HUGHES: Virginia Tech's First Two Clashes Helpful For Confidence, Though Week 3 Will Provide First Measuring Stick

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech's two clashes thus far have come against opponents that enter Week 3 ranked at No. 96 and No. 408.

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While that doesn't make either win any less meaningful, it does help to put it in perspective. Old Dominion, the former ranking, is the third-lowest squad by SP+ (as of Week 2 start) that Virginia Tech will play this season. Boston College (No. 98) and VMI are the only two below the Monarchs. There are still several indicators that Weeks 1 and 2 have made obvious. For one, the combination between Hokies quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and tight end Luke Reynolds is potent and palpable.

Through two games, Reynolds has hauled in 13 passes for 158 yards and three scores. Grunkemeyer is now 48-of-62 for 554 yards and three scores. While the caliber of opponent has to be taken into account, Virginia Tech's 2-0 start is exactly what it was supposed to do.

Grunkemeyer had started only seven games at Penn State before transferring to Virginia Tech, while Reynolds had never recorded more than 100 receiving yards in a collegiate game before Saturday. Two games aren't enough to proclaim either a finished product, but their early chemistry has given Virginia Tech something it desperately lacked at times last season: consistency through the air. Those promising signs extend to the defense. Virginia Tech's defensive ends have been particularly impressive through two games, with Aycen Stevens leading the way with a 94.9 overall grade on Pro Football Focus. The same can be said on special teams, where the Hokies have already flashed the potential to create game-changing plays.

Que'Sean Brown has amassed 117 yards on three punt returns and nearly housed one Saturday, taking back a 79-yarder that came up one yard short of the pylon. It hasn't been all perfect, though. Virginia Tech yielded 10 tackles for loss and four sacks to Old Dominion, while its run game cobbled together 89 net yards. Starting center Kyle Altuner was out for the Old Dominion game after a VMI defender came down on his knee in the opener, forcing Virginia Tech to turn to first-time starter Tommy Ricard. Right guard Montavious Cunningham will also presumably be out for the first half against Maryland after throwing a punch that resulted in an ejection from the ODU game.

But back to the real test: Maryland (No. 39) is the first opponent Virginia Tech will face off against ranked in the top-40 of SP+. And the top-50. And the top-60, top-70 and top-80. The Terrapins have totaled 10 sacks in their first two games, though their two games have been against Hampton (62-0) and UConn (38-14).

Virginia Tech survived its offensive line issues against Old Dominion, but Maryland's pass rush should be considerably less forgiving. The Terrapins have already accumulated 10 sacks through two games, and Virginia Tech could enter the matchup without two members of its preferred starting five for at least the opening half. How the Hokies protect Grunkemeyer — and whether the rushing attack can rebound from Saturday's 89-yard showing — could go a long way toward determining whether Virginia Tech's offensive success carries into Week 3.

Virginia Tech has not been perfect — it was outscored by Old Dominion 15-10 in the second half Saturday, linebacker Keon Wylie fumbled right before the goal line and temporarily cost Tech a touchdown and the Hokies squandered Brown's 79-yard punt return by emerging with only a field goal — but its early returns have been promising. The Hokies are 2-0 for the first time since 2021; their 28-point margin over Old Dominion (34-6) at the half Saturday was the same amount it trailed by at halftime a calendar year ago (28-0).

Of course, the measuring-stick element works both ways. Maryland's 2-0 record has come against a pair of opponents in Hampton and UConn that haven't necessarily revealed everything about the Terrapins, either. Saturday will represent a significant increase in competition for both programs, making the matchup an intriguing early-season referendum on two undefeated teams still trying to establish exactly where they stand.

Virginia Tech hasn't won an out-of-conference Power Four game since 2017 against West Virginia, too. Ending that drought against Maryland would provide the clearest indication yet of just how good this Virginia Tech team actually is.

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