Sep 7, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) run for a touchdown during the third quarter against Marshall Thundering Herd cornerback Jacobie Henderson (10) at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech vies for elusive road win at Old Dominion

Why do power conference teams rarely play on the road at Group of Five schools? Just ask Virginia Tech.

Over the last six years, the Hokies have twice traveled across Virginia to play Old Dominion and each time they have lost.

When the Hokies (1-1) make another trip to Norfolk to face the Monarchs (0-2) on Saturday, they’ll try to overcome their unfortunate history in the series.

In three meetings at Virginia Tech, the Hokies have handled the Monarchs, including a 36-17 victory in last year’s season opener. But it’s been a different story in Norfolk.

“I’m not naive,” Old Dominion coach Ricky Rahne said. “I recognize that Virginia Tech is an important game. It’s important to me. It’s important to our school. It’s important to our fan base.”

Virginia Tech isn’t as enthusiastic about the matchup. Hokies coach Brent Pry twice dodged questions about his opinion of the series, which includes three more games in Norfolk over the next seven years.

“These contracts are in place well ahead of time. I don’t worry about things I can’t control,” said Pry, who dropped a 20-17 decision at Old Dominion in his head coaching debut two years ago.

“We’ve gotta be the type of team that can go to Old Dominion and win the football game.”

The Hokies are coming off a 31-14 win over Marshall in which Bhayshul Tuten rushed 22 times for 120 yards and a touchdown.

“He’s a guy who’s gonna play in the NFL for quite a long time,” Rahne said. “He really does fit what the NFL is looking for right now.”

Old Dominion also will look to contain quarterback Kyron Drones, who has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 452 yards and three touchdowns. Drones also poses a threat on the ground, rushing for 818 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Old Dominion has had a frustrating start to the season, committing six turnovers. The Monarchs squandered a fourth-quarter lead in a 23-19 loss at South Carolina on Aug. 31 before dropping a 20-14 decision against East Carolina last Saturday.

Quarterback Grant Wilson, who has thrown for 2,538 yards and 19 touchdowns over the last two years, was hurt on the final play last week against East Carolina.

Rahne was mum on the status of Wilson and All-American linebacker Jason Henderson, who led the nation in tackles (14.2 per game) last year. Henderson, who had offseason knee surgery, did not play last week.

If Wilson can’t play, Old Dominion will turn to Boston College transfer Emmett Morehead or redshirt freshman Colton Joseph.

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) rushes past Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Zion Childress (11) in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports Kentucky

South Carolina looking to turn up heat on Old Dominion

Seeking a good start to the season after a rocky 2023, South Carolina takes on visiting Old Dominion on Saturday in Columbia, S.C.

The Gamecocks finished 5-7 a year ago, with all their victories in home games, as coach Shane Beamer experienced his first losing season since taking over in 2021.

Redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers is set to make his first career start for South Carolina.

“No matter what their demeanor is, it’s still going to be a lot on Saturday,” Beamer said. “With LaNorris’ demeanor, he gives you a quiet confidence.”

Eight of the 14 returning starters are on the defensive side for the Gamecocks, who are counting on their depth.

“It’s going to be hot Saturday, so play our players,” Beamer said. “We’re going to play a lot of defensive linemen.”

Old Dominion, coming off a 6-7 season, has 57 players who weren’t on last season’s roster.

Communication for the Monarchs will be crucial, so coach Ricky Rahne had noise pumped into practice sessions to get a sense of the volume expected at Williams-Brice Stadium. It likely will be the largest crowd that the Monarchs have ever played in front of.

“We know it’s going to be loud down there,” Rahne said. “They have such great fans down there.”

Rahne said the Monarchs can’t afford to give up big plays and they put an emphasis on tackling during the offseason.

“You never feel like you’ve tackled enough, but I feel like we’ve done a pretty good job with that,” he said.

The Monarchs feature linebacker Jason Henderson, who has led the country in tackles per game for two consecutive seasons (14.2 last year).

There’s also a level of consistency at quarterback for Old Dominion, with Grant Wilson making his second straight season-opening start.

“An athletic quarterback who can make plays for them,” Beamer said.

This will be the first meeting between the programs. Old Dominion hasn’t faced a Southeastern Conference team since losing at Vanderbilt in 2014. Last year, the Monarchs opened with a loss at Virginia Tech.

–Field Level Media

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers wide receiver Malachi Corley (11) turns up field after making a catch as Auburn Tigers take on Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Auburn Tigers and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are tied 17-17 at halftime.

WKU’s Malachi Corley carries chip into clash vs. ODU in Famous Toastery Bowl

In a college football climate where top players routinely sit out of bowl games, Malachi Corley is bucking the trend.

The Western Kentucky star receiver will suit up for the Hilltoppers one last time when they face Old Dominion on Monday afternoon in the Famous Toastery Bowl in Charlotte, N.C.

In the regular-season finale victory over Florida International, Corley became Western Kentucky’s career record holder with 255 receptions and became the third Hilltopper to top 3,000 receiving yards. He also stands second in program history with 29 touchdown catches.

Plus, his ability to chew up yards after the catch has led to projections that he could go as high as the second round in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Regardless, Corley is all set to play when Western Kentucky (7-5) meets Old Dominion (6-6).

“Specifically, my brother and my trainer don’t want me to play in this game,” Corley said, according to the Bowling Green Daily News. “I feel like the scouts, the people that are in charge of the bowls, they also feel like I don’t play in this game as well. They feel like I have nothing to prove.

“But for myself, I feel like I have everything to prove. That’s the chip I carry myself every single day. I feel like I have everything to prove to everybody.”

Corley is 42 yards away from a second straight 1,000-yard receiving season. He has 75 receptions and has tied his career high of 11 scoring catches.

Quarterback Austin Reed has thrown for 3,340 yards and 31 touchdowns, with 11 interceptions, for Western Kentucky, which averages 29.8 points per game.

Safety Kendrick Simpkins has 10 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. Hilltoppers cornerback Anthony Johnson Jr. has three interceptions.

The top player on Old Dominion, All-America linebacker Jason Henderson, won’t play Monday after sustaining a season-ending leg injury in the Monarchs’ 25-24 win over Georgia State on Nov. 25.

“Everyone’s just got to come together,” Old Dominion coach Ricky Rahne told reporters. “Obviously we know we’re losing an All-American-type player, but also I think our guys are going to step up to the challenge.”

Linebacker Wayne Matthews III also is enjoying a strong season with 121 tackles.

Offensively, Monarchs quarterback Grant Wilson has thrown for 2,026 yards and 16 touchdowns, with seven interceptions. Old Dominion averages 22.9 points per game.

The bowl game is the third for Old Dominion at the FBS level. Old Dominion beat Eastern Michigan 24-20 at the 2016 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl and lost to Tulsa 30-17 at the 2021 Myrtle Beach Bowl.

Western Kentucky is 6-3 in FBS bowl games and is making its fifth straight appearance. The Hilltoppers routed South Alabama 44-23 in last season’s New Orleans Bowl.

Western Kentucky holds a 6-1 record against Old Dominion, including a 43-20 road win in 2021.

–Field Level Media

Sep 17, 2022; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (3) attempts to make a catch as Old Dominion Monarchs cornerback Tobias Harris (20) defends during the first quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia survives with last-second FG to beat Old Dominion

Brendan Farrell kicked a 26-yard field goal on the game’s final play as Virginia pulled out a 16-14 victory against visiting Old Dominion on Saturday afternoon in Charlottesville, Va.

The Cavaliers drove 56 yards in six plays in the final minute to set up the field goal. Farrell had missed to end Virginia’s previous possession.

Hayden Wolff threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Zack Kuntz with 1:01 remaining to lift Old Dominion to a 14-13 lead. That wrapped up a rare burst of offense from the Monarchs, who converted two fourth-down plays while driving 80 yards in 11 plays in just over two minutes.

Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong was 20-for-37 for 284 yards. He accounted for 43 yards on the last possession, 30 by pass and 13 by rush.

Wolff, who threw for two touchdowns, completed 23 of 37 passes for 235 yards.

Old Dominion (1-2), which opened the season with a home upset of Virginia Tech, was trying to pull off its second victory against an in-state Power 5 conference opponent in the opening month of the season. Instead, it lost for the second week in a row.

Virginia’s first possession of the second half resulted in the Cavaliers’ third lost fumble of the game. This one occurred inside the Old Dominion 30-yard line.

Farrell’s 30-yard field goal with 8:37 to play in the game stretched Virginia’s lead to 13-7. That capped an 11-play, 46-yard drive.

Virginia’s defense was mostly up to the task, holding Old Dominion to a total of 58 yards of offense in the Monarchs’ first five possessions of the second half.

But Farrell missed a 36-yard field goal with 3:07 left, preventing the Cavaliers from taking a two-possession lead.

Running back Xavier Brown rushed for 88 yards on nine carries for Virginia (2-1), which has managed just one touchdown scored across its last two games combined.

Old Dominion running back Blake Watson posted 70 rushing yards on 21 attempts.

Virginia scored on a 1-yard run from Mike Hollins with 3:13 left in the first quarter. The Cavaliers padded their lead to 10-0 on their next possession, which ended with Farrell’s 26-yard field goal.

Old Dominion finally scored on Wolff’s 29-yard pass play to Ali Jennings III with 19 seconds to play in the first half. That scoring opportunity came after the second of two Virginia fumbles in the second quarter. The Monarchs marked 64 yards in six plays.

–Field Level Media

Sep 10, 2022; Greenville, North Carolina, USA;  Old Dominion Monarchs quarterback Hayden Wolff (11) throws the ball against the East Carolina Pirates during the first half at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Old Dominion faces another in-state foe in Virginia

Old Dominion aims to knock off another in-state neighbor on Saturday afternoon when it faces Virginia in Charlottesville.

The Monarchs (1-1) have had success against the state’s other Power Five program, Virginia Tech, beating the Hokies for the second time in five seasons on Sept. 2 in Norfolk.

Old Dominion has only faced the Cavaliers (1-1) once before, leading late before losing 28-17 to a 21st-ranked Virginia team on its previous visit to Charlottesville on Sept. 21, 2019.

“That makes the games so exciting,” Monarchs coach Ricky Rahne said of playing another regional rival. “Then, it becomes about managing our own emotions and expectations a little bit and that’s what we’ve got to continue to focus on.”

The ODU offense is led by Hayden Wolff, who has passed for 440 yards, three touchdowns and an interception so far this season. Top target Ali Jennings III leads the nation with 322 receiving yards on 13 catches (24.8-yard average) and has caught all three of Wolff’s TD tosses.

The Monarchs — who moved from Conference USA to the Sun Belt this season — followed up the season-opening win against Virginia Tech with a 39-21 loss last Saturday at East Carolina. The Pirates’ Holton Ahlers passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns.

Old Dominion will face another veteran, left-handed quarterback in Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong, whose school-record streak of 18 consecutive games with at least one TD pass ended last Saturday in a 24-3 loss at Illinois.

The Cavaliers managed 222 yards of offense against the Illini, their fewest in a game since 2017 — and 62 came on one play, a catch by Lavel Davis Jr.

“All the things that I saw in the game are correctable,” first-year UVA coach Tony Elliott said. “I’ve got to challenge the staff, myself and the players to make sure that we own the mistakes, that we don’t point fingers, that we don’t try and pass the blame on anybody else, but look at the man in the mirror. If we do that, we’ll learn from this experience and hopefully it’ll make us better going forward.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 30, 2020; Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons quarterback Sam Hartman (10) drops back to pass against the Wisconsin Badgers during second half action at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Wake Forest aims to be ‘Good to Great’ vs. Old Dominion

Wake Forest will look to take the next step forward and set the table for a successful Atlantic Coast Conference campaign when its battles Old Dominion in the two teams’ season opener on Friday evening in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The Demon Deacons were 4-5 in 2020 and played in a bowl game for the fifth straight year, losing to Wisconsin in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Wake Forest returns all 11 starters on offense and nine on defense and should be one of the deepest teams in the nation.

How that translates to the field will be up to coach Dave Clawson, who begins his eighth season at the Demon Deacons’ helm. Wake Forest has adopted the motto, “Good to Great” for the upcoming season.

“Every team’s different, every team’s unique, every team takes on their own personality,” Clawson said. “But I think in camp, one of our goals was to forge a mental toughness and a grit.

“…It’s really good that our program is now one that expects to be in a bowl. Taking that next step in our league is difficult. But we think we have a group this year that’s capable of doing that.”

Wake Forest has set or tied more than 300 school offensive records over the past four seasons, including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs and passing yards. The Demon Deacons’ offense will be triggered this year by sophomore Sam Hartman, who passed for 2,224 yards and 13 touchdowns in nine games in 2020.

Old Dominion, which plays in Conference USA, opted out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19. It was the only C-USA team not to take the field last year. On Friday, the Monarchs will be playing their first game since losing their final contest of the 2019 campaign to Charlotte on Nov. 30, a span of 644 days.

Since that loss, Old Dominion hired former Penn State offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne as their head coach. Old Dominion was 1-11 in 2019 and hasn’t won a game against a FBS team since beating North Texas on Nov. 10, 2018.

Rahne said last week that his team “is hungry and is ready to go.”

“This is a team that has taken to coaching and is focused on the fundamentals,” Rahne explained. “A team that’s very fast and plays very physical. They will run and they will hit. We’ll live on those two things.”

There are 43 freshmen or redshirt freshmen on the Monarchs’ 88-man roster, so patience in the process and what Rahne is preaching is a must.

–Field Level Media