DALLAS -In a contest carrying major ACC implications, Virginia Tech football was routed by SMU 51-28 Friday at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, trailing by as many as 30. Here are my three takeaways from the contest:
The Hokies (6-3, 3-3 ACC) couldn't cobble together a consistent passing attack, and while their efforts on the ground were its strongest part - after three quarters, Virginia Tech had rushed 23 times for 116 yards, totaling just over five yards per carry - it coudn't overcome a passing attack that failed to find much juice. The Hokies produced only 132 yards through the air through three frames.
"We're not protecting well," Franklin said. "So try to go play-action pass and really pretty much for the season when we go play-action pass and try to take shots down the field, we're not protecting well. That's problematic. It gets us off schedule. We're not good enough to just drop back in obvious passing downs.
"We were able to run the ball, but again then when the score gets a little bit out of hand, then that's challenging. Or if you get a sack and now you're off schedule. We've got to be more consistent. We've got to be more consistent in protection. We've got to be more consistent in decision-making and timing."
SMU's defense was effective in forcing Virginia Tech's main two receiving options into low-yardage games: wide receiver Que'Sean Brown finished with nine catches for 37 yards. Tight end Luke Reynolds hauled in six catches for 67 yards, but no other Hokie compiled more than 50 receiving yards.
Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer was 27-of-35 for 279 yards, though he produced 147 yards in the final quarter - one the Hokies entered with a 37-14 deficit.
It was the first game where the Hokies allowed 500 or more yards since Sept. 13, 2025, against Old Dominion. The last time a James Franklin-coached team conceded 500-plus yards in a single game was at Penn State when the Nittany Lions gave up 540 to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 20, 2023.
"Obviously, we did not play well at all, we did not play up to the standard," Franklin said. "Ultimately, I'm responsible for that. So give SMU a ton of credit. Give Coach Lashlee a ton of credit. They played really well. And we did not play well, really in all three phases - offense, defense and special teams.
"So we got out-coached, we got out-executed and did not play well. Again, give SMU a ton of credit, because they created those opportunities in that situation, but we did not play well and it's not acceptable, it's not anywhere near the standard and again, ultimately, I'm responsible."
The 569 total yards SMU put up on Virginia Tech were the most the Hokies allowed in a single game since Oct. 10, 2020 against North Carolina (656) and was the 11th-most since at least 1987. The 51 points SMU scored was the most on a Hokies team since Virginia Tech's 54-10 loss to Maryland in the 2021 Pinstripe Bowl.
SMU scored on its first eight drives and garnered points on nine of its 11 possessions, while Mustangs receivers Yamir Knight and Yannick Smith finished with 103 yards and 84 yards off six catches apiece. SMU also went a perfect 5-for-5 in the red zone, and three of its receivers cleared the 80-yard mark.
'You've got to give SMU credit," Franklin said. "We know they're good. We know the quarterback's good. They've been doing this for a number of years. They've been very good at home. And we did not play well. We were not able to get pressure on the quarterback. We did not bat any balls down. And we were not challenging throws - in coverage, is what I mean."
The Mustangs' run game was similarly effective, compiling 219 rushing yards on 36 carries (6.1 yards/carry) and scoring twice. Though Jennings only rushed five times for 17 yards, Virginia Tech's defensive front brought him down for only one sack.
Overton Jr. toted the ball 13 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 9.5 yards per carry. After a career-high 209-yard performance at Boston College on Sept. 26, Overton went four consecutive games without finding the end zone, totaling just 230 rushing yards over that stretch. Against Clemson the previous week, Overton managed just 26 yards on 10 carries, with his longest run going for five yards.
However, against SMU, he bounced back, setting himself up well for the season's final four games. Through nine games, Overton has accumulated 762 net rushing yards on 126 carries, garnering six rushing touchdowns.
Virginia Tech is back at home on Saturday, Sept. 14, to host Stanford. The game will kick off at either 7 p.m. ET or 7:30 p.m. ET on either ESPN2 or the ACC Network.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginiatech as Instant Takeaways From Virginia Tech Football's 51-28 Loss to SMU .
