Virginia Tech football: Hokies defeat VMI 73-3 in James Franklin’s debut

Blacksburg, Virginia witnessed a dominant performance from the Virginia Tech Hokies as they demolished VMI Keydets 73-3 in their opening game under new head coach James Franklin. The Hokies' offensive firepower began early when sophomore running back Jeffrey Overton Jr. rushed for a 50-yard touchdown, giving the Hokies a 7-0 lead.

Senior running back Marcellous Hawkins capitalized on a blocked punt, adding a 9-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 14-0. Overton followed up with a 23-yard touchdown run, pushing the score to 21-0. Despite a defensive stop, the Hokies continued to roll, with a 45-yard field goal by John Love extending the lead to 31-0. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer showcased his skills, connecting with wide receiver Que’Sean Brown for a 51-yard touchdown, making it 38-0.

In the second half, defensive end Cortez Harris blocked another punt, and defensive back Knahlij Harrell scored on the resulting touchdown to give the Hokies a 45-0 lead. Grunkemeyer connected with tight end Luke Reynolds for a 21-yard touchdown, putting the game away at 52-0. The Hokies continued to dominate with three more touchdowns, with redshirt freshman quarterback Bryce Baker making his first career touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Chanz Wiggins.

Grunkemeyer completed 17 of 20 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns, while Baker finished with 10 completions out of 12 attempts for 127 yards and a touchdown. Running back Overton rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns, while Hawkins added 69 yards and three touchdowns. As a team, Virginia Tech amassed 268 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Despite acknowledging VMI's lack of challenge, this victory under the lights in Blacksburg marked a triumphant start to the season for the Hokies.