.
"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," said left guard Layth Ghannam.
No. 3: Old Dominion enters at 1-0, too.
The Monarchs opened their season with a 31-10 victory over Norfolk State. The final margin was comfortable, although Old Dominion needed some time to pull away before scoring 14 points in the third quarter to turn a 17-7 halftime advantage into a rout.
No. 4: Quinn Henicle shapes up as a solid dual-threat quarterback.
Virginia Tech's defense will face a considerably different quarterback than it did against VMI. Quinn Henicle completed 9-of-12 passes for 137 yards against Norfolk State while adding 68 rushing yards, accounting for all four of Old Dominion's touchdowns — two through the air and two on the ground.
No. 5: Old Dominion's defense created havoc in Week 1.
Old Dominion held the Spartans to 220 total yards while recording three sacks, 11 tackles for loss and forcing three turnovers, something Virginia Tech's offense will have to be considerably more cognizant of Saturday after facing a rather lackadaisical VMI defense.
No. 6: Virginia Tech's running backs are coming off a monster opener.
Jeffrey Overton Jr. and Marcellous Hawkins combined for 173 rushing yards and five touchdowns against VMI. Overton went for 104 yards on just nine carries, while Hawkins scored three times as Virginia Tech accumulated 268 rushing yards overall.
No. 7: Ethan Grunkemeyer was extremely efficient in his debut.
Grunkemeyer's first start as a Hokie was smooth. The Penn State transfer completed 17 of his 20 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns, including a 51-yard connection with Que'Sean Brown, before exiting during the third quarter. Perhaps Grunkemeyer's only blemish was a pair of deep balls that were a step ahead of wide receiver Que'Sean Brown. Brown went for a game-high 109 receiving yards on six receptions, though.
No. 8: Penalties are Virginia Tech's obvious area to clean up.
It's difficult to find many complaints from a 70-point victory, but Franklin found one. Virginia Tech committed 11 penalties for 93 yards against VMI, something Franklin stressed Monday won't be nearly as easy to overcome once the competition improves.
No. 9: Franklin and Ricky Rahne go way back.
Saturday won't be Franklin's first time sharing a sideline with Old Dominion head coach Ricky Rahne. The two initially worked together at Kansas State in 2006 before Rahne followed Franklin to Vanderbilt and Penn State, eventually becoming the Nittany Lions' offensive coordinator before taking the Old Dominion head coaching job in 2020.
No. 10: Saturday represents Virginia Tech's first real measuring stick.
VMI entered Week 1 dramatically overmatched, and Virginia Tech treated it accordingly. Old Dominion isn't an high-end litmus test, either, but it's a significant jump in competition and a program that has beaten Virginia Tech twice in its last four tries. Saturday should offer considerably more.
Virginia Tech and Old Dominion kick off Saturday, Sept. 12, at noon ET at Lane Stadium. The game will be televised on The CW.
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Hughes serves as Virginia Tech On SI's lead editor, a position he has held since July 2025. He is a sophomore at Virginia Tech, majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in creative writing. Hughes is also the assistant editor-in-chief for 3304 Sports, as well as an on-air talent for 3304's SportsCenter-style studio show. He is also a staff writer for Steering Wheel Nation, having written pieces on several motorsport series, including Formula 1 and the NTT IndyCar Series.
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