HUNTINGTON, W. Va. - Old Dominion (2-2) travels to Marshall (3-1) on Saturday, Oct. 3 to take on the Thundering Herd in the Conference USA opener for both teams.
• It is the second-straight season the Monarchs open conference play at the defending league champion. ODU opened C-USA play last year with a 45-42 win at Rice.
• Today’s captains for the Monarchs are quarterback Shuler Bentley, running back Ray Lawry, safety Justice Davila and safety Fellonte Misher. Wide receiver Marques Little will run out with the 12th Monarch Flag.
• Sophomore safety Justice Davila had a career-high 12 tackles and a forced fumble against Appalachian State.
• Senior safety Fellonte Misher had eight tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. He is third in school history with 219 tackles.
• Junior linebacker TJ Ricks had eight tackles, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. A former walk-on, he leads the team with 37 tackles and is tied for the team lead with four pass breakups.
• The Monarchs are 45-8 all-time when scoring 30 or more points and 9-14 when scoring less than 30. One of those wins was a 24-10 victory over Norfolk State earlier this season.
Former Teammates Meet Again
Several players on Marshall and Old Dominion were teammates in high school.
Marshall defensive back T.J. Griffin and ODU running back Brandon Simmons were teammates at Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach.
Marshall tight end Stefan Houston, offensive linemen Malik Thompson and A.J. Addison went to Fork Union with Monarchs Tony Barnett, Darius Garcia, Jeremy Cox and Malik Fuller.
ODU wide receiver Quintin Reynolds and Fuller were teammates of Marshall’s Nick Matthews at Patriot High School in Virginia.
Pascal Doing It All
Junior wide receiver Zach Pascal has been a jack of all trades this season for the Monarchs. Through four games, Pascal leads ODU with 11 receptions, is second on the team with 72 rushing yards, is the primary kick returner with an average of 22 yards per return, and has three tackles playing on several teams units.
A native of Upper Marlboro, N.J., Pascal is ODU’s active leader with 111 career receptions and is tied for the 10th longest streak with at least one catch in 28-straight games.
Safety Success
Senior Safety Fellonte Misher is a three-year starter and 14 tackles away from taking over second place in ODU’s all-time tackle charts. However, sophomore free safety Justice Davila is becoming a good complement next to Misher as he recorded a career-best 12 tackles and a forced fumble last week against Appalachian State.
A native of Erial, N.J., Davila is second on the team with 34 tackles and a forced fumble.