There was no ODU malaise in James Franklin’s first experience in the series.
Virginia Tech rolled over Old Dominion 44-21 at Lane Stadium on Saturday, going into halftime with a 28-point lead — the same margin the Monarchs had on the Hokies in the rout last year that led to a coaching change.
Ethan Grunkemeyer completed 31 of 42 passes for 327 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, one on the ground and two in the air. Both of the scoring passes went to tight end Luke Reynolds, who had 108 yards for the Hokies’ first 100-yard effort by a tight end since 2020.
Defensively, Tech swarmed to the ball all day, finishing with 14 tackles for a loss, seven sacks and four forced fumbles — three the Hokies recovered, including one that was returned for a 14-yard touchdown by safety Tyson Flowers in the first quarter.
The rout gave the Hokies their first 2-0 start since 2021, though it’s a step up in competition next week when they travel to Maryland for a night game.
Old Dominion (1-1) got two touchdowns from quarterback Quinn Henicle, who threw for one and added a 76-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter.
The Hokies quickly erased the memory of last year’s 45-26 loss to ODU, one that led to coach Brent Pry’s firing, by scoring 34 of the first 37 points Saturday, including 17 out of the gate.
After a 39-yard John Love field goal got the scoring going, running back Marcellous Hawkins capped a 14-play, 77-yard drive with a 20-yard run to make it 10-0.
That’s when the Hokies’ defense got in on the fun in a crazy sequence. Linebacker Keon Wylie appeared to get a defensive touchdown on a scoop-and-score after rumbling 42 yards following a strip sack, but he lost control of the ball when he switched hands right before the goal line. ODU recovered in the end zone for what appeared to be a deflating touchback.
On the next play, however, Henicle was sacked by Mylachi Williams and lost the ball again. Flowers picked up the fumble and raced 14 yards to the end zone for a defensive touchdown that counted this time, giving the Hokies a 17-0 lead with 2:29 left in the first quarter.
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It was Virginia Tech’s first fumble return for a touchdown since TyJuan Garbutt had one against Duke in 2021.
A 34-yard ODU field goal by Nathanial Eichner stopped the run of points, but the Hokies got back in gear before halftime.
Tech converted two fourth downs on its next drive, the second from the 10-yard line when Grunkemeyer hit Reynolds in the flat and the tight end did the rest, beating an ODU defender to the pylon with a dive for a touchdown that made it 24-3.
Williams forced his second fumble on the first play of ODU’s next drive, hitting running back Maurki James right as he got the handoff following a high snap. Kaleb Spencer recovered at the Monarchs’ 20-yard line. Three plays later, Grunkemeyer and Reynolds hooked up again for a 16-yard score to make it 31-3.
After an illegal formation penalty on the Hokies wiped out a 32-yard return by Que’Sean Brown, the senior outdid himself. On the re-kick, the Duke transfer sifted through the ODU coverage for a 79-yard return before getting tripped up at the 1-yard line.
Tech couldn’t punch it in, but Love made a 22-yard field goal to make it 34-3.
A strip sack right before halftime set up ODU’s Eichner to drill a 51-yard field goal at the gun, trimming the lead to 34-6.
Love made it 37-6 in the third quarter with a 25-yard field goal before ODU found the end zone for the first time, scoring on a 7-yard fourth-down pass from Henicle to Leon Haughton. Tech led 37-13 after 45 minutes.
A 1-yard Grunkemeyer sneak for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter made it 44-13. In a scrum after the play, however, right guard Montavious Cunningham appeared to throw a punch and was ejected, a punishment that could carry over to next week at Maryland.
Henicle ripped off a 76-yard touchdown run on the next possession. His two-point conversion run cut the lead to 44-21 and was the game’s final score.
Box Score: Virginia Tech 44, Old Dominion 21
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