Franklin inherits a program that lost its way
Lane Stadium will shake on Saturday night. It always does. “Enter Sandman” has been doing that job in Blacksburg for a quarter of a century, and James Franklin knows how little it means on its own.
“Giving the fans and the community something to be excited about, more than just ‘Enter Sandman,’” the first-year Virginia Tech coach said when asked what he wants from the program.
The Hokies open against VMI, a visitor from 85 miles down the road. Franklin arrives after taking Penn State to the College Football Playoff in 2024, and he walks into a team coming off 3-9. That was the second three-win season in four years. Home form was the worst of it: 2-5 at Lane Stadium under Brent Pry and interim coach Philip Montgomery, including a 45-26 beating by Old Dominion and a 38-6 win over FCS-level Wofford that flattered nobody.
Try it for $0.99.
A former Nittany Lion runs the offense
Franklin named Ethan Grunkemeyer his starting quarterback on Monday. The transfer followed his coach south after winning his last four starts at Penn State in 2025, beating Michigan State, Nebraska and Rutgers before seeing off Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. That is a useful stretch of form to carry into a rebuild.
“None of it matters if it doesn’t translate to the game,” Franklin said. “As excited as I am about my first ‘Enter Sandman,’ I’m more excited about watching our organization operate at a level that I think we have the ability to.”
He wants the traditions earned rather than performed. “We’ve got one of the best fan bases in all of college football. What a tremendous opportunity on Saturday to show everybody else.”
VMI arrive already bruised
The Keydets are 0-1 after a 38-10 defeat at Idaho State last Saturday. Quarterback Chandler Wilson led them with 62 rushing yards on seven carries, which tells you plenty about how the evening went. They finished 1-11 last season and 0-8 in the Southern Conference, and they have a new coach of their own in Ashley Ingram, who went 16-6 across two seasons at Carson-Newman.
“I’m proud of the way we kept battling and kept fighting,” Ingram said. “This is the first step in a long, long process.”
Two coaches starting over on the same night. Only one of them has a stadium that jumps.
Discover the rest of our college football news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply