ODU's first CAA football victim

[green&gold75]

Which CAA team will be the first to fall to the Monarchs? It has to happen at some point...but where and when?

[VBR_Productions]

Rhode Island in Kingston. We'll follow that up with a win at home against Towson.

If we win more than two conference games, I'll be ecstatic.

[LeadBolt]

I wouldn't bet against URI in this one. Much better chance it will be Towson in Norfolk.

[VBR_Productions]

Conference schedule:

9/24 at Delaware
10/1 UMass
10/8 at URI
10/15 Towson
10/22 at Villanova
10/29 James Madison
11/5 Richmond
11/12 at William and Mary

[andy7171]

Best chances for a win HAS to be at home versus Towson. What happens at Delaware will be very telling for the rest of the season.

After that who know what will happen at Rhody. They seemed to turn the corner last year, but they are in the midst of downgrading their program. Who knows what kind of team comes out of there.

[ODUalum11]

Realistically, I have to say it is Towson. I agree with andy as well, what happens in Newark on 9/24 will be very telling of how the rest of the season is going to play out.

[bandl]

Northeastern.

[ODUalum11]

Hofstra

...see, I can play that game too.

[89Hen]

Conference schedule:

9/24 at Delaware

Could be.

[ODUalum11]

Let me just say, if ODU goes into Newark and defeats the National Runner-up on their home field then I will declare the season a success regardless of what they do the rest of the season.

[GannonFan]

I think UMass is the first to go. It'll be ODU's first CAA home game, and they nearly nipped W&M there last year. Plus they will have gotten all the bugs out after playing UD in Newark.

Of course, if that fails, Towson is almost a gimme game for ODU.

[89Hen]

Let me just say, if ODU goes into Newark and defeats the National Runner-up on their home field then I will declare the season a success regardless of what they do the rest of the season.

I've got all summer to stew on it, but IMO this will be ODU's most important game they've played to date. First CAA game, first season with playoff eligibility, game against runners-up, in Newark... my hope is that ODU comes out too fired up, like DelSt did in 2007. I had never seen a team come into the Tub with so much false bravado. I think ODU is a lot better than DSU, even in their playoff year, but I hope to see a quiet, confident Hen team put them in their place.

[LeadBolt]

Could be UMass, but whoever it is, I'd bet it will be in Norfolk as Gannon has said. I agree with Andy that URI seemed to turn the corner last year and I'm thinking they will play with a big chip on their shoulders this year.

I think 89 has the 9/24 game pegged. Tell your guys not to turn their backs when the whistle blows...

[∞∞∞]

Fun fact, but we've only lost one game away from home so far (88%), with Fordham being the only one. I'll say this...while my expectations are low, this ODU program has surprised me the last two seasons so I'm not putting anything passed them. We do bring back most of our starters and they're mainly juniors now, and all our freshmen and sophomore talent is CAA caliber.

Aim High.

[GannonFan]

Fun fact, but we've only lost one game away from home so far (88%), with Fordham being the only one. I'll say this...while my expectations are low, this ODU program has surprised me the last two seasons so I'm not putting anything passed them. We do bring back most of our starters and they're mainly juniors now, and all our freshmen and sophomore talent is CAA caliber.

Aim High.

ODU's away games to date: Jacksonville, Fordham, Savannah St, VMI, Campbell, Monmouth, Hampton, and NC Central. I'm not sure being 7-1 against that slate is anything more than par for the course, even with a start-up program.

[ODUalum11]

Fun fact, but we've only lost one game away from home so far (88%), with Fordham being the only one. I'll say this...while my expectations are low, this ODU program has surprised me the last two seasons so I'm not putting anything passed them. We do bring back most of our starters and they're mainly juniors now, and all our freshmen and sophomore talent is CAA caliber.

Aim High.

I will definitely say we have some great young talent on this team. I have high expectations for running backs Angus Harper and Colby Goodwyn and then incoming freshman Taylor Heieneke (Georgia State POY) and Tyree Lee (Virginia State POY) along with Dontez Taylor who would have been a freshman at Maryland this fall but signed with ODU instead. Also Paul Morant is one hell of an athlete so I also have high hopes for him. Also WR Antonio Vaughan will also be someone to look out for this year going into his sophomore year. Also transfer redshirt freshman David Born will be someone to watch on the offensive line. He's a monster of a kid at 6'8", 355 lbs. Also our starting RB Mario Crawford will be a junior this year.

In regards to Colby Goodwyn specifically, you can ask Cal Poly and WM fans just how good they think he will be.

[ODUalum11]

Fun fact, but we've only lost one game away from home so far (88%), with Fordham being the only one. I'll say this...while my expectations are low, this ODU program has surprised me the last two seasons so I'm not putting anything passed them. We do bring back most of our starters and they're mainly juniors now, and all our freshmen and sophomore talent is CAA caliber.

Aim High.

ODU's away games to date: Jacksonville, Fordham, Savannah St, VMI, Campbell, Monmouth, Hampton, and NC Central. I'm not sure being 7-1 against that slate is anything more than par for the course, even with a start-up program.

which is why I'm concerned when we travel to Georgia State and Delaware this season. I think the biggest crowd we played in front of on the road was VMI in '09 and that was no where close to what ODU averages at home games. There will definitely be 20,000+ at both GSU and UDel.

[CAA Flagship]

Let me just say, if ODU goes into Newark and defeats the National Runner-up on their home field then I will declare the season a success regardless of what they do the rest of the season.

I've got all summer to stew on it, but IMO this will be ODU's most important game they've played to date. First CAA game, first season with playoff eligibility, game against runners-up, in Newark... my hope is that ODU comes out too fired up, like DelSt did in 2007. I had never seen a team come into the Tub with so much false bravado. I think ODU is a lot better than DSU, even in their playoff year, but I hope to see a quiet, confident Hen team put them in their place.

Actually, this is the third year of playoff eligibility, but we will not be much closer than the previous two years.

[bandl]

ODU's away games to date: Jacksonville, Fordham, Savannah St, VMI, Campbell, Monmouth, Hampton, and NC Central. I'm not sure being 7-1 against that slate is anything more than par for the course, even with a start-up program.

which is why I'm concerned when we travel to Georgia State and Delaware this season. I think the biggest crowd we played in front of on the road was VMI in '09 and that was no where close to what ODU averages at home games. There will definitely be 20,000+ at both GSU and UDel.

I'd be more concerned with the quality of teams you're travelling to play, like Villanova and Margie/Bill (not really 'travelling' for ODU, per se) than the size of the crowds, but uh....

[DirtyDukes]

Who's their first CAA opponent in 2015?

[ODUalum11]

which is why I'm concerned when we travel to Georgia State and Delaware this season. I think the biggest crowd we played in front of on the road was VMI in '09 and that was no where close to what ODU averages at home games. There will definitely be 20,000+ at both GSU and UDel.

I'd be more concerned with the quality of teams you're travelling to play, like Villanova and Margie/Bill (not really 'travelling' for ODU, per se) than the size of the crowds, but uh....

You're right, but this team has yet to play in front of a true hostile crowd on the road so its still a question of how this team will respond in front of large crowds.

Also dirtydukes, why do you ask? I have no idea.

[∞∞∞]

Also dirtydukes, why do you ask? I have no idea.

He thinks that our first win will be in 2015. Too bad JMU will fall to us next year.

[grizzaholic]

Let me just say, if ODU goes into Newark and defeats the National Runner-up on their home field then I will declare the season a success regardless of what they do the rest of the season.

That is not a very good outlook. Just sayin.

[bandl]

Let me just say, if ODU goes into Newark and defeats the National Runner-up on their home field then I will declare the season a success regardless of what they do the rest of the season.

[Puts on his AZGrizfan glassses]
That's like JMU going to Tech and beating them on their home field and then declaring their season a success regardless of what they did the rest of the season
[Takes off his AZGrizfan glasses]

[CAA Flagship]

We should start out 3-0 barring upsets.
Lose to Delaware.
Then 3 "winable" CAA games.
Then the 4 game gauntlet.

We'll get hammered by Delaware and W&M.
So if we beat URI, UMass, and Towson, can we make the playoffs with a win against either UR, JMU, or Nova? That would be 7-4 with a 4-4 record in the CAA. That is the best we can possibly do, but will it be good enough?