Tech Transcripts Vol. 6: An Eventful Spring Game Delivers Hope and Insight

James Franklin and the entire Virginia Tech football program wanted everything to be perfect for Spring Game weekend. They had pushed fans and students to pack the stadium and crafted a format designed to keep fans in the stands the whole game. Virginia Tech even got the often-fickle Southwest Virginia weather to cooperate, with a beautiful sunny day gracing the New River Valley. Everything was set up for a perfect inauguration of the Franklin era, but, as with most things in life and football, something usually doesn’t go according to plan.

During the pregame festivities, one of the skydivers crashed into the Hokies’ scoreboard, shattering one of the letters that sit on top of it. The skydiver then hung from his parachute as first responders worked quickly to get him down. It was as quiet and tense a moment as I can remember in Lane Stadium. Thankfully, the skydiver was brought down safely, and the game proceeded as planned.

During and after the rescue, jokes poured in on social media, claiming that the accident was a “bad omen” for the Franklin era. If you choose to take that approach, especially after how the last decade has gone for VT football, I won’t blame you. I elect to take a different mindset. Reportedly, that jumper refused to go to the hospital because he had another jump on Sunday. Maybe that should be the mindset we take as the “omen” for this season and this program, that while there may be some stumbles and setbacks along the way, Virginia Tech will demonstrate the same resilience and determination as that jumper. 

Once that skydiver was safely returned to the ground, the rest of the afternoon went off without a hitch. Franklin’s first Enter Sandman was electric, the crowd was juiced, and the product on the field showed lots of promise. With that, let’s jump into what jumped out from an extremely eventful day in Blacksburg.

Offense Starts Fast, Shows Flashes of Identity

After suffering through many years of subpar offense and quarterback play, Hokie Nation was eager to see what Ty Howle’s attack would look like, and the unit did not disappoint on Saturday. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer led the Maroon Team offense right down the field on the opening drive, hitting tight end Luke Reynolds three different times before hitting WR Que’Sean Brown for a wide-open touchdown. Overall, VT’s Tight Ends accounted for nearly half of both teams’ receiving yards. That increased usage was to be expected given that OC Ty Howle is also the tight ends coach, and that position was heavily featured in Penn State’s offenses under Franklin. After the game, Franklin said that the team will need to get more out of the receiver position, but for now, they have a lot of faith in their tight end room and the naked bootlegs they run with them. The Hokies also ran two tight end sets throughout the game, showing that this team will be able to mix-and-match personnel groupings more than in previous years. 

The passing offense we saw in the Spring Game matched what coaches had told us all through camp. There was an emphasis on easy throws and getting the ball out quickly. Grunkemeyer showed great command of the offense and accuracy, completing 13 of his 17 passes. It was a far cry from what Hokie fans have seen in previous years, where the offense struggled to find any rhythm in the passing game. When we talked to Howle this Spring, he emphasized finding an identity for this offense, and we saw the beginnings of that identity taking shape on Saturday: A mix of quick, easy passes that get playmakers in space mixed with a vertical passing game that will threaten the middle of the defense. 

Meanwhile, Bryce Baker, the other main contender in the Quarterback competition, started slowly but also flashed some elite traits. On one throw, Baker rolled to his right, directed TE Ja’Ricous Hairston down the field, and floated a pass through multiple defenders for a big play down the field. Baker also showed off his athleticism, ripping off multiple long scrambles even though the QB’s were considered down once they were touched. While the vibe coming out of Spring ball is that it’s Grunkemeyer’s job to lose, Baker has given the coaches plenty to think about, and at the very least, the Hokies will have a solid backup option should something happen to Grunkemeyer. 

One of the biggest concerns about the roster going into the season will be the offensive line, and the first group on Saturday showed some real promise. It’s important to note that Logan Howland and Johnny Garrett, two players who are expected to contribute heavily in the trenches, did not play in the Spring Game, so it’s difficult to make a true evaluation of that unit right now. The first group of linemen we saw did a solid job keeping Grunkemeyer clean, and Jeff Overton ripped off a few solid runs on the ground. Later in the game, the line showed some cracks when freshman Troy Huhn entered as the signal caller; several of the sacks Huhn took had less to do with the line and more to do with him holding the ball too long. Matt Moore’s group is definitely still a work in progress and will be something to keep a close eye on come the Fall, when hopefully everyone in that room will be healthy. 

The Defensive Line Shows Improved Depth 

This offseason, the Hokies did a ton of work to bolster a defensive line that had just 19 sacks a year ago. It started with bringing in highly-regarded DL coach Sean Spencer to develop the unit. The Hokies then retained key players like Kemari Copeland and Elhadj Fall from last year’s team, pairing them with several portal additions like Javon Hilson from Missouri and Mylachi Williams from Penn State. While the room definitely features talent, it was yet to be seen if they could produce on the field. Those questions were partially answered on Saturday when the group put together a 10-sack performance. Copeland and Hilson were unsurprisingly impressive, but other guys stepped up to show that the room is much deeper than it was a year ago, with both Jason Abbey and Eric Meputtingh putting tremendous pressure on the Quarterback for the white team. Mensah was one of the names DC Brent Pry threw out when talking about the amount of talent up front. Pry also said six defensive ends are competing for starting spots, including Aycen Stevens, a spring standout who did not play on Saturday. Overall, it feels like the Hokies will have the ability to rotate linemen up front to keep guys fresher for a full football game. 

Elsewhere on defense, cornerback Jaquez White, who is projected to be one of the Hokies’ top corners come the Fall, went down with an injury. Pry described that injury as “deflating” to the defense. Luckily, White took to social media Saturday night to assure Hokie Nation that he is ok, and it seems like he will be ready to go come fall camp. 

“We’re Gonna Shock the World, Together”

One of the primary purposes of a Spring Game is to be a pep rally. Your team can't lose, and coaches are never going to tip their hand too much and show a lot of their scheme. With the lack of consequences and insight, the best thing a team can do during a Spring Game is give the fanbase hope for the upcoming season, and that’s what James Franklin did on Saturday. Coaches are reporting that around 40,000 people filed into Lane Stadium this weekend, an impressive number for a team that won three games last season. Multiple playmakers like Reynolds, Copeland, and Que’sean Brown shone, with Brown catching the first touchdown of the game from Grunkemeyer, giving those fans visions of what the team could do this Fall. Then, after the first quarter of the game, James Franklin injected the biggest shot of hope into Hokie Nation. Franklin took the mic and delivered a rousing speech that had everyone inside Lane ready to run through a wall, punctuated by a phrase that will echo through September: “We’re gonna shock the world, together.” Those are the words that we will now cling to as we count down the days until the Hokies take the field again for week one against VMI.