Virginia Tech football: 6 takeaways from Hokies’ 20-16 win at Clemson

The Virginia Tech Hokies (6-2, 3-2) picked up their biggest win of the season on Saturday, defeating the Clemson Tigers 20-16 in Death Valley. It was a gritty performance from Virginia Tech: the Hokies overcame another bad third quarter, averaged just 3.3 yards per play, and managed only 70 rushing yards, while quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer was sacked six times, but he delivered when it mattered most.

Grunkemeyer wasn’t the only one. Defensive coordinator Brent Pry did his part, too.

Here are six takeaways from the biggest win of the James Franklin era.

3rd-quarter woes

What the heck is wrong with Virginia Tech in the third quarter? Clemson outscored the Hokies 13-0 in the third quarter, took control of the game, and went into the fourth quarter with a 16-10 lead. Uh oh. That means, in five ACC games, Virginia Tech has been outscored 44-10 in the third quarter. The Hokies struggle on offense in the third quarter. Whether it’s a lack of holes in the running game or offensive coordinator Ty Howle being slow to adjust to the opponent’s defensive changes, Virginia Tech needs to stop taking the third quarter off. Tech has games at SMU and Miami remaining. Each team is explosive on offense. If either side of the ball is slow coming out of halftime, the Hokies will get blown off the field. Virginia Tech has a week off to figure some things out.

Lack of running game frustrating

It’s amazing that Virginia Tech has one of the better offenses in college football, despite virtually no running game in some weeks. It’s not because they lack talented running backs. The Hokies have two studs (Jeff Overton & Marcellous Hawkins), but there are no holes. It’s even more frustrating given how successful the passing game is. If Tech could get anything consistent on the ground, this offense could score with anyone. The lack of a running game is holding back VT’s offensive potential. Howle tried to get the run going at times, but to no avail. Hawkins or Overton were hit before they even reached the line of scrimmage. With a bye week, here’s hoping Tech can get some of its offensive linemen back healthy. It’s nice to see some of the younger linemen get valuable snaps, but the Hokies need their top guys back over the final four games.

Brent Pry’s redemption

Brent Pry’s victory lap continued on Saturday night. Pry’s defense has taken some criticism in recent weeks. Some have believed Pry hasn’t been aggressive enough, which is fair. However, Virginia Tech’s secondary also lacks talent, especially at cornerback. Whatever you think the 2026 version of Clemson is, going in there on a Saturday night and winning is a big deal. Pry’s defense carried its weight. On the final drive, Clemson quickly moved to midfield in just over 20 seconds. Virginia Tech fans everywhere were thinking, “Oh no, not again.” Things would be different this time. Pry sent two cornerback blitzes on that final drive, with both reaching quarterback Tait Reynolds, including on Clemson’s final fourth-down play. The cameras panned to Pry on the sideline and he was just looking for someone to hug. In a year full of Pry redemption stories, this was another special one for the former head coach-turned defensive coordinator. If you’re going to criticize him for the other stuff, give him credit for Saturday’s performance. He was a big reason why the Hokies won.

James Franklin’s big call

Let’s set the scene: Virginia Tech was facing a fourth-and-1 with 1:44 remaining, down 16-13. Would head coach James Franklin take the conservative approach and kick the field goal, hoping the defense could do its job and send the game into overtime? The alternative was going for it, getting the first down, and taking a four-point lead, meaning Clemson’s only option would be to drive the field and score a touchdown. It was a risk, because if Tech didn’t get the fourth down, the game was over. And given how much VT’s running game struggled, gaining one yard wouldn’t be easy. Here’s the result:

Kudos, Coach Franklin. Excellent job, Coach Howle. The Hokies weren’t hoping and praying for one yard; they were playing to win. That goes a long way when you’re building a team, a culture. Franklin showed confidence in his players—offense and defense—and it paid off big time.

Ethan Grunkemeyer’s toughness

If you look at Ethan Grunkemeyer’s final stats, he’s had better games. Grunkemeyer completed 20 of 32 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked six times. However, he didn’t turn the ball over, and he picked up multiple first downs with his legs. On one third-and-10, he ran for 11 yards to keep a scoring drive alive. Several times, he hung tough in the pocket, knew he was about to take a big hit, and still delivered an accurate pass. My favorite Grunkemeyer play of the night came in the fourth quarter, with the Hokies facing a third-and-5 down three points. With five minutes remaining, the Hokies were at their own 36-yard line. Grunkemeyer faced heavy pressure and moved around in the pocket, buying time for a receiver to break free, and eventually found true freshman Fatrat Brown near the sideline for a six-yard gain and a first down. Some NFL quarterbacks would struggle to make that play. Grunkemeyer was terrific. That’s why you don’t judge a performance by the box score alone. Grunkemeyer showed a lot on Saturday night with some high-level quarterback play.

A massive win

No, this isn’t the same Clemson that ran roughshod over the ACC with Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence under center. This isn’t the same Clemson with multiple first-round picks on the defensive line. But it’s still a talented roster, a two-time national championship coach and a team that has mostly dominated the ACC for a decade-and-a-half. Not only that, Virginia Tech went on the road, in one of the toughest places to play in all of college football, and won. Critics can say, “Clemson is unranked.” True. But saying this wasn’t a big win for Virginia Tech in 2026 is completely inaccurate. The Hokies didn’t just need this win for the 2026 season; they needed a statement win. They got one on Saturday night. And it was a complete team win, from the coaches to the players.