NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion University football hosts Charlotte in the 71st annual Oyster Bowl game to close out the 2021 regular season. The game will air on ESPN+ with a 2 p.m. start. Ted Alexander, Andy Mashaw and James Witham will also have the call on ESPN Radio 94.1, with the pregame show starting at 1:30 p.m.
| Old Dominion (5-6, 4-3 C-USA) vs. Charlotte (5-6, 3-4 C-USA) | |
| Date | Saturday, Nov. 27 • 2 p.m. • Norfolk, Va. • Stadium |
| Where to Watch | ESPN+ |
| Listen | ODU Sports Radio Network |
| Series | ODU leads, 3-2 |
| Game Notes | Old Dominion Charlotte |
• For the first time in school history, ODU defeated Middle Tennessee, knocking off the Blue Raiders 24-17 in Murfreesboro last Saturday. Charlotte lost to Marshall, 49-28. The winner on Saturday will be bowl eligible with a 6-6 overall record.
• Blake Watson saw his streak of five-straight 100-yard rushing games come to an end, but he scored the eventual game-winning touchdown on a four-yard pass from Hayden Wolff. Watson carried 18 times for 57 yards on the day.
• Ali Jennings caught four passes for 146, including receptions of 43 and 60 yards. His shortest catch went for 19 yards.
• R'Tarriun Johnson, Jason Henderson and Terry Jones each had nine tackles, while Joe Joe Headen had three tackles and an interception.
Young Closing in on Record
Sixth-year senior linebacker Jordan Young had eight tackles in the win at Middle Tennessee. Young has continued his steady climb on the ODU career tackle charts, as he passed TJ Ricks to move into second at MTSU.
With the regular season finale against Charlotte remaining, several things are at stake besides the record for Young.
Young's single-season high for tackles was 86 in 2019. He needs six tackles to surpasses that.
Young has never led ODU in tackles. He's finished second twice and third as a sophomore in 2018. He currently has a 12 tackle lead on second place Ryan Henry.
ODU Career Tackles Leaders
| Rank | Player | Tackles | Years |
| 1. | Craig Wilkins | 340 | 2009-12 |
| 2. | Jordan Young | 328 | 2017-21 |
| 3. | TJ Ricks | 323 | 2013-16 |
Leading the Way
Sixth-year seniors Isaac Weaver and Jordan Young have been starters from day one in their ODU careers. Saturday will be their 47th career start, one shy of the record held by Craig Wilkins and Oshane Ximines.
Most Starts in ODU History
| Rank | Player | Position | Starts |
| 1. | Craig Wilkins | LB/S | 48 |
| Oshane Ximines | DE | 48 | |
| 3. | Jordan Young | LB | 46 |
| Isaac Weaver | OL | 46 | |
| Nick Clarke | C | 46 |
Wolf(f) Sightings
Hayden Wolff started for the fifth-straight game and ODU is now 4-1 in his starts, including four-straight wins. For the second-straight game Wolff did not throw an interception.
Wolff in Five Starts
| Opponent | Completions | Attempts | Yards | TD | INT |
| WKU | 26 | 41 | 327 | 0 | 2 |
| Louisiana Tech | 23 | 34 | 149 | 1 | 1 |
| FIU | 22 | 42 | 283 | 2 | 1 |
| Florida Atlantic | 21 | 33 | 289 | 1 | 0 |
| Middle Tennessee | 15 | 24 | 241 | 2 | 0 |
| Five Game Totals | 107 | 174 | 1285 | 4 | 4 |
Watson Closes in on 1,000
ODU running back had his streak of five-straight 100-yard rushing games snapped in the win at Middle Tennessee. Watson rushed 18 times for 57 yards, but did catch a four-yard touchdown pass. A first for the former ODU wide receiver.
Watson is 17th in the country with 103.2 yards per game and 41st in the country with 929 yards. Watson missed two games earlier in the season with an injury.
In seven league games, Watson is second only to UAB's DeWayne McBride in rushing yards
Watson would be the second Monarch to record a 1,000 yard rushing season, joining ODU's all-time leading rusher Ray Lawry, who did it twice. Lawry's freshman season in 2014 is the third highest single-season rushing total. Watson is 18 yards away from surpassing Lawry's total from that season.
ODU Single-Season Rushing Yards
| Rank | Player | Yards | Year |
| 1. | Ray Lawry | 1,255 | 2016 |
| 2. | Ray Lawry | 1,136 | 2015 |
| 3. | Ray Lawry | 947 | 2014 |
| 4. | Blake Watson | 929 | 2021 |
Senior Sendoff
ODU will honor 12 seniors prior to Saturday's game. Below is a brief snap shot of each senior. Senior Day ceremonies will begin at 1:35 on Saturday.
Jordan Young - LB - Coatesville, Pa.
Young has already graduated with his degree in sport management and will graduate with his master's degree in sport managament this December. He leads ODU with 81 tackles this season and is 13 tackles shy of becoming ODU's all-time leading tackler.
Stone Smartt - WR - Sacramento, Calif.
Smartt was ODU's quarterback for much of 2019 before moving to wide receiver during fall camp this season. He was coming into his own at WR before an injury knocked him out of action for several weeks. He has 12 receptions for 117 yards this season.
Will Brocchini - CB - Sacramento, Calif.
Brocchini has played in six games this season at corner, making eight tackles with two pass breakups. In 2019, he played in seven games, recording 23 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup.
Nigel Fitzgerald - WR - Greensboro, N.C.
FItzgerald battled injuries during his ODU career, including this season, playing just one game in 2021, making one catch. For his career, he caught 14 passes for 228 yards.
Harrell Blackmon - S - Jackson, Miss.
Blackmon has recorded 46 tackles in 11 games at safety this season and has 88 tackles in his two-year ODU career. He notched his first career interception in 2019 against WKU.
Roger Cray - CB - Lake City, Fla.
A graduate transfer from WKU, Cray was the most experienced transfer ODU brought in, having played four years for the Hilltoppers. Cray's veteran leadership has been valuable for ODU. He has recorded 30 tackles, one interception and a team-high nine pass breakups. He has also returned 10 punts for 97 yards.
Joe Joe Headen - S - Harrisburg, Pa.
One of three sixth year players for the Monarchs, Headen has already earned his degree in finance and is working towards his master's in public administration. He intercepted his first pass of the season in last week's week at MTSU, and the third of his career. His 21 pass breakups are the second most in ODU history.
Cory Jackson - DE - Jackson, Miss.
Mostly a special teams player in 2019, Jackson has come on in 2021, making six starts at defensive end. He has 23 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble.
Estefano Feliciano Jr. - DE - Tampa, Fla.
Feliciano has played in 10 games in 2021 and has found his way in the defensive line rotation for the last half of the season. He has recorded five tackles and a QB hurry. In his ODU career, he has played in 19 games and made 12 tackles. He has also been an integral member of the kickoff return team.
Carson Ramos - DT - Loma Rica, Calif.
Ramos will graduate with a degree in management this fall. He has played in three games making one tackle, while being a key contributor on the kickoff return team. He returned a kickoff 11 yards last week at Middle Tennessee.
Isaac Weaver - OL - Marietta, Ga.
Weaver has started 46 career games on the offensive line, tied with Jordan Young for second most in school history. This year he has started games at left tackle, center and for the first time in his career, left guard. A three-time team captain, Weaver earned his biology degree and is working on his MBA.
Nick Rice - K - St. Petersburg, Fla.
ODU's all-time leader in field goals with 63, Rice kicked the game-winning field goal in ODU's 23-20 win over Louisiana Tech. In the win at FIU, he drilled a career long 50-yarder in the win over the Panthers. He is only the second Monarchs to score more than 300 points (302), joining former kicker Jarod Brown (388).