By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – Lightning does strike twice.
Quarterback Hayden Wolff engineered a dramatic Old Dominion rally in the final three minutes, leading the Monarchs on a 74-yard touchdown drive that gave ODU a 20-17 victory over Virginia Tech.
The victory comes four years after the Monarchs upended the Hokies, 49-35, at old Foreman Field in the biggest victory in ODU football history.
That victory was ODU's first over a Power 5 school and Tech was ranked 13th nationally. This Tech team is rebuilding and ODU has a veteran team. The Hokies were only 6-point favorites whereas they were 29-point favorites four years ago.
But beating a program that has won four ACC titles, has the largest following in the state and played for a national championship was the most consequential victory in coach Ricky Rahne's tenure at ODU.
The game was witnessed by a sellout crowd of 21,944, the largest since 2019 at S.B. Ballard Stadium, and the crowd was electric. At game's end, most of the nearly 5,000 ODU students in attendance charged the field and celebrated with the players.
"That's what college football is all about right there," said Rahne, ODU's Thurmond Family Head Coach. He dripping wet from a Gatorade bath he received at game's end.
"Monarch nation came out and supported us tonight in a big way. The entire Hampton Roads area came out and supported us.
"This was an awesome atmosphere. I told our guys to go out and soak it up. This was a special night. I know a lot of these kids are never going to forget it."
The game matched programs with close ties. Rahne and first-year Tech coach Brent Pry were both coordinators at Penn State, and nearly two dozen members of both staffs worked together at Penn State or other schools.
Jen Rahne and Amy Pry, wives of the head coaches, tailgated just outside S.B. Ballard Stadium along with Fumi Franklin, wife of Penn State coach James Franklin.
The game was the place to see and be seen. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Norfolk native; and Attorney General Jason Miyares, who is from Virginia Beach, both attended. It was ODU's first game as a member of the Sun Belt Conference and Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill participated in pregame activities.
Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke, the best player in ODU history, was on the ODU sideline, as were former Tech All-Americans and NFL stars Bruce Smith and Michael Vick. Blake LaRussa, the former walk-on quarterback who engineered ODU's 2018 victory, was there, along with a number of his former teammates.
The game itself wasn't artful. Tech quarterback Grant Wells had four passes intercepted, and ODU scored its first touchdown when a Hokie long snapper hiked an attempted field goal over the head of the holder.
The ball bounded 56 yards to the Tech 25, where cornerback Robert Kennedy III scooped it up and ran for the touchdown.
ODU had just 245 offensive yards, and half came in the fourth quarter, while Virginia Tech had 14 penalties.
"There were plays available all night and we just didn't make them," Rahne said. "That's fine. That happens sometimes. But at the end, Hayden Wolff made some huge plays."
Tech led, 17-10, when the Monarchs had only their second sustained drive of the game, marching from the Tech 48 to the 3 before settling for an Ethan Sanchez 20-yard field goal, the second of the game for the freshman from Dallas, Georgia.
Wolff completed a 27-yard pass to Ali Jennings III on the big play of that drive to foreshadow what would be a dramatic end to the game.
Tech was milking the clock and driving into ODU territory, when linebacker Ryan Henry intercepted a Wells pass at the ODU 41. A personal foul drove the ball back to the 26, and with 2:58 to go, the Monarchs had to score a touchdown to win.
Wolff found Jennings for 24 yards on the first play, and the crowd was on its feet the rest of the game.
On third and six, Wolff took off out of the pocket and was drilled by a Tech linebacker a yard short of the first down.
Initially, refs ruled that he fumbled, but when the replay was shown on the TowneBank Scoreboard, the crowd cheered because they knew he was down before he fumbled.
Facing fourth and 1, offensive coordinator Kevin Reihner called on senior running back Blake Watson to get the first down, and he bulled past a linebacker to keep the drive alive.
Watson's stats – 19 carries for 56 yards and a touchdown – weren't spectacular, but most of his yards came as he dragged Hokies with him.
On third and 7 from the 39, Wolff found Jennings on the left side of the field, a yard short of a touchdown, with a minute left to play.
ODU then milked the clock, forcing Tech to burn two timeouts, before Watson carried for the touchdown on second down.
Tech had 37 seconds left to get into field goal range, but LaMareon James, the sophomore from Indian River High School, intercepted Wells on third down to clinch the victory.
Wolff said that this victory was different than the 2018 win, in which he celebrated on the field with students while on recruiting trip to ODU.
"It was a big win," he said. "A lot of people are talking about how we shocked the world, that this was a big surprise.
"We don't see it like that. We know what we went through during the offseason, what we're capable of. We expected to win this game. We full heartedly believed that and went out and got it done.
"I know they're a Power 5 school but we're a program on the rise."
The defense, Wolff said, won the game.
"Grant Wells is a great quarterback and our defense intercepted him four times," he said. "They gave us a chance to win."
Rahne paid tribute to Reihner for orchestrating the final drive.
At 30, he is among the nation's youngest offensive coordinators.
"For coach Rehiner to be able to find what was going to work on that last drive, that's pretty awesome," Rahne said.
Rahne acknowledged that "I know people may not think it was a beautiful game."
"But," he added, "I've never experienced an ugly victory."
NOTES: ODU captains for the season are Zack Kuntz, Nick Saldiveri, R'Tarriun Johnson and BR Hatcher … Defensive tackle Denzel Lowry, safety Robert Kennedy and center Xavier Black started their first career games … ODU had six players make the NCAA college football debuts: Peter Kikwata, Mario Easterly, JeCareon Lathan, Tariq Sims, Kris Trinidad and Sanchez … Wolff started his 11th career game but his first season-opener … The game was the first sellout for ODU since the 2019 opener against Norfolk State. That 2019 game was the first in Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium … Terry Jones recorded his first career interception late in the first quarter and took the ball to the stands and handed it to his family … Ethan Sanchez's 29-yard field goal in the second quarter was the first of his career and kicked a 20-yarder in the fourth quarter … Tobias Harris intercepted the 18th pass of his career and first for Old Dominion … Ali Jennings had five catches for 122 yards. It was his fourth career 100-yard receiving game. Jennings had four receptions for 106 yards in the second half … Old Dominion's four interceptions tied the school record that ODU had in 2009 against Presbyterian … LaMareon James, Terry Jones and Ryan Henry had their first career interceptions … Sophomore Jason Henderson notched a game-high 17 tackles, recording his career-high and he was just one off the school record of 18 by TJ Ricks.
ODU Football Team Rallies in the Final Three Minutes to Top Virginia Tech, 20-17
