Virginia Tech at SMU

Friday night, at 7:00 PM ET, the Virginia Tech Hokies travel to Dallas, Texas to take on the SMU Mustangs. This isn’t no Miami vs Notre Dame, but it’ll play. Both teams enter the contest sitting at 6-2; They both also have suffered two conference losses already. The winner stays in the hunt, but the loser’s path to the championship becomes much more difficult. Nearly impossible.

Virginia Tech last played SMU in 1975, where SMU won 28-25 in Dallas. This isn’t necessarily the biggest game of the weekend, but it’s a very crucial Friday-night matchup with two respectable quarterbacks and major conference implications.

Ethan Grunkemeyer will operate the offense for Virgina Tech. Grunkemeyer arrived this offseason with head coach James Franklin. Funny enough, Grunkemeyer made his college debut against SMU in the 2024 College Football Playoff while playing at Penn State. In a blowout 38-10 victory, Grunkemeyer entered the game late and wasn’t forced to pass much. Grunkemeyer completed one of two passes for nine yards and an interception. This time around, Grunkemeyer will look to make a much bigger impact.

To begin their first season at Virginia Tech, James Franklin and Ethan Grunkemeyer have made some serious impressions. So far, Grunkemeyer has passed for 2,140 yards and thrown 17 touchdowns. Additionally, he’s added five touchdowns on the ground. Out of the backfield, the Hokies will rely on Jeffrey Overton Jr. and Marcellous Hawkins Jr.

Overton is the more explosive playmaker to watch, as he’s averaging almost 80 yards per game with the ability to break off a long one. Grunkemeyer will look to connect through the air with top receiver Que’Sean Brown (51 catches for 685 yards) and Ayden Greene (17 catches for 294 yards). Greene averages 17.3 yards per catch – look for him to get behind the SMU secondary. The final piece of the passing game is another Penn State transfer – tight end Luke Reynolds. Grunkemeyer and Reynold’s have proved their connection has transferred to Blacksburg. Reynolds has hauled in 50 passes for 493 yards and 6 touchdowns.

SMU also has a talented and experienced quarterback – Kevin Jennings. In his senior season, thus far, Jennings has passed for 2,413 yards, 21 touchdowns, and has a completion rate of 73.7%. Jennings has already shown he is capable of throwing for over 300 yards. Jennings also has tallied two rushing touchdowns this year. When Jennings is given time to throw, SMU can put up points. The biggest question: Will Virginia Tech’s pass rush apply pressure?

Jennings will look to distribute the ball to his deep receiving core led by Yamir Knight. Knight has recorded 44 receptions, 523 yards, and 3 touchdowns. Receivers Yannick Smith and Jalen Hale both average over 16 yards per reception. The SMU offense surely isn’t afraid to pass the rock. Look for Jennings to sling it early and often.

To limit the ground game, Virgina Tech will look to slow down SMU running back Kendrick Raphael, who already has 9 rushing touchdowns on the season. Raphael consistently produces between the tackles, averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

I believe this game comes down to whether Virgina Tech can apply pressure on Jennings and slow down their dangerous passing attack. Virgina Tech’s defense has been one of the nation’s best at creating tackles for loss. On the flip side, the Hokies need Grunkemeyer to take advantage of SMU’s mediocre defense.

SMU has the home field advantage, but VT has enough offensive fire power to make this a competitive game. Look for a close, entertaining game that should come down to the wire.