The White team pulled away in the second half to defeat the Maroon squad 30-21 in Virginia Tech’s spring game Saturday at Lane Stadium, giving fans an early look at coach James Franklin’s first Hokies team.
The scrimmage, played before a large crowd, featured a strong defensive showing by the White team, which shut out the Maroon offense after halftime and forced consistent pressure on the quarterback.
Maroon struck first, marching downfield on its opening drive and taking a 7-0 lead on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Grunkemeyer to Que’Sean Brown.
The White team answered in the second quarter with a 48-yard field goal from Will Love. Maroon responded with a 27-yard kick from John Love, and another long field goal by Will Love late in the half gave Maroon a 12-7 advantage at the break.
The second half belonged to the White squad.
Quarterback Kelden Ryan connected with Chanz Wiggins on a 20-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to give White the lead, and Bryce Baker later found Cam Sparks for a 2-yard score to extend the margin.
White’s defense sealed the outcome, holding Maroon to 220 total yards and recording seven sacks. Jason Abbey led the pass rush with 1.5 sacks, while Amauri Polydor paced the defense with seven tackles.
Antwone Santiago and Joshua Clarke each had seven tackles for the Maroon side.
The final margin was extended by a postgame kicking competition, pushing White’s total to 30 points in the exhibition format.
The game marked Franklin’s debut on Worsham Field and the first public showing of a revamped roster, offering a glimpse of both offensive playmakers and a defense that set the tone after halftime.