Minium: Virginia Tech is always a special game for ODU Football Fans

By Harry Minium

NORFOLK, Va. – The “1-0 mentality” that Old Dominion Head Football Coach Ricky Rahne demands of his players has been pretty easy to maintain so far this season.

Rahne wants his Monarchs to focus only on the next game, and not look ahead. And when you open against South Carolina and East Carolina, you’d better be looking only on the guys directly in front of you.

But for ODU fans, it’s been a different story. This is Tech Week for Monarch faithful, and many have been eyeing Saturday’s 6 p.m. home game against Virginia Tech for months.

This is the third time that Virginia Tech has played at ODU, and while JMU remains the Monarchs’ archrival, the Hokies have had the best and most popular FBS program in Virginia for decades.

Any time the Hokies come to Norfolk, it’s a special game.

The game sold out all 21,944 seats at Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium without single-game tickets going on sale to the general public. And because there are so many Tech alumni in Hampton Roads, there will be a significant amount of Tech maroon mixed with ODU blue.

Many ODU fans also root for Tech, and there will be split loyalties among families sitting together on Saturday. And in the tailgate lots, there will be much comaraderie among the faithful from both teams.

“There are a lot of games that are important to our fans,” Rahne said. “Playing an SEC opponent like South Carolina is a very important thing."

“But obviously I’m not naïve,” he added. “I recognize that Virginia Tech is an important game. It’s important to me. It’s important to our school. It’s important to our fan base.

“I think it’s pretty cool that we have a lot of those games on our schedule.”

The Hokies rarely go on the road to play a Group of 5 school but have an 8-year deal that brings them back to Norfolk again in 2027, 2029 and 2031.

And while Tech has won all three games played in Blacksburg, the Monarchs have won both games played in Norfolk.

Both ODU victories rank among the most memorable in school history.

In 2018, Tech came to old Foreman Field ranked 13^th nationally and the Monarchs shocked the Hokies, 49-35, in a game that ESPN called one of the biggest upsets ever in college football.

Two years ago, Tech head coach Brent Pry made his coaching debut at ODU and the Monarchs again upset the Hokies, 20-17.

With two years to rebuild his program, Pry has what everyone calls his best team. Prior to Tech’s 34-27 overtime loss at Vanderbilt, the Hokies were rated among the nation’s top 25 or 30 teams by many oddsmakers.

The Hokies rebounded last weekend with a 31-14 victory over Marshall, a team that upset the Hokies in 2023.

The Hokies return most starters from the team that won six of their last eight games last season, including quarterback Kyron Dronesm, who is a threat to both pass and run, and running back Bhayshul Tuten.

“He (Tuten) will be playing a lot of years in the NFL,” Rahne said.

Tech isn’t the most experienced team in the country but may have the nation’s top team when it comes to guys who’ve played with each other. The Hokies return 84 percent of their offensive and defensive production.

“Their experience is with each other,” Rahne said. “They’ve been able to keep guys who have played a lot of football together and I think that’s where they have an advantage over other teams.”

ESPN College Football Analyst Bill Connelly's rates Tech a 14.7-point favorite and projects the Hokies have an 82 percent chance of winning.  

ODU has dropped narrow losses at South Carolina (23-19) and ECU (20-14) in which the Monarchs could have won had it not been for mistakes.

There were fewer turnovers against ECU than there were at South Carolina, but more penalties, including two on one play that wiped away an Isiah Paige punt return for a touchdown.

“We have to play better,” Rahne said.

ODU will enter the game with some questions marks. Monarch quarterback Grant Wilson was injured on the last play of the game against ECU. Rahne does not comment on injuries because, he says, it can put his players in jeopardy.

Redshirt freshman Colton Joseph is listed as the backup. Boston College transfer Emmett Morehead has also been competing for playing time.

“Grant is going to continue to be evaluated and whoever gives us the best chance to win the game is going to be the starter,” Rahne said, adding that the same applies to ODU’s other 21 starters.

All-American linebacker Jason Henderson did not play against ECU because of an injury and Rahne, again, declined to comment directly on his injury. “If we put him out there, we want to make sure he’s in a position to be successful,” Rahne said.

There are many links between the ODU and Tech programs. Rahne and Pry coached together for years at both Vanderbilt and Penn State. In his last season at Penn State, Rahne was the offensive coordinator and Pry the defensive coordinator.

Their wives tailgated together in Pry’s first game at ODU.

Tech assistant head coach Fontel Mines was hired away from ODU, as were Dwight Galt IV, Ryan Hardie and Greg Allen, who handle strength and conditioning for the football team.

Wide receive Ali Jennings transferred from ODU to Tech and this will be his first time returning to S.B. Ballard Stadium.

“I still talk to Ali to this day,” ODU defensive tackle Denzel Lowery said. “He’s still a cool person.

“But when he crosses the line Saturday night at 6 block, he won’t be my homeboy any more.”

Minium is ODU’s senior executive writer. Contact him at hminium@odu.edu or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram