NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion University football travels to Norfolk State on Saturday, Oct. 19. The contest is the first game in a two-game series in which the Spartans will travel to ODU in 2015.
• Old Dominion University football travels four and a half miles to face Norfolk State today at 1 p.m. The game is the first in a two-game series between the two Norfolk schools. The Spartans will play at ODU in 2015.
• The two schools have one prior meeting, facing off in the first round of the 2011 FCS Playoffs. ODU won the contest 35-18 advancing to the second round before falling to Georgia Southern.
• Old Dominion outgained Pittsburgh 405-370 but fell short to the ACC Panthers 35-24 last week at Heinz Field.
• It was ODU's third game ever against an FBS opponent and second ever against an ACC school. The 11-point setback was the closest final score to date for the Monarchs against an FBS foe.
• ODU has improved dramatically this year as far as penalties, but the Monarchs were called for 14 penalites for more than 100-yards against Pittsburgh. One of the biggest flags was midway through the fourth quarter ODU stopped Pitt on third down but a roughing the passer penalty gave Pitt a first down and led to an eventual touchdown.
• For the fifth-straight game and sixth out of seven, the ODU offense recorded 400 plus yards, churning out 407 yards of total offense.
• Tyler Fisher became the first true freshman in ODU's five years of football to start on the offensive line. Fisher started in place of David Born, who had started the previous 32 games at left guard.
• Taylor Heinicke completed 31-of-52 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns. It was his second 300- plus yardage game against an FBS opponent. It was the sixth time this season he has thrown for more than 300 yards. The two TD tosses give him 85 for his career.
• With 139 passing yards, Heinicke will become the first Division I quarterback in the state of Virginia to pass for 10,000 career yards. His 9,861 passing yards is already the most in the state by a Division I quarterback.
• Junior Antonio Vaughan moved to running back for the first time in his career, carrying 15 times for 70 yards including a 17-yard touchdown run. Vaughan had carried six times prior to the Pitt game, but played most of the game at running back for ODU, except for when the Monarchs went with five wide receivers. Vaughan caught eight passes for 30 yards for 100 total yards of offense on the day.
• Larry Pinkard had nine receptions for 83 yards while Blair Roberts had five catches for 97 yards and a 47-yard touchdown catch.
• Taylor Heinicke passed for 312 yards and two scores against Pittsburgh. The junior is 139 yards away from 10,000 career passing yards. He will join active quarterbacks, Corey Robinson (Troy, 12,147), Aaron Murray (Georgia, 12,029) and Derek Carr (Fresno State, 10,036) with more than 10,000 career passing yards. Also with the potential to join Heinicke with 10,000 career passing yards is Clemson QB Tajh Boyd, 9,992 and Ball State quarterback, Keith Wenning, 9,879. All five quarterbacks listed are seniors.
• For the first time in the five-year history of the program, ODU started a true freshman on the offensive line. Tyler Fisher started at left guard in place of the injured David Born, and the freshman faired well against a stout Pitt defensive line.
• Sophomore Connor Mewbourne slid out from his normal right guard position to right tackle while D.J. Morrell moved in to play right guard.
• Sophomore safety Fellonte Misher had a team-best nine tackles last Saturday at Pittsburgh. It was the fifth time in seven games this year that he has led the team in tackles. Misher leads ODU with 60 tackles through seven games.
• ODU kicker Jarod Brown booted a career-best 54-yard field goal to give ODU a 10-0 lead over Pittsburgh. The 54-yard kick broke the Heinz Field record, surpassing the 52-yard kick Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Jeff Reed made in 2011 against the Atlanta Falcons.
• ODU is 42-13 under head coach Bobby Wilder, appearing in the FCS playoffs the only two years they were eligible for a postseason bid.