NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion University football returns home to host Florida Atlantic for the annual homecoming contest on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 3:30 p.m.
| Old Dominion (1-6, 0-3 C-USA) vs. Florida Atlantic (4-3, 2-1 C-USA) | |||
| Date | Saturday, Oct. 26 • 3:30 p.m. • Norfolk, Va. • Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium | ||
| Where to Watch | ESPN+ | ||
| Listen | ODU Sports Radio Network | ||
| Series | FAU leads 3-2 | ||
| Game Notes | Old Dominion FAU | ||
> ODU (1-6, 0-3 C-USA) lost at UAB on Saturday. FAU lost to Marshall on Friday night, 36-31.
> Messiah deWeaver started his first caareer game at UAB and completed 6-of-24 passes for 82 yards and an interceptions. He also ran for 15 yards.
> Senior wide receiver Darrell Brown had a career day, catching four passes for 64 yards.
> Lawrence Garner had a team-best 10 tackles, all solo, along with a fumble recovery and pass breakup. Jordan Young added seven tackles and a tackle for loss.
Garner Top of the League
Junior linebacker Lawrence Garner had 10 tackles at UAB, all solo, to lead ODU in tackles and notch his fourth-straight double-digit tackle game.
This was the first game his tackle count did not increase, after having 12 tackles at Marshall, but he recorded his 11th career double-digit tackle game. He moved into 10th all-time on the ODU charts with 182 tackles.
Garner leads Conference USA and is tied for 15th in the FBS with 9.9 tackles per game.
Garner Tackles in 2019
| Opponent | Tackles |
| Norfolk State | 8 |
| Virginia Tech | 8 |
| #21 Virginia | 9 |
| East Carolina | 10 |
| WKU | 12 |
| Marshall | 12 |
| UAB | 10 |
Watson Creates Offense on Special Teams
Blake Watson nearly had a couple more big returns at UAB, as he opened the game with a 41-yard return, and had a 28-yarder later in the first half.
Watson leads Conference USA and is eighth in FBS with a 29.1 yard return average.
C-USA Kick Return Average
| Rank | Player | School | Average |
| 1. | Blake Watson | Old Dominion | 29.1 |
| 2. | DeAndre Torrey | North Texas | 21.9 |
| 3. | Garland LaFrance | WKU | 19.7 |
Who is Starting?
With injuries and inexperience mounting, Old Dominion has started 39 different players so far this season. If it sounds like a lot, it is. The 39 different starters is tied for third most in FBS. Quarterback Messiah deWeaver and safety Justinn Richardson were the newest starters this season, getting their first starts of the year Saturday at UAB.
| Team | Starters |
| BYU | 45 |
| New Mexico | 40 |
| Old Dominion | 39 |
| Akron | 39 |
| UMass | 39 |