As is always the case in football at any level, things can get heated, and emotions sometimes boil over. That was the case on Saturday afternoon at Lane Stadium when Virginia Tech was blowing out Old Dominion in the second half.
Offensive lineman Montavious Cunningham was ejected from the game for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for throwing a punch. The big question over the last couple of days was whether or not Cunningham was going to be available on Saturday night when the Hokies visit Maryland. First-year head coach James Franklin met with the media on Monday afternoon ahead of the non-conference matchup and gave an update on Cunningham's availability against the Terrapins.
James Franklin gives positive Montavious Cunningham update ahead of Maryland showdown
In a meeting with the media, Franklin said that there was going to be no carryover from Cunningham's ejection from the game against Old Dominion and that he was available to play at Maryland on Saturday night. That is rather big news given the major test Maryland's defensive line poses for Virginia Tech in the first true road game for the Hokies under Franklin.
Franklin said there's no carryover on the penalty to Montavious Cunningham, who was ejected in the second half of the ODU game for throwing a punch. He'll be available from the start vs. Maryland. #Hokies
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) September 14, 2026
Given that position coach Matt Moore is already dealing with a preseason injury to Johnny Garrett, missing Cunningham for a suspension would have been a huge blow to the Hokies' offensive line, which struggled on Saturday against ODU to open up lanes for running backs Jeffrey Overton Jr. and Marcellous Hawkins Jr.
Virginia Tech's running game amassed just 89 yards on the ground on 42 carries, which was a dreadful 2.1 yards per carry. Overton Jr. had 47 yards, and Hawkins Jr. had 43. Backup quarterback Bryce Baker had 21 and true freshman messiah Mickens had 11 yards.
Penn State transfer quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has been good and threw for a career-high 327 yards against ODU. Not only does the offensive line need to block better for the running backs, but they also need to protect Grunkemeyer, which makes having Cunningham available that much more important.
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