Virginia Tech has handled everything thrown its way through the first three weeks of the James Franklin era. Now, the Hokies will get their first opportunity to see how that success translates to ACC play.
Virginia Tech (3-0) travels to Chestnut Hill on Saturday for a noon kickoff on the ACC Network against Boston College (2-1), with the Hokies searching for their first 4-0 start since 2017.
The game will mark Virginia Tech's second consecutive road contest after the Hokies went into College Park and defeated Maryland 35-26 last weekend. It wasn't always pretty, but Virginia Tech once again showed enough on both sides of the ball to pull away and preserve its undefeated start.
Boston College has taken a much different path to this point.
The Eagles opened their season with a 34-15 loss to Cincinnati, falling behind 24-0 before they could get on the scoreboard. Boston College responded with a 28-21 victory over Rutgers before struggling to put away FCS opponent Maine in a 22-16 win last weekend.
Those results make Virginia Tech the more impressive team through three weeks, but the Hokies will have to contend with several factors that could make Saturday more complicated than the records suggest.
Perhaps the biggest of those is the weather.
Forecasts throughout the week have called for the possibility of significant rain and heavy winds in the Boston area. Exactly how severe the conditions will be remains uncertain, but a wet and windy afternoon could force both teams to adjust considerably.
That could be particularly important for a Virginia Tech offense that has found its identity through quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and the passing game.
Can Grunkemeyer Keep Rolling?
Few players have been more important to Virginia Tech's 3-0 start than Grunkemeyer.
The Penn State transfer has quickly settled into the starting job and has been especially impressive over the last two weeks.
Grunkemeyer threw for 327 yards and two touchdowns against Old Dominion before following that performance with another big afternoon against Maryland. He completed 31 of his 39 attempts for 314 yards and three touchdowns against the Terrapins, helping Virginia Tech overcome some offensive mistakes and consistently move the football.
His connection with fellow Penn State transfer Luke Reynolds has become one of the defining features of the Hokies' offense.
Reynolds caught 12 passes for 107 yards against Maryland after also eclipsing 100 receiving yards against Old Dominion. The tight end has quickly developed into Grunkemeyer's most dependable weapon and has given Virginia Tech a matchup problem in the middle of the field.
Boston College's defense could offer another opportunity for that connection to thrive — assuming the weather cooperates.
The Eagles enter the weekend allowing 331 yards per game. While their raw pass-defense numbers are respectable, opposing quarterbacks have generally been efficient throwing against them.
Boston College also has an extremely young defense. Eight of its 11 starters are sophomores or younger, and only two entered this matchup with more than 1,000 career defensive snaps.
That lack of experience could be difficult to overcome against a Virginia Tech passing game that has looked increasingly comfortable.
Linebacker Anthony Palano has been one of Boston College's bright spots. He leads the Eagles with 34 tackles and has already recorded five tackles for loss. Boston College has some individual playmakers, but as a whole the unit has yet to establish itself as a consistent defense.
The question is whether Virginia Tech will actually be able to attack it through the air as aggressively as it normally would.
Strong winds can make pushing the football vertically difficult, while heavy rain creates its own issues for quarterbacks and receivers. If conditions deteriorate enough, Virginia Tech could have to move away from the part of its offense that has been most productive.
