The Biggest Decision James Franklin Got Right vs. Old Dominion

BLACKSBURG — There are times when a head coach's best decision is one that comes before kickoff. Other times, it's recognizing what is happening over the course of a game and adjusting accordingly. For James Franklin and Virginia Tech on Saturday, the latter proved especially important.

The Hokies finished their 44-21 victory over Virginia Tech with just 89 net rushing yards on 42 attempts, one week after Jeffrey Overton Jr. and Marcellous Hawkins combined to run wild against VMI with five scores. Franklin and the Hokies opted to put the football in Ethan Grunkemeyer's hands more. It proved to be the right call.

A good afternoon in Lane 🙌#LetsGoHokies | @PenFed pic.twitter.com/p10ellJLdt
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) September 12, 2026

Grunkemeyer attempted 42 passes against the Monarchs, completing 31 of them for a career-high 327 yards and two touchdowns. His completions, attempts and passing yards were all career-highs, while his 31 completions tied for the second-most in a single game for Virginia Tech since at least 1987. He also added a one-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Perhaps the most encouraging part of that performance was that Virginia Tech didn't need Grunkemeyer to be something he wasn't. He didn't throw an interception, distributed the football to 11 different receivers and repeatedly took what Old Dominion's defense gave him.

Tight end Luke Reynolds benefited the most, hauling in eight passes for 108 yards and both of Grunkemeyer's passing touchdowns. That willingness to lean on Grunkemeyer was significant for another reason, too. Saturday represented just his sixth collegiate start and his second since transferring to Virginia Tech from Penn State. His performance against VMI in the opener — 17-of-20 passing for 224 yards and two touchdowns — was certainly encouraging, but the Hokies were never going to need him to shoulder much of the offensive burden in a 73-3 rout.

The Monarchs made Virginia Tech work considerably harder at the line of scrimmage, recording 10 tackles for loss and four sacks. The Hokies were also without starting center Kyle Altuner, leaving Tommy Ricard to make his first collegiate start in the middle of the offensive line. When the rushing lanes weren't consistently there, Virginia Tech could have continued trying to manufacture production on the ground. Instead, it trusted its quarterback.

That trust was especially evident in the first half. Grunkemeyer completed 21 of his 27 attempts for 211 yards and two touchdowns before the break, helping Virginia Tech build a commanding 34-6 advantage. The Hokies scored on each of their first five possessions, and while their defense certainly played a major role in creating that margin, Grunkemeyer's command of the passing game ensured Virginia Tech continued capitalizing on its opportunities.

There will be games when Virginia Tech can lean heavily on Overton and Hawkins. There will probably be others when balance comes considerably easier than it did Saturday. But Franklin and his staff showed against Old Dominion that they aren't necessarily going to force that balance when the game dictates something else.

More importantly, they showed they're comfortable putting the game in Grunkemeyer's hands.
Two games aren't enough to completely evaluate a quarterback, especially with Virginia Tech's first Power Four test coming Saturday at Maryland. But when the Hokies needed their passing game to shoulder a greater share of the offensive burden against Old Dominion, Franklin trusted Grunkemeyer to make plays, and that trust was well-placed.

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