Virginia Tech once again hosts Old Dominion but the circumstances are much different and the results almost certainly will be as well. After VT entered last year's ODU game 0-2 with Brent Pry on a hot seat that would lead to a dismissal following an uncompetitive loss, the Hokies are flying high with lots of excitement around James Franklin being at the helm and a 73-3 victory of VMI to breathe even more life into the program.
The Hokies are clear favorites entering this game, but the Monarchs have given VT plenty of issues over recent years and there's no doubt that the Hokies won't take this game lightly. So let's dive into our preview and predictions for the Hokies vs the Monarchs.
Keys to the Game: You can check out Josh Poslusny’s keys to the game and preview here. ODU’s new quarterback Quinn Henicle is very similar to the Monarchs’ former quarterback Colton Joseph in that both are dual-threat quarterbacks who are most effective almost as run-first players. For the Hokies to avoid this game getting dicey, they have to do a good job about containing the run threat of Henicle and force an offense that only returned one starter to beat them through the air.
Hokies to Watch: You can check out Adam Firebaugh’s Hokies to Watch feature here. Noah Chambers was quite good against the VMI option last Saturday, and though ODU isn’t a pure option, they will run lots of option-style looks. Add in Quinn Henicle’s true dual-threat nature and ODU being a much-better team than VMi, and this will be a great early test to see how much Chambers really has improved from his freshman season or if VMI was a little bit of a mirage.
Virginia Tech X-Factor: Aycen Stevens lived up to the hype last week with a dominant season debut that included 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble on a sack, and an insane 94.3 PFF final grade. Old Dominion allowed two sacks and five total pressures on 20 pass plays per PFF, so this could be a big opportunity for Stevens against an ODU offense that saw most of its starters leave on that side of the ball after last season.
Press Conference Notebook: Check out Josh Poslusny’s James Franklin and Virginia Tech press conference notebook here. This includes Franklin’s insights on Old Dominion, the offensive line, AJ Brand running Wildcat and his versatility, and more.
Visit List: Virginia Tech is set for another strong recruiting weekend this Saturday. One of those recruits is 2028 4* DL Arthur Jones who has VT among six standing out for him, which you can read about here. Check out the full running list of visitors here.
MBB Hosting Major Visitors: One other thing to note is that Virginia Tech Men’s Basketball is hosting a pair of 2027 four-star recruits as a source told the TLP. Check out more here.
Predictions
Tim Thomas
Virginia Tech is the clear favorite entering this game and should be able to comfortably take care of business against an Old Dominion that was pedestrian in a win versus Norfolk State and lost most of its 2025 offense including star QB Colton Joseph.
However, the Monarchs' defense returns a lot of talent, has a unique 3-3-5 scheme, and could provide some unique challenges for the Hokies. Add in the fact that starting C Kyle Altuner is banged up and there are some reasons to believe this game could be closer for longer than some might expect.
Ultimately, Tech has more than enough offensive firepower to pull away while their defense should be able to contain ODU QB Quinn Henicle who is a true dual-threat and maybe even a run-first type player while containing a passing attack that has lots of questions.
Pick: Virginia Tech 30, Old Dominion 9
Adam Firebaugh
For many reasons, this matchup is important for James Franklin in his quest to reform Virginia Tech’s image into one of a big-time program. Old Dominion played a role in ending the Fuente and Pry regimes, helping bury a once-proud brand under a pile of maroon and orange rubble. If Franklin wants to prove that those days are in the rear-view mirror, he needs to beat the Monarchs soundly.
Lucky for him, Ricky Rahne’s bunch is in a rebuild of sorts. Limited on offense by departures from last year’s major contributors, the Monarchs may be searching for points. Defensively, Old Dominion will be much better, returning most of its production from a year ago and running a unique 3-3-5 front.
In the end, though, the Hokies’ talent advantage and scheme will prove too much, but we’ll see them stall at times, particularly on offense.
