After eight straight weeks, the Virginia Tech Hokies (6-2, 3-2) finally had a week off. The Hokies, coming off an emotional road win at Clemson, needed the break. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer found tight end Luke Reynolds on fourth down late for the go-ahead touchdown to sink Clemson. Tech's defense followed up by shutting the door on the Tigers, and the program had its most significant win in years.
Now, the Hokies are back on the road, this time against the SMU Mustangs in Dallas. It's a big game for both teams, both looking to stay in the race for the ACC Championship Game. The loser, with three losses, is essentially eliminated. SMU is coming off an upset loss at Syracuse, which knocked them out of the top 25.
Good news could be on the way for the Hokies on Friday night, though. Head coach James Franklin said some key players could return to action this week.
"The bye week was good, came at a good time," Franklin said. "We're going to get some guys back, which is helpful, especially on the offensive line."
The players Franklin is referring to are guard/tackle Montavious Cunningham and guard Brody Meadows. Left tackle Justin Terry is not quite ready to return yet. Cunningham has experience at guard and tackle, and Franklin said the Hokies will see where he fits best when he returns.
"We expect having Montavious back," Franklin said. "What we're trying to figure out is where is the best place to use him. He's played both tackle and guard for us. So we'll figure that out as the week goes on. And then having Meadows back, who's an experienced guy, was kinda working back. There was a couple of weeks there where we thought we were going to have him back, and really didn't. But having both Meadows and Cunningham back on the offensive line really helps us from an experienced standpoint and a depth perspective."
Franklin noted that they're one step closer to getting their Week 1 lineup back, but the injuries have also opened the door for younger players to gain experience, which has been good for the unit overall.
It will be interesting to see who the Hokies start on Friday night. Cunningham will play. Will he be at tackle or guard? It sure sounds like the Hokies plan on keeping Layth Ghannam at left tackle until Terry returns. Meadows has played a lot of football for the Hokies, so his return is also welcome.
These returns could be great news for a running game that could use some help.
