NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion University football hosts Appalachian State on Saturday, Sept. 26 in the third and final game of a three-game home stand at 3:30 p.m. on ASN.
• Today’s game captains for ODU are Troy Butler, Malique Johnson, David Washington and Anthony Wilson. Junior Terrell Reid will carry the 12th Monarch flag.
• The Monarchs hosted their first Power-Five opponent last week against NC State, falling 38-14.
• Ray Lawry and Jonathan Duhart caught touchdown passes but the offense gained a program low 148 total yards and just eight first downs.
•Lawry came into the contest leading the nation in rushing but gained just 15 yards on 11 carries as ODU rushed for -3 yards, the second lowest single-game total in school history.
• For the first time in school history, Old Dominion did not commit a penalty in the game last week against NC State.
• The Monarch defense kept ODU in the game, holding the Wolfpack to 28 points through three quarters. Fellonte Misher tied his career-best with 12 tackles while linebacker TJ Ricks had 10 stops. Junior linebacker Shadow Williams had a career-high nine tackles and half a tackle for loss.
• 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 29 tackles.
• Today’s game marks the 44th straight sellout since ODU restarted football in 2009. The Monarchs are 33-10 in those games and have the 12th best home winning percentage in FBS at .767.
• ODU Head Coach Bobby Wilder is 54-21 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.
Change of Pace
Against Norfolk State, ODU moved Zach Pascal into the backfield in an h-back type formation, and he carried eight times for 68 yards, including the first play of the game for 16 yards. Pascal gives the Monarchs a bruising 6-2, 217 pound runner in the backfield. He has 10 rushes for 72 yards on the season.
Behind Center
In his third career start against NC State, Shuler Bentley was 11-of-23 for 151 yards and his first career two touchdown game. He was just 3-of-10 in the first half, and that included a 70-yard touchdown pass to Ray Lawry. Bentley was better in the second half, completing 8-of-13, for 73 yards and a touchdown pass.
Lawry Big Games
Ray Lawry has a pair of 200-yard rushing games in two of the first three games and three for his career. His 223 yards in the opener at Eastern Michigan is the fifth most in a game so far this season and his 215 against Norfolk State is the seventh most in a single game.
Single-Game Rushing Yards
Rk. Player School Opp. Yards
1. Dalvin Cook Florida State USF 266
2. Brian Hill Wyoming EMU 242
3. Jalen Richard Southern Miss TSU 230
4. Leonard Fournette LSU Auburn 228
5. Ray Lawry ODU EMU 223
6. Paul Perkins UCLA BYU 219
7. Ray Lawry ODU NSU 215
UP NEXT
ODU is on the road for the second-straight year to open Conference USA and the second-straight year they open league play at the defending champion. The Monarchs face Marshall next Saturday, Oct. 3 at 3:30 p.m.