CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WTKR) — After a thrilling two-week stretch to become bowl-eligible, Old Dominion football has made the four-hour trip to Charlotte for one last game with its 2023 team.
The Monarchs face Western Kentucky in the Famous Toastery Bowl on Monday at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.
It's a team the silver and blue is no stranger to with the Hilltoppers being a former Conference-USA foe. The two last played in 2021 with WKU winning a 43-20 game. After that contest, ODU went on a five-straight games to become bowl-eligible.
In this week's bowl edition of the Old Dominion Football Coach's Show, Ricky Rahne dives into the matchup with Western Kentucky, what's changed about the Hilltoppers over the last two seasons, and how his Monarchs are handling the preparations for one last game.
With the holidays right around the corner, Monarch players and coaches chat about some of their favorite traditions from this time of year.
One player who's seen just about everything he could wearing an ODU jersey is Xavier Black. The senior offensive lineman was one of the few still on the roster that experienced a 1-11 season in 2019, and since then he's made it his mission to help put ODU in a better spot. News 3's Zach Staton details Black's journey from a walk-on to trusted leader hoping to help guide the Monarchs to their first winning season in seven years.
