Our 247 page did a write up on the ECU/ODU football matchup this season! It mainly is just an "opponent preview" for ECU fans to get to know the Monarchs better.

"East Carolina is less than seven weeks away from opening its 2022 season. Over the coming weeks, we’ll take a look - one-by-one - at the opponents on the Pirates’ slate this coming fall. We’ll be going in chronological order. Last week, we took a look at NC State. Now, we turn our attention to ECU’s second opponent on Sept. 10 inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, the Old Dominion Monarchs.

2021 in review
Considering Old Dominion was one of the few teams to sit out the 2020 season, and the Monarchs were coming off a one-win campaign the year prior in 2019, they weren’t expected to do a whole heck of a lot with a new coach in Ricky Rahne heading into last season.

Early on, it appeared that would be an accurate assumption. ODU started 1-6 with its only win in the first seven over Hampton. But the Monarchs had some close calls along the way. They picked up a big win over Louisiana Tech to get to two victories, before reeling off four more in a row to become bowl eligible by the end of the year at 6-6. ODU became just the third team in FBS history to start 1-6 and reach six wins.

Rahne’s first active season with the Monarchs ended with the team falling in the Bahamas Bowl to Tulsa, ending with a 6-7 record.


Series history
East Carolina and Old Dominion aren’t strangers to facing off on the football field, having done it three times previously (2013, 2018, 2019). The Pirates have won all three meetings, with all of them being competitive games. Mike Houston’s first FBS win at ECU came over ODU back in 2019, when his squad prevailed in Norfolk, 24-21.


What’s back on offense:
It was a slow start for Old Dominion’s offense in the Rahne era, but by the end of the year, the Monarchs found their rhythm. They finished the year 85th in total offense, averaging 373.1 yards per game. The season started with UCF quarterback transfer Darriel Mack Jr. as the starter before Hayden Wolff took over and he never relinquished the job. Wolff ended the year completing 63 percent of his passes for 1,933 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven picks.

Helping Wolff were several all-conference caliber players around him, starting with 1,000-yard rusher Blake Watson, who enjoyed a breakthrough season with 1,112 rushing yards and eight scores. Two transfers became a focal point of the passing game as West Virginia’s Ali Jennings (62 catches, 1,066 yards, five scores) and Penn State tight end Zack Kuntz (73 catches, 692 yards, five scores) were the team’s top pass-catchers by far. Both are back in 2022, along with four of the five starting offensive linemen.


Key pieces to replace on offense:
There isn’t much that needs replacing here, though starting center and all-conference piece Isaac Weaver is gone. That’s forced the Monarchs to shift guard Leroy Thomas to center. Former Maryland commit Santana Saunders is expected to compete for a starting spot at guard.


Portal additions on offense:
Even with ODU bringing back Wolff and Mack at quarterback, the Monarchs added an interesting piece to the puzzle in Notre Dame transfer Brendon Clark. The former three-star recruit has three years of eligibility left and could push for playing time if Wolff and Mack don’t improve.

ODU also added some depth to its wide receiving corps with the addition of Cincinnati transfer Marquez Bell.


What’s back on defense:
Much like the offense, the ODU defense had some struggles, but wound up coming on strong the second half of the season. The Monarchs gave up 42 to Wake Forest, 45 to Liberty and 35 to Buffalo in its first three FBS games, but allowed only more than 30 points twice the rest of the way.

The bulk of the defense is back, with eight starters returning for coordinator Blake Seiler. The front four should be solid, with good size and length returning. The group includes defensive end Marcus Haynes, who was one of the few Monarchs to get consistent pressure last season with 5.5 sacks. Also back is nose guard Alonzo Ford (6-3/285).

The secondary brings back three players with starting experience, including cornerback Tre Hawkins, and safety R’Tarriun Johnson. Overall, this is a group that needs to be more consistent, but the second year in the same system should help, along with the returning experience.


Key pieces to replace on defense:
ODU does lose its top overall defensive player in the program’s all-time leading tackler, Jordan Young. The linebacker departs after racking up a team-best 104 tackles a season ago. The secondary also took a hit with the losses of starting cornerback Roger Cray, and safeties Joe Headen and Harrell Blackmon.


Portal additions on defense:
ECU will likely see a familiar face on defense when it plays ODU on Sept. 10, as Robert Kennedy is with the Monarchs’ defense now. He redshirted last season and appeared in two games. ODU is also trying to plug a few holes in the secondary with Wisconsin cornerback transfer Donte Burton and Tobias Harris from West Texas A&M.


Special teams outlook:
Thanks to a fairly elite return game and a great placekicker, ODU ranked No. 17 on special teams last year in Phil Steele’s rankings. The group will take a bit of a hit with the loss of veteran kicker Nick Rice. He will likely be replaced by a freshman. Dangerous return man LaMareon James (over 29 yards per return on kicks with two TDs) is back, as is punter Ethan Duane (39.7 yards per punt). It overall projects as a solid special teams unit but needs another placekicker to emerge."

ECU/ODU

Pretty fair and well-researched write up, honestly. I think we are in a good position as a team, though we have some question marks and our schedule is tough as nails.

My one gripe:

Quote:East Carolina and Old Dominion aren’t strangers to facing off on the football field, having done it three times previously (2013, 2018, 2019). The Pirates have won all three meetings, with all of them being competitive games.

We got our butts handed to us in that first game, defense couldn't stop anything. However, for our SBC brethren reading this, that second game the the refs cheated us (link), they issued a statement, and it should be 2-1 Oh well, our games are never boring. Looking forward to another good one this year

We lost to Tulsa in the Myrtle Beach Bowl last year, not the Bahamas Bowl.

(07-21-2022 08:28 AM)ODU-Z8 Wrote:  Pretty fair and well-researched write up, honestly. I think we are in a good position as a team, though we have some question marks and our schedule is tough as nails.

My one gripe:

Quote:East Carolina and Old Dominion aren’t strangers to facing off on the football field, having done it three times previously (2013, 2018, 2019). The Pirates have won all three meetings, with all of them being competitive games.

We got our butts handed to us in that first game, defense couldn't stop anything. However, for our SBC brethren reading this, that second game the the refs cheated us (link), they issued a statement, and it should be 2-1 Oh well, our games are never boring. Looking forward to another good one this year

Don't sleep on the fact that it was a CUSA crew who screwed ODU and handed ECU the win.

Thanks for the perspective and the article ECUGrad07. The first one was pretty lopsided since we were transitioning from FCS but the second one should've been ours. Rahne is better than dummy Wilder but the question is how ready are we as a team this time around.

(07-21-2022 09:22 AM)12thmonarch Wrote:  Thanks for the perspective and the article ECUGrad07. The first one was pretty lopsided since we were transitioning from FCS but the second one should've been ours. Rahne is better than dummy Wilder but the question is how ready are we as a team this time around.

I was at the first one. First year in FBS or not, Taylor Heinicke wouldn't quit and had Pirate fans nervous the entire game. That kid was lightning in a bottle.

(07-21-2022 09:27 AM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  

(07-21-2022 09:22 AM)12thmonarch Wrote:  Thanks for the perspective and the article ECUGrad07. The first one was pretty lopsided since we were transitioning from FCS but the second one should've been ours. Rahne is better than dummy Wilder but the question is how ready are we as a team this time around.

I was at the first one. First year in FBS or not, Taylor Heinicke wouldn't quit and had Pirate fans nervous the entire game. That kid was lightning in a bottle.

Fun game and he kept us in striking distance most of the game but ultimately you need to be able to stop the other team from scoring as well.

I remember TH’s name tag on the back of his jersey hanging off from being chased through the backfield, didn’t catch him much though.

Overall good write up. Thanks for sharing

(07-21-2022 08:28 AM)ODU-Z8 Wrote:  Pretty fair and well-researched write up, honestly. I think we are in a good position as a team, though we have some question marks and our schedule is tough as nails.

My one gripe:

Quote:East Carolina and Old Dominion aren’t strangers to facing off on the football field, having done it three times previously (2013, 2018, 2019). The Pirates have won all three meetings, with all of them being competitive games.

We got our butts handed to us in that first game, defense couldn't stop anything. However, for our SBC brethren reading this, that second game the the refs cheated us (link), they issued a statement, and it should be 2-1 Oh well, our games are never boring. Looking forward to another good one this year

“He should have called it a catch and let play replay decide. We cannot take a play away from a player that we cannot back up as officials.”

I like seeing this type of thinking from a head of officials. That's why bad calls made always bother me more than missed calls. It's one thing to miss something, but it's another to call something you didn't actually see.

(07-20-2022 04:25 PM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  Our 247 page did a write up on the ECU/ODU football matchup this season! It mainly is just an "opponent preview" for ECU fans to get to know the Monarchs better.

"East Carolina is less than seven weeks away from opening its 2022 season. Over the coming weeks, we’ll take a look - one-by-one - at the opponents on the Pirates’ slate this coming fall. We’ll be going in chronological order. Last week, we took a look at NC State. Now, we turn our attention to ECU’s second opponent on Sept. 10 inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, the Old Dominion Monarchs.

2021 in review
Considering Old Dominion was one of the few teams to sit out the 2020 season, and the Monarchs were coming off a one-win campaign the year prior in 2019, they weren’t expected to do a whole heck of a lot with a new coach in Ricky Rahne heading into last season.

Early on, it appeared that would be an accurate assumption. ODU started 1-6 with its only win in the first seven over Hampton. But the Monarchs had some close calls along the way. They picked up a big win over Louisiana Tech to get to two victories, before reeling off four more in a row to become bowl eligible by the end of the year at 6-6. ODU became just the third team in FBS history to start 1-6 and reach six wins.

Rahne’s first active season with the Monarchs ended with the team falling in the Bahamas Bowl to Tulsa, ending with a 6-7 record.


Series history
East Carolina and Old Dominion aren’t strangers to facing off on the football field, having done it three times previously (2013, 2018, 2019). The Pirates have won all three meetings, with all of them being competitive games. Mike Houston’s first FBS win at ECU came over ODU back in 2019, when his squad prevailed in Norfolk, 24-21.


What’s back on offense:
It was a slow start for Old Dominion’s offense in the Rahne era, but by the end of the year, the Monarchs found their rhythm. They finished the year 85th in total offense, averaging 373.1 yards per game. The season started with UCF quarterback transfer Darriel Mack Jr. as the starter before Hayden Wolff took over and he never relinquished the job. Wolff ended the year completing 63 percent of his passes for 1,933 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven picks.

Helping Wolff were several all-conference caliber players around him, starting with 1,000-yard rusher Blake Watson, who enjoyed a breakthrough season with 1,112 rushing yards and eight scores. Two transfers became a focal point of the passing game as West Virginia’s Ali Jennings (62 catches, 1,066 yards, five scores) and Penn State tight end Zack Kuntz (73 catches, 692 yards, five scores) were the team’s top pass-catchers by far. Both are back in 2022, along with four of the five starting offensive linemen.


Key pieces to replace on offense:
There isn’t much that needs replacing here, though starting center and all-conference piece Isaac Weaver is gone. That’s forced the Monarchs to shift guard Leroy Thomas to center. Former Maryland commit Santana Saunders is expected to compete for a starting spot at guard.


Portal additions on offense:
Even with ODU bringing back Wolff and Mack at quarterback, the Monarchs added an interesting piece to the puzzle in Notre Dame transfer Brendon Clark. The former three-star recruit has three years of eligibility left and could push for playing time if Wolff and Mack don’t improve.

ODU also added some depth to its wide receiving corps with the addition of Cincinnati transfer Marquez Bell.


What’s back on defense:
Much like the offense, the ODU defense had some struggles, but wound up coming on strong the second half of the season. The Monarchs gave up 42 to Wake Forest, 45 to Liberty and 35 to Buffalo in its first three FBS games, but allowed only more than 30 points twice the rest of the way.

The bulk of the defense is back, with eight starters returning for coordinator Blake Seiler. The front four should be solid, with good size and length returning. The group includes defensive end Marcus Haynes, who was one of the few Monarchs to get consistent pressure last season with 5.5 sacks. Also back is nose guard Alonzo Ford (6-3/285).

The secondary brings back three players with starting experience, including cornerback Tre Hawkins, and safety R’Tarriun Johnson. Overall, this is a group that needs to be more consistent, but the second year in the same system should help, along with the returning experience.


Key pieces to replace on defense:
ODU does lose its top overall defensive player in the program’s all-time leading tackler, Jordan Young. The linebacker departs after racking up a team-best 104 tackles a season ago. The secondary also took a hit with the losses of starting cornerback Roger Cray, and safeties Joe Headen and Harrell Blackmon.


Portal additions on defense:
ECU will likely see a familiar face on defense when it plays ODU on Sept. 10, as Robert Kennedy is with the Monarchs’ defense now. He redshirted last season and appeared in two games. ODU is also trying to plug a few holes in the secondary with Wisconsin cornerback transfer Donte Burton and Tobias Harris from West Texas A&M.


Special teams outlook:
Thanks to a fairly elite return game and a great placekicker, ODU ranked No. 17 on special teams last year in Phil Steele’s rankings. The group will take a bit of a hit with the loss of veteran kicker Nick Rice. He will likely be replaced by a freshman. Dangerous return man LaMareon James (over 29 yards per return on kicks with two TDs) is back, as is punter Ethan Duane (39.7 yards per punt). It overall projects as a solid special teams unit but needs another placekicker to emerge."

ECU/ODU

They lost in Myrtle Beach, I believe.

(07-21-2022 08:28 AM)ODU-Z8 Wrote:  Pretty fair and well-researched write up, honestly. I think we are in a good position as a team, though we have some question marks and our schedule is tough as nails.

My one gripe:

Quote:East Carolina and Old Dominion aren’t strangers to facing off on the football field, having done it three times previously (2013, 2018, 2019). The Pirates have won all three meetings, with all of them being competitive games.

We got our butts handed to us in that first game, defense couldn't stop anything. However, for our SBC brethren reading this, that second game the the refs cheated us (link), they issued a statement, and it should be 2-1 Oh well, our games are never boring. Looking forward to another good one this year

It was 35-31 at the end of the third quarter and the final was 52-38. They pulled away but I’d call that competitive.

Reading the comments on the article, this is why ECU needs to consider the SBC. Between App, Coastal, and us, the true spirit of college sports

(07-21-2022 08:28 AM)ODU-Z8 Wrote:  Pretty fair and well-researched write up, honestly. I think we are in a good position as a team, though we have some question marks and our schedule is tough as nails.

My one gripe:

Quote:East Carolina and Old Dominion aren’t strangers to facing off on the football field, having done it three times previously (2013, 2018, 2019). The Pirates have won all three meetings, with all of them being competitive games.

We got our butts handed to us in that first game, defense couldn't stop anything. However, for our SBC brethren reading this, that second game the the refs cheated us (link), they issued a statement, and it should be 2-1 Oh well, our games are never boring. Looking forward to another good one this year

Could not agree more. We were absolutely robbed in the second game. That was a pick all day long to end the game.

(07-21-2022 10:14 AM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(07-21-2022 08:28 AM)ODU-Z8 Wrote:  Pretty fair and well-researched write up, honestly. I think we are in a good position as a team, though we have some question marks and our schedule is tough as nails.

My one gripe:

Quote:East Carolina and Old Dominion aren’t strangers to facing off on the football field, having done it three times previously (2013, 2018, 2019). The Pirates have won all three meetings, with all of them being competitive games.

We got our butts handed to us in that first game, defense couldn't stop anything. However, for our SBC brethren reading this, that second game the the refs cheated us (link), they issued a statement, and it should be 2-1 Oh well, our games are never boring. Looking forward to another good one this year

It was 35-31 at the end of the third quarter and the final was 52-38. They pulled away but I’d call that competitive.

I was at that game and I can tell you we had the crowd worried/quiet for a portion of the second half. We had an explosive offensive w/Heinicke with no defense - NoDU days, which we have finally cured.