When James Franklin was hired as Brent Pry's replacement at Virginia Tech, there was a lot of excitement surrounding the hire, and rightfully so. After a decade of frustration and struggling results on and off the field, there was new hope around Blacksburg.
Franklin was the top name available, and Virginia Tech's search committee acted quickly when Franklin was let go by Penn State last October. There was roster turnover; there were some key portal additions from players who followed Franklin to Virginia Tech from Penn State, as well as key portal additions from other schools.
There was a new coaching staff put in place, and all the work began in the offseason. It was just a matter of how things would come together and how quickly. Through four games, the results speak for themselves, but you can't deny one area Franklin quietly has the Hokies entering October.
James Franklin has Virginia Tech 4-0 with one key stat
After blowing out VMI and Old Dominion, the level of competition was going to pick up going into the final 10 games of the season. It started with a pair of Power 4 road games at Maryland and Boston College. Power 4 non-conference games have been a nightmare for the Hokies since Frank Beamer retired. That, for one week, is changing under Franklin.
Virginia Tech went on the road on Sept. 19 and jumped out to a 35-14 lead through three quarters at Maryland and held off a late Terrapins rally to pick up a 35-26 victory. Then, the Hokies needed a fourth-quarter rally on Saturday afternoon to beat Boston College and Mother Nature, 21-14, at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The win has Virginia Tech joining some select company early in the season.
According to David Hale of ESPN, there are five Power 4 conference teams with two Power 4 conference road wins already in 2026: Virginia Tech, Miami, Mississippi State, UCLA, and Wake Forest.
So there are a few things here to break down and point out. Not all Power4. conference teams have played two road games against Power 4 schools. Heck, Pittsburgh has not even played a road game yet, getting their first four at home. However, when the season kicked off, who, if anyone, saw the Hokies winning their first two road games against Power 4 opponents becoming a reality?
On paper, maybe yes. However, the games are played on the field. This week, the Hokies will host Pitt in their first ACC home game under Franklin before hitting the road again, but make no mistake about it: James Franklin is putting his fingerprints on the program in Blacksburg quicker than most fans would have hoped he would.
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