| Old Dominion (1-2) vs. James Madison (3-0) | |
| Date | Saturday, Sept. 26 • 6 p.m. • Norfolk, Va. • S.B. Ballard Stadium |
| Where to Watch | ESPN+ |
| Listen | ODU Sports Network |
| Series | JMU Leads 4-2 |
| Game Notes | Old Dominion JMU |
NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion University Football opens Sun Belt Conference action on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. against James Madison in the TowneBank Royal Rivalry.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on ESPN Radio 94.1
• ODU is coming off a 20-17 setback to East Carolina.
• JMU won 26-13 at San Diego State.
• The ODU defense held ECU to 276 yards of total offense and two scoring drives longer than 50 yards, but the Pirates took advantage of a special teams miscue and had a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown that lifted the Pirates.
• Mario Thompson led the Monarchs in tackles for the second straight week, with nine stops, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He has had at least eight tackles in the first three games and leads ODU with 28 tackles on the year.
• Jackson Forrest added eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He has registered one sack in each of the first three games.
Henicle at the Controls
ODU quarterback Quinn Henicle fell to 3-2 as a starter after ODU’s 20-17 setback to ECU last week.
Henicle’s string of rushing touchdowns in his starts continued, as his 18-yard score made it five-straight starts with a rushing score.
He completed 8-of-20 passes for 94 yards and an interception against ECU. Henicle carried 16 times for 73 yards against the Pirates.
Rushing Touchdowns
Henicle has four rushing touchdowns so far this season, tied for second most in the Sun Belt and fifth most in the country by a quarterback.
Sun Belt Rushing Touchdown Leaders
| Player | School | Rush TDs |
| Lunch Winfield | Louisiana | 5 |
| Quinn Henicle | ODU | 4 |
| Steven Robinson | Southern Miss | 4 |
Welcome Back
Mario Thompson missed a significant amout of time last season with an injury. He returned late last season but played sparingly.
In his return to the starting lineup in the win over Norfolk State, he recorded eight tackles, a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Thompson led ODU with 11 tackles and half a TFL at Virginia Tech. He leads the Monarchs with 19 stops on the year. He had eight tackles all of last season.
For the second straight week Thompson led the Monarchs in tackles with nine stops, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
Thompson leads the Sun Belt and is 18th in the country, with 28 tackles. Last season, due to injuries, he was limited to just five games and recorded eight tackles.
Sun Belt Tackles Leaders
| Player | School | Tackles |
| Mario Thompson | ODU | 28 |
| Caleb Clark-Glover | Marshall | 27 |
| Rashon Myles | Georgia Southern | 26 |
Forrest Finds His Way
Jackson Forrest has had one sack in each of the first three games this season for the Monarchs. He leads ODU and is tied for second in the Sun Belt with three sacks.
Sun Belt Leaders in Sacks
| Player | School | Sacks |
| Caleb Sandstrom | App State | 4 |
| Jackson Forrest | ODU | 3 |
| Ibrahim Diawara | Coastal Caolina | 3 |
| Alonzo Jackson | LA Tech | 3 |
League Lid Lifters
ODU is in its fifth season in the Sun Belt and is 3-1 in Sun Belt Conference openers. ODU opened the SBC against Coastal Carolina for the second straight year and defeated CCU, 47-7.
Year SBC Opener Opponent Result
| Year | Opponent | Result |
| 2022 | Arkansas State | W, 29-26 |
| 2023 | Louisiana | W, 38-31 |
| 2024 | at Coastal Carolina | L, 45-37 |
| 2025 | Coastal Carolina | W, 47-7 |
Up Next
ODU leaves Virginia for the first time this season when they head to Atlanta to take on Georgia State on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Jeff & Billye Chernitzer Athletics Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony
The 2026 Jeff and Billye Athletics and Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony is set for Friday, Sept. 25 at Chartway Arena. Quarterback Taylor Heinicke will be honored along with four other inductees. Heinicke won the prestigious Walter Payton Award and earned First Team All-American honors after leading the nation in nearly every major passing category in 2012.
The event begins at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour with programming beginning at 7 p.m.
The Monarchs will cap Hall of Fame weekend on Saturday by hosting JMU on Saturday night.