NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Fans who head out to S.B. Ballard Stadium this Thursday night will be part of some history. They'll also probably see a pretty good football game.
Old Dominion will host Georgia Southern in the Monarchs' first ever Thursday night home football game in a battle for first place in the Sun Belt East Division. The Eagles are 3-0 in conference play and coming off a 28-14 win over James Madison, while ODU is 2-1 after upsetting Texas State this past Saturday, 24-14. A win and the Monarchs and GSU would move into a tie atop the division, with Ricky Rahne and company holding the tie-breaker.
The contest kicks off under the lights at 7:00 PM and will be televised on ESPN2. Without the full slate of games that college football brings on Saturdays, plenty of eyes should be on Norfolk.
"I can sit here and act like it's not a big deal for them to be able to play on national television, but it is," Rahne said, adding it's a great chance to show off the university and S.B. Ballard Stadium to a national audience. "It's something that you dream about when you're a little kid, being able to play on national TV and have a lot of eyes on you."
"We just came off a great win and right now we're feeling great with the momentum we [have]," added senior cornerback Angelo Rankin Jr. "For sure, we're excited for Thursday's game."
Of course, games just five days apart accelerate the timetable for preparation and recovery. Rahne noted Monday that whoever can handle that turnaround better between the two teams would have a leg up come kickoff Thursday night.
"Whoever is going to be mature enough to take care of their bodies, whoever is mature enough to get the sleep that's necessary, whoever is going to be mature enough to know that they're going to have to combine a couple things in some of these days and come out and still work, that's going to be the team that has the advantage in the game," he said. "Watching their guys play, I know they're probably confident that their guys will be mature with it. I know already that our guys are getting ready and excited ."
"After our game Saturday, we got in the cold tubs just to kind of get our recovery process going a little early," redshirt freshman Colton Joseph pointed out. "The way we prepare for this week is definitely shorter. It's coming a lot faster."
Joseph took another step forward during Saturday's victory over the Bobcats. He rushed for 111 yards and three touchdowns, adding another 130 yards through the air. His ground game marked the first time an Old Dominion player has rushed for 100 or more yards this season. Joseph and the Monarchs will be looking for their first three-game winning streak since 2021.
"I think Colton probably would sit there and say that last game wasn't his prettiest game ever, but it was a great win and he was a massive part of that," Rahne said. "He hasn't even played his best football yet."
"As the games go on, I'm definitely getting more comfortable just with the pace of the game," the quarterback observed. "It's the reps, getting out there, getting experience and still waiting to just get the chance to play my best ball."
Last year, Old Dominion topped Georgia Southern for the first time in program history, winning, 20-17, on an Ethan Sanchez field goal as time expired.
