First Look: Virginia Tech Football opens 2022 campaign at Old Dominion - VT hokiesports.com

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Football 8/29/2022 10:51:00 AM

The Brent Pry era officially gets underway this week as the Virginia Tech football team travels to Norfolk for a clash with Old Dominion Friday night, Sept. 2. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.

How to Follow

TV: Friday's game will be televised on ESPNU with Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst) on the call.

Radio: The Virginia Tech Sports Network affiliates, including its flagship station 105.3 FM, "The Bear," in Blacksburg, will carry Friday's game over the airwaves. Bill Roth will handle play-by-play duties while Mike Burnop provides color commentary and Zach Mackey reports from the sideline.

Streaming: Catch the game online at ESPN.com and in the ESPN mobile app.

Live Audio: Listen to live audio coverage of Friday's game on HokieSports.com/Watch and in the HokieSports mobile app.

Live Stats: Monitor the game through live stats on HokieSports.com, including play-by-play updates and full team and individual statistics.

Social Media: Stay connected with the Hokies on Twitter (@HokiesFB), Instagram (@hokiesfb) and Facebook (@VirginiaTechFB).

Three Things to Know

1. When Pry takes the field for his first game as head coach of the Hokies, he'll see a familiar face across the field in Old Dominion head coach Ricky Rahne. Rahne, in his third year in Norfolk, was previously part of Penn State's coaching staff alongside Pry from 2014-19. While Pry was the defensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions, Rahne served as Penn State's quarterbacks coach, tight ends coach and eventual offensive coordinator during his last two seasons in State College. The duo combined to win 57 games over their six years on Penn State's staff together and remain close friends.

2. Tech will open its season away from home for the first time since 2019. In what has been a rare occurrence over the last four decades, the Hokies will play a true road game to start the season for the first time in four years and just the eighth time since 1988. While opening a campaign away from Blacksburg may not be the norm, Tech is no stranger to Norfolk, having played 40 games in the 757 in its history, racking up 22 victories.

3. The Hokies have plenty of experience under Friday Night Lights. Tech is credited for helping pioneer Thursday night games, but the Hokies have played their fair share of contests on Friday nights, as well. Tech played its first of 42 all-time Friday games back on Oct. 21, 1892, a 14-10 victory over St. Albans. The Hokies are 6-4 in their last 10 Friday games, including a 17-10 victory over then-No. 10 North Carolina in last year's season opener.

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Players to Watch

Defensive back Chamarri Conner: One of the most seasoned veterans and undisputed defensive leaders on the Hokies' squad, Conner is coming off a season in which he finished third on the team with 85.0 tackles, securing 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one interception en route to earning All-ACC honorable mention accolades. He'll be carrying the Lunch Pail on Friday night when the team takes the field and will be looked at to set the tone for Tech's defense all night long.

Quarterback Grant Wells: A transfer from Marshall, Wells was named Tech's starting quarterback after a strong performance in fall camp. While at Marshall, he completed 460 of 715 passes (64.3%) for 5,623 yards with 34 TDs while also running the ball 115 times for 237 yards with nine scores. Wells became the first freshman QB to earn first-team All-Conference USA honors before receiving honorable mention all-conference accolades in 2021 after ranking 15th in the nation with 3,532 passing yards.

Wide receiver Kaleb Smith: With the departure of the offense's top two targets from a season ago, Smith has assumed the leadership role as the elder statesman. He represented the Hokies at ACC Kickoff over the summer following a successful winter and spring for Smith that saw Pry describe him as one of the team's best workers. The Bumpass, Virginia product totaled 20 receptions for 260 yards and two touchdowns a season ago and will be poised for a big season after a couple of breakout outings during 2021.

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