NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion University football (2-0) hosts NC State (2-0) on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. on ASN. NC State is the first Power-Five team to come to Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
• ODU defeated Norfolk State last week behind Ray Lawry’s 215 yard, two touchdown performance. Lawry carried a school record 31 times in the win.
• After two weeks, Lawry leads the country in rushing yards with 438 and is tied for the lead in touchdowns with Alabama’s Derrick Henry with six.
• The Monarchs rushed a school record 59 times for 338 yards, just two shy of the school record. Junior wide receiver carried eight times for 69 yards while true freshman Kesean Strong rushed for 36 yards and his first career touchdown.
• Junior cornerback Aaron Young led the ODU defense with seven tackles.
• Oshane Ximines recorded a sack in his second-straight game and notched 1.5 tackles for loss. Ximines leads the Monarchs with two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.
• Junior linebacker TJ Ricks leads ODU with 19 tackles.
• The ODU defense held Norfolk State without an offensive touchdown, marking the second time in school history has accomplished that feat. Last season ODU held EMU without a touchdown in a 17-3 victory.
• ODU has sold out all 42 home games at Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium and is 33-9 in those games. It is the eighth best home winning percentage in FBS.
• ODU Head Coach Bobby Wilder is 54-20 in his seventh year at Old Dominion. The former Maine offensive coordinator led ODU to FCS playoff berths in 2011 and 2012 along with a CAA Championship in 2012.
Experienced Safety
Senior Fellonte Misher had three tackles in the win over Norfolk State a week after having eight tackles in the season-opening win at Eastern Michigan. He passed Chris Burnette for third on ODU’s all-time tackles list.
Career Tackles
1. Craig Wilkins - 340
2. John Darr - 232
3. Fellonte Misher - 200
4. Chris Burnette - 197
5. Devon Simmons - 191
Linebackers Reign
TJ Ricks had five tackles in the win over Norfolk State and leads the team with 19 stops.
Martez Simpson had five tackles and a big tackle for loss in the red zone while Malique Johnson had eight tackles, and a sack forced fumble that the Monarchs recovered and turned into a touchdown in the win at Eastern Michigan.
Defensive Line Depth
Junior Rashaad Coward led the defensive line with three tackles while Tim Ward had two tackles and a tackle for loss. Oshane Ximines had two tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
Batting it Down
Freshman defensive end Tim Ward was at it again in ODU’s victory over Norfolk State. He batted down one Greg Hankerson pass for a pass breakup and another back into the arms of Hankerson that he caught, but Ward tackled him for a 12-yard loss.
True freshman defensive end Tim Ward was a hazard all camp for quarterback Shuler Bentley, batting day at least half a dozen passes during camp. He was at it again on Saturday. On EMU’s last drive, he deflected a Brogan Roback pass and intercepted it to clinch the ODU victory. He also recorded three tackles and a quarterback hurry.
Ward, a true freshman from High Point, N.C., enrolled at ODU in January. Old Dominion was the only scholarship offer he received out of high school.
See Ray Run
For the second-straight week, ODU sophomore running back ran wild. He carried a career-high and school record 31 times for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
The returning Conference USA Freshman of the Year Ray Lawry picked up where he left off from last season, carrying 28 times for 223 yards and four touchdowns. All three were career highs, with the rushing yards one yard shy of a school record and tying his career high and school record with four touchdowns.
Lawry leads the FBS in rushing yards and is tied for the lead in touchdowns.
FBS Rushing Yardage Leaders
Rk. Player School Yards
1. Ray Lawry ODU 438
2. Dalvin Cook FSU 422
3. Jahad Thomas Temple 328
4. Nick Chubb Georgia 309
5. Jordan Howard Indiana 304*
*UAB Transfer
Lawry Single-Season Records
Rushing Yards - 947
Average Per Rush - 7.1
Despite being at ODU for just one year, Lawry is close to breaking a few ODU career records.
Career Records
Rushing Yards - Colby Goodwyn - 1,583 - Lawry Needs - 198
Rushing Touchdowns - Thomas DeMarco - 30 - Lawry needs - 8
Total Touchdowns - Antonio Vaughan - 37 - Lawry needs - 15