ODU Football Rally Falls Short as ECU Ekes Out a 20-14 Victory in Monarchs' Home Opener
By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – There was a festive, sellout crowd of 21,944 on hand at S.B. Ballard Stadium and the crowd was on its feet screaming as the Monarchs drove from their own 9 to the East Carolina 33 in the final minutes.
But as has so often happened when the Monarchs and Pirates lock horns, ECU did just enough to win a very close game.
ODU quarterback Grant Wilson was tackled with eight seconds left, and the Monarchs were unable to get lined up to spike the ball, and the Pirates escaped with a 20-14 victory Saturday.
ECU (1-1) has won all five games against ODU, but three came down to the game's final play.
ODU (0-2) hosts Virginia Tech next Saturday and linebacker Koa Naotala and running back Aaron Young said the Hokies (1-1), who defeated Marshall, 31-14, Saturday in Blacksburg, will get their best effort.
"Loved the energy tonight," Naotala said of the crowd. "We'll be back."
Added Young: "We're going to be back and we're going to get better."
It was the second week in a row when mistakes cost the Monarchs. Last week ODU gave away two touchdowns with fumbles inside the 10 in a 23-19 loss at South Carolina.
Offensive turnovers weren't the issue this week as much as offensive production. The Monarch defense forced four interceptions, but only one led to a touchdown. One interception came on a first and goal at the ODU 7, and thus spared the Monarchs at least a field goal.
"Very," Head Coach Ricky Rahne said when asked how frustrating it was to score just 14 points on a night when his defense picked off four passes.
"When you take the ball away four times, you're going to have the opportunity to have good field position and we didn't take advantage of it. That's unfortunate to say the least."
The Monarchs were outgained, 466-287, and often shot themselves in the foot with uncharacteristic penalties. ODU had 10 penalties for 95 yards, and half were holding penaltiies.
"It's tough to convert a third down twice in a row," Rahne said.
ODU also had a costly muffed ball on a kickoff that led to an ECU field goal.
ODU led, 7-6, at the half but the Pirates wasted little time retaking the lead for good early in the third quarter.
On third down and 13, Rahjai Harris raced 63 yards for a touchdown. ECU quarterback Jake Garcia then found Chase Sowell in the end zone for the two-point conversion, and the Pirates led, 14-7, five minutes into the second half.
ODU then muffed the kickoff, and the Pirates recovered. That set up a 33-yard field goal by ECU's Andrew Conrad, and six minutes into the second half, the Pirates led, 17-7.
ODU's offense then rattled off its best scoring drive of the night, driving 75 yards in five minutes with an equal mix of passing and rushing plays. Young, the senior transfer from Rutgers, bulled over from the one-yard line for the TD with 4:11 left in the third quarter to close the gap to 17-14.
Young finished with 83 yards rushing on 25 carries. Naotala, who started in place of injured All-Amerian linebacker Jason Henderson, had a career-high 18 tackles.
ECU again looked to extend the lead early in the fourth quarter as the Pirates had a first down on the ODU seven. But then Jahron Manning, the junior college transfer from New Orleans, Louisiana, picked off a pass in the corner of the end zone to end the threat.
It was his second interception of the game.
ODU's offense, meanwhile, could not take advantage.
Wilson, who completed 20 of 34 passes for 192 yards, threw a 44-yard TD pass in the first half to Kelby Williams that staked ODU to a 7-6 lead. But other than the one TD drive in the third quarter, the Monarchs were unable to get their offense going in the second half.
ECU's Conrad booted a 50-yard field goal with 9:09 left in the game to give the Pirates a 20-14 lead, which meant the Monarchs had to score a touchdown.
Rahne said for the second week in a row that his team played as hard as possible.
"I told them that I thought they played hard, which they did," he said. "I feel like a broken record on that but I do think that for me personally, I can't ever take that for granted.
"If I start taking for granted how hard our team plays and with how much effort and passion they play with, I'd be doing them a disservice. I don't want them to ever feel that I don't appreciate that, and that I appreciate everything they are giving for their teammates and for their coaches."
Rahne's "1-0 mentality" dictates that his players not consider one game bigger than another.
But regarding the Tech game, he said: "We realize the opportunity we have in that game."
Notes
Zach Hagedon recorded the tackle on the opening kickoff, his first career snap … Jeremy Mack recorded his first full sack as a Monarch in the first quarter … Jaylon White-McClain recorded his first career sack and forced fumble in the second quarter … Jahron Manning recorded his first career interception and returned it 45 yards … Kelby Williams’ first catch of the season was a 44-yard touchdown pass from Wilson. Williams’ third career touchdown … ODU had three interceptions in the first half, it’s most INT’s in a half since three in the second half against Presbyterian on October 10, 2009 … Manning had a career-high 10 tackles … Naotala had a career-high 18 tackles … Jahron Manning’s two interceptions was the first two INT game by a Monarch since Christian Byrum had two against Marshall in 2014. Eriq Lewis is the only other Monarch to have two INT’s in a game which he did against W&M in 2011 … ODU’s four interceptions tied for the most in program history. ODU had four picks against Virginia Tech in 2022 and Presbyterian in 2009 … Aaron Young had a career-high 25 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown … Diante Vines caught a career-high six passes for 64 yards … Mario Thompson notched a career-high 12 stops.