What We Learned From Virginia Tech's Win Over Maryland
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Virginia Tech entered Saturday night's matchup against Maryland with two dominant victories under its belt, though neither VMI nor Old Dominion offered the kind of measuring stick that the Terrapins were expected to provide.
Virginia Tech's 35-26 victory moved it to 3-0 for the first time since 2017, snapped a 15-game losing streak against nonconference Power Four opponents, and ended Maryland's nation-leading 20-game nonconference winning streak. More importantly, it provided the first substantial evidence of what James Franklin's first Virginia Tech team might look like against stronger competition.
Ethan Grunkemeyer looks increasingly comfortable running the offense
At some point, Grunkemeyer's start becomes more than merely encouraging. The Penn State transfer completed 31 of his 39 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns against Maryland, adding an 18-yard rushing score after Virginia Tech backed itself into a third-and-goal from the 18. It marked his second consecutive 300-yard passing performance, making him the first Virginia Tech quarterback to accomplish that feat since Ryan Willis in 2018.
More impressive than the raw numbers was how Grunkemeyer accumulated them. Maryland pressured him, Virginia Tech dealt with penalties, and starting left tackle Justin Terry exited in the first quarter, yet Grunkemeyer rarely appeared rattled.
His fourth-down completion to Luke Reynolds with 2:54 remaining might have been the best example. With Maryland out of timeouts and needing one more opportunity to complete its comeback, Grunkemeyer rolled right and found Reynolds beyond the sticks. Virginia Tech never gave the ball back. Through three games, there isn't much uncertainty surrounding Virginia Tech's quarterback anymore.
Luke Reynolds has become Grunkemeyer’s security blanket
Reynolds' eight-catch, 108-yard performance against Old Dominion looked like a breakout. His encore against Maryland made it look considerably more sustainable.
The sophomore caught a career-high 12 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown, becoming Virginia Tech's first player since Damon Hazelton in 2018 to record consecutive 100-yard receiving performances. Nine different Hokies caught a pass Saturday, but when Virginia Tech needed something, Grunkemeyer repeatedly returned to Reynolds.
That included the game-sealing fourth-down conversion, but Reynolds' influence stretched throughout the evening. His 14-yard screen opened the scoring, and he repeatedly helped Virginia Tech stay ahead of the chains during a first half in which the Hokies converted eight of nine third-down opportunities.
Virginia Tech entered the season expecting Reynolds to be an important piece of its passing attack. Three games in, "important" might be underselling it.
Virginia Tech can win without playing a flawless game
Maryland quarterback Malik Washington exposed some holes in Virginia Tech's secondary, completing 30 of 43 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns. The Terrapins scored 12 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, while Virginia Tech went scoreless over the final 15 minutes.
Virginia Tech, though, had responded to Maryland cutting its first-half advantage to six with a 75-yard touchdown drive before halftime. After the Terrapins threatened late, the Hokies kept possession and closed the game themselves. Virginia Tech finished 10-of-16 on third down and 2-of-2 on fourth down.
There will be plenty for Franklin and his staff to correct before ACC play begins at Boston College. The secondary, in particular, remains worth monitoring after Washington's success. But Virginia Tech didn't need perfection Saturday. It needed enough answers when Maryland presented questions, and for the first time against a Power Four non-conference opponent since 2017, it found them.
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Hughes serves as Virginia Tech On SI's lead editor, a position that he has held since July 2025. Hughes is a junior at Virginia Tech majoring in sports media and analytics. He also serves as the open-wheel correspondent for the motorsports outlet Steering Wheel Nation, where he has written on Formula 1, the NTT IndyCar Series, the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Hughes has previously authored bylines in 3304 Sports, Virginia Tech's multimedia student journalism outlet.
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