Virginia Tech's Franklin Stands by Kicker John Love After Pitt Loss

James Franklin says he told John Love 'I love him' and called him the best kicker in the country after a missed 36-yard field goal sealed Virginia Tech's 35-33 loss to Pitt.

Pitt handed Virginia Tech its first defeat of the 2026 season on October 2, leaving Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia, with a 35-33 win. The Hokies had arrived unbeaten, and their perfect start came undone in the closing moments on a kick that, had it gone through, would have flipped the result.

Kicker John Love attempted a 36-yard field goal with only seconds remaining, a try that would have swung the outcome to Virginia Tech. Officials ruled the ball off target. Replays of the kick then circulated widely, generating an extended debate among fans about whether it had in fact passed inside the upright before the call was made.

Head coach James Franklin went directly to Love after the miss and stayed near him while the players left the field. He has since explained the message he delivered in that moment. "Told him I love him and he's the best kicker in the country," Franklin said. "And then, go shake hands."

Franklin offered more detail in his comments after the game, noting that Love was the one who addressed the squad once the players reached the locker room. "He broke us down in the locker room," Franklin said. "I got John's back, and so do all his teammates. And again, that was one play. There's 20 plays throughout that game that really wouldn't have gotten to that point."

The coach declined to assign the defeat to a single snap. In his view, roughly 20 plays across the night contributed to the position Virginia Tech occupied at the end, and pinning the loss on one kicker, he argued, overlooks the chain of events that created the situation in the first place.

Love's importance to the program goes beyond his duties on special teams. Before the 2026 season began, Virginia Tech named him among six team captains, a designation that reflected the respect he had built with teammates and coaches alike. That status formed part of the backdrop to Franklin's public defense of his kicker.

Franklin then removed any doubt about how the program views its specialist going forward. "I love him. I got a ton of confidence in him," Franklin said. "And I'd put him out there again for the same situation every single time."

The argument over the final kick may carry on among supporters, and the Hokies themselves will have no shortage of earlier moments from a two-point loss to study once they review the film. Who takes the field should the same scenario arise later in the season, however, has already been settled by the head coach.

Virginia Tech gets its next chance almost immediately. Louisville visits the Hokies on Saturday, October 3 at 7:00 PM EDT at Thompson Field, with the broadcast carried on ACCNX.