Casting out unwanted, pesky spirits is rarely a pleasant experience. That is, until you realize that it's exactly what you've wanted all along.
As depicted in the 1973 horror classic, The Exorcist, the process usually involves plenty of shouting, shocking visuals, and grimace-worthy moments that make your stomach drop. After appearing as if you're making progress, you're reminded that spirits who have haunted you for so long are not so easily dispatched. It's altogether harrowing, but in the end, it's necessary for a better future.
If this experience sounds familiar to you in a strictly sports sense, that's because what you saw yesterday when Virginia Tech defeated Old Dominion 44-21 was the football version of an exorcism of sorts. It was a sometimes unpolished, up-and-down affair that ended with the visiting boogeymen leaving Lane Stadium licking their wounds, but it wasn't always pretty for the maroon and orange.
If the Hokies' season-opening win over VMI last week was cathartic, this past Saturday was a bit of a rollercoaster. On one hand, Ethan Grunkemeyer was 31-for-42 (73.8%) with 327 yards and two touchdowns, the first Virginia Tech quarterback to throw for 325 yards in a win since Ryan Willis did it against Duke in 2018 (!!). Defensively, the Hokies forced four fumbles and tallied seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
On the other hand, though, the Hokies were hamstrung by a Kyle Altuner-less offensive line's subpar performance, surrendering four sacks and 10 tackles for loss while paving the way to a measly 89 rushing yards. The secondary often struggled to defend the pass, especially against the Monarchs' Jacob Rodriguez, who racked up 89 yards on three absurd catches, an average of 29.7 yards per reception.
Although it was far from perfect, this win over the biggest thorn in Virginia Tech's side over the better part of a decade was never really in question. Despite a sluggish second-half effort, The Monarchs never truly threatened the type of comeback that has sunk the Hokies in years past.
That's where a bit of perspective is necessary. If all the fans who were complaining about the team's performance on social media would have just stopped for a moment and thought back to previous VT-ODU matchups, they would have realized that they were belly-aching over a 23-point victory, a rarity for Virginia Tech in recent years.
These fans aren't wrong for being displeased with this team's performance. But they should keep things in perspective.
After throttling a bad VMI squad, it was natural for the Hokies to trip up some against a much better, albeit still less talented, opponent. Imagine if Saturday was the season opener. How many of these same fans would have been upset with a largely convincing, 23-point win over the program that upended each of the last two coaching regimes in Blacksburg? Not too many, I'd wager.
Like he's done with his players, Franklin has raised the standard for the Virginia Tech fanbase. Squeaking by lesser opponents is no longer accepted. Franklin exemplified this mentality when, after Que'Sean Brown returned a punt 79 yards to the 1-yard line, the Hokies settled for a field goal to stretch their lead to 34-3. Upon returning to the sideline, the offensive line was greeted by their fuming head coach, who let them know his displeasure for the next several minutes.
This encounter shouldn't be surprising. Despite being up 45-0 over VMI right before halftime, Franklin demanded that one second be added to the clock so that the offense could run a final play.
So far, things are different in Blacksburg. The standard has been raised, so of course fans would be unhappy with a three-score win. But what fans miss because they're raging online is the beauty in being angry about thoroughly trouncing a misery-inducing opponent. Hokies everywhere would have done anything for a similar performance last season.
Even with all its flaws, Saturday's win felt assured from the outset. When things went wrong, there was never the same all-consuming sensation of dread that has accompanied so many Virginia Tech collapses. Being so accustomed to mediocrity, feeling in control for four quarters is a foreign experience for this fanbase. There haven't been many instances in recent memory when fans could have trust in the coaching staff to get their team out of a jam, but that's precisely what happened against Old Dominion.
Last season, linebacker Keon Wylie fumbling a sure strip-sack touchdown on the goal line would have sent the Hokies spiraling. Old Dominion quarterback Quinn Henicle's mobility in the second half almost certainly would have undone the Virginia Tech defense. But not this season.
After Wylie's gaffe, Mylachi Williams replicated the previous snap, sending Henicle to the turf and the ball careening into safety Tyson Flowers' hands for an easy, "ball don't lie" score. Then the Hokies bottled up Henicle, limiting the damage he could do to one long run and a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Virginia Tech's reserves.
After last year's 45-26 humiliation at the hands of the Monarchs, Virginia Tech got the payback it was looking for and is now 2-0 for the first time since 2021.
The poltergeist that has loomed much too large in the minds of this program is banished, for now; the Hokies don't have the Monarchs on the schedule again for a few years. Another exorcism like Saturday's won't be necessary any time soon.
Let's just rejoice in that simple fact.
