Yesterday was tough. 1st, 3rd, and 4th quarters we played pretty well, but we got smoked in the 2nd. It confirmed what I thought...our experienced 2 and 3 star athletes are on-par with top-tier inexperienced 3, 4, and 5 star athletes. I would've loved to see us score on the 1st team defense. We certainly didn't do ourselves any favors or earn any respect based on the Clemson game. But...that's in the past.

Time to look forward to Old Dominion. Good news - we have two weeks to prepare for them. Old Dominion are 2-0 with 38-34 and 24-10 wins over Eastern Michigan (0-1) and Norfolk State (0-2), with NC State coming to Norfolk next week. The Wolfpack are 2-0 with beat down wins of Eastern Kentucky and Troy. Pretty sure we'll be facing a 2-1 ODU.

I'm confident we're a much better football team than ODU, and will have an opportunity to show it on the road.

I will be eager to see how ODU performs against NCSU.

APPdiesel wrote:Yesterday was tough. 1st, 3rd, and 4th quarters we played pretty well, but we got smoked in the 2nd. It confirmed what I thought...our experienced 2 and 3 star athletes are on-par with top-tier inexperienced 3, 4, and 5 star athletes. I would've loved to see us score on the 1st team defense. We certainly didn't do ourselves any favors or earn any respect based on the Clemson game. But...that's in the past.

Time to look forward to Old Dominion. Good news - we have two weeks to prepare for them. Old Dominion are 2-0 with 38-34 and 24-10 wins over Eastern Michigan (0-1) and Norfolk State (0-2), with a trip to NC State next week. The Wolfpack are 2-0 with beat down wins of Eastern Kentucky and Troy. Pretty sure we'll be facing a 2-1 ODU.

I'm confident we're a much better football team than ODU, and will have an opportunity to show it on the road.

They play @ home against NC State. If they win that which is possible, it would give them momentum for our game. We should win, but I would not say easily. We are a better team than them, but not much better.

My early prediction

APP 28
ODU 17

I hadn't paid attention to who was home. Can't believe NCSU agreed to that.

Still don't think they will be able to beat NCSU, of course, Georgia Southern damn near did last year at their place.

But then again, NCSU is average, at best for a P5

sixtoes9134 wrote:I hadn't paid attention to who was home. Can't believe NCSU agreed to that.

Still don't think they will be able to beat NCSU, of course, Georgia Southern damn near did last year at their place.

But then again, NCSU is average, at best for a P5

Thanks AppStateGrad and Sixtoes, it has been corrected.

sixtoes9134 wrote:I hadn't paid attention to who was home. Can't believe NCSU agreed to that.

its called recruiting. ODU is right smack in the middle of the best recruiting area in VA. thats how they've been able to get good home and homes with some P5's

Let's get the defense rested and ready to stop ODU RB Ray Lawry. He leads the FBS in rushing after 2 weeks with 438 yds. Granted it was against E. Michigan and Norfolk State.

Stopping the run is something I am certain we can do, at least based on what I've seen so far.

ODU is 2-0, but it was against very weak teams, and ODU hasn't looked good in either victory. I expect State to dominate, and I expect us to to get an easy victory.

I was watching the game against Norfolk State last night and if they play anything like they did last night we've certainly got a chance. Norfolk state didn't have any trouble finding guys in open space in the first half.

I won't be able to make it to the game, despite it being only an hour away from me, but hopefully I'll be able to catch it on tv.

moehler wrote:ODU is 2-0, but it was against very weak teams, and ODU hasn't looked good in either victory. I expect State to dominate, and I expect us to to get an easy victory.

We have played perhaps one of the weakest teams in all of FCS and one of the very best teams at the P5 level. We don't really know what we have at this point. I'm not sure I would predict an easy victory two weeks in advance. I think few folks here foresaw the 31 point loss on Saturday. ODU will be playing at home, so one has to factor that into the equation as well. I think their performance against NC State should give us a better barometer as to what type of club they are this year.

S.Lewis15 wrote:I was watching the game against Norfolk State last night and if they play anything like they did last night we've certainly got a chance. Norfolk state didn't have any trouble finding guys in open space in the first half.

I won't be able to make it to the game, despite it being only an hour away from me, but hopefully I'll be able to catch it on tv.

Assuming you've been to the ODU campus. From the picture I see online of their stadium, I don't see much room to tailgate. I have a feeling we will travel well to this game. Our fans love us some tailgate.

I'm coming from Winchester, VA. Not looking forward to the traffic on 95, but can't wait to see our adjustments and start a nice winning streak.

I'll be there and am really looking forward to it. Had this one pegged before the season as likely the first chance to really start to see where we are vs. a comparable opponent, and that's turned out to be the case.

I expect a good game, and I think we win. Hope to see plenty of black and gold in the stands with me.

your right, we will get a better idea about ODU this weekend, but publications I read before the season had them finishing middle to lower in CUSA, and so far this season I have seen nothing about them to change my opinion, new qb, same defense that was one of the worst in the FBS last year, and we have two weeks to prepare. If we want to go bowling this year, this is the kind of game we must win, I think this team is on a mission to make a bowl, and I think they will be more than ready for ODU.

sixtoes9134 wrote:Stopping the run is something I am certain we can do, at least based on what I've seen so far.

They went to Eastern Michigan, historically one of the worst FBS teams, and won 38-34. That win looks better now as EMU played another future App opponent in Wyoming on the road and smoked them 48-29 and it wasn't that close. It was EMU's first non-conference road win since 1988. Yes, eighty-eight. Wyoming had lost to FCS North Dakota in week one. Not 4-time defending nat'l champs North Dakota State, but the former Fighting Sioux down the road.

ODU played local FCS Norfolk State on Saturday and won 24-10.

I'm a little disappointed that I keep hearing "they're in a better recruiting area" as to why teams play ODU and UNCC before us, like it's the deciding factor. Yes it is A factor but certainly not the biggest one. Do you think kids in the VA tidewater have never heard of NC State before? Big teams don't want to play smaller schools on the road, but when they do they want to go somewhere that's relatively close, that their fans will buy out their allotment of tickets to, that will get an adequate amount of TV exposure, and that has a team good enough that will make them look good winning on the road.

UNCC and ODU are in a better conference with a better tv package than we have. We need Doug Gillan to do what I'm sure he's currently doing - pound the phones, get on planes, hit the golf courses, seek out opposing ADs and get deals done.

APPdiesel wrote:I'm a little disappointed that I keep hearing "they're in a better recruiting area" as to why teams play ODU and UNCC before us, like it's the deciding factor. Yes it is A factor but certainly not the biggest one. Do you think kids in the VA tidewater have never heard of NC State before? Big teams don't want to play smaller schools on the road, but when they do they want to go somewhere that's relatively close, that their fans will buy out their allotment of tickets to, that will get an adequate amount of TV exposure, and that has a team good enough that will make them look good winning on the road.

UNCC and ODU are in a better conference with a better tv package than we have. We need Doug Gillan to do what I'm sure he's currently doing - pound the phones, get on planes, hit the golf courses, seek out opposing ADs and get deals done.

ACC teams are not playing at UNCC and ODU because they're just so gung-ho to play a game on the CW. If that were the reason, then why are State and Duke also visiting Troy and South Alabama?

The ODU game will be a true barometer for where we are as AppmanDG has said. ODU's QB from last year, Taylor Heinicke, has moved on to the Minnesota Vikings. I don't know any score but I do think our Mountaineers will be a refocused football team ready to play.

YesAppCan wrote:The ODU game will be a true barometer for where we are as AppmanDG has said. ODU's QB from last year, Taylor Heinicke, has moved on to the Minnesota Vikings. I don't know any score but I do think our Mountaineers will be a refocused football team ready to play.

They seemed to have transitioned from a pass happy offense to one with the nation's leading rusher. I thought we did great against the run on Saturday, will likely face a real test v. ODU.

The key for the win is to stop the run. I'm sure we will do that. If I'm not mistaken, ODU's new QB is a 4 star QB. He will be great in time, but for now, stop the run.