First-year Virginia Tech coach James Franklin wants Metallica’s music to be the soundtrack for his team’s success, not the main event.
“Giving the fans and the community something to be excited about, more than just ‘Enter Sandman,'” Franklin said when asked about his goals for a Hokies program that has fallen on hard times.
Coming off its second three-win campaign in four years, Virginia Tech will open its season Saturday night against visiting VMI in Blacksburg, Va., where Lane Stadium will be rocking and rolling as the high-decibel, pregame anthem energizes the fans.
“None of it matters if it doesn’t translate to the game,” said Franklin, who guided Penn State to the College Football Playoff in 2024. “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.”
“We want to give everybody a reason to do all of the Virginia Tech traditions,” he added. “We’ve got one of the best fan bases in all of college football. What a tremendous opportunity on Saturday to show everybody else.”
During the Hokies’ 3-9 season in 2025 under former coach Brent Pry and interim coach Philip Montgomery, the team finished 2-5 at home. That included a lopsided 45-26 loss to Old Dominion and a 38-6 win over FCS-level Wofford.
Looking to turn the program around, Franklin put one of his former Nittany Lions in charge of the offense. On Monday, he named transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer as the starting quarterback. Grunkemeyer won his last four games at Penn State in 2025, beating Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers and then Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl.
VMI, an FCS program located about 85 miles away in Lexington, Va., finished 1-11 overall last season and 0-8 in the Southern Conference.
The Keydets also have a new coach in Ashley Ingram, who compiled a 16-6 record in two seasons at Carson-Newman in Jefferson City, Tenn.
This season, VMI (0-1) was pounded 38-10 in its opener last Saturday at Idaho State. Quarterback Chandler Wilson led the squad with 62 rushing yards on seven carries.
“I’m proud of the way we kept battling and kept fighting,” Ingram said. “This is the first step in a long, long process. We’ll just keep battling, and I’m proud of our guys.”
–Field Level Media
