...one of the sloppiest games I've seen ODU play to date but a win is a win. This was probably one of ODU's last tests this season and should easily win out with games against Savannah State and VMI at home and then NC Central on the road. ODU now 14-5 through 19 games since bringing back football.
Refs were absolutely terrible in the 2nd half, and I was even somewhat disappointed in the crowd Hampton had at the game. It was easily 50/50 in regards to ODU vs. HU fans if not more...ODU filled one side of their stadium completely. Also going to Hampton's armstrong stadium really makes me appreciate Foreman Field.
Just a couple pics I took from my iPhone, quality isn't that great....
It was a really fun game. It's really stupid that HBCU bands play during the plays though, and for a few minutes straight at a time too. The ref told our band to stop playing during the plays after we did it, but he gave no warnings against the Hampton band . Otherwise, it was a great atmosphere (mostly 'cause the ODU fans actually cheered) and a great game...well at least the first half. Lookin' forward to playing Hampton next year.
our side also really filled up once the game started as well. The section we were sitting in (next to our band) really filled up by gametime. Reported attendance was 8605.
It was really a great day for football in the Hampton Roads area. Also how about their mascot trying to start something with Big Blue.
I thought it was funny. Big Blue played along and I liked how our dancers played along too, trying to protect him for that weirdo lookin' pirate. It's the little things like that that make football great. So thankful we started a program!
∞∞∞ wrote:I thought it was funny. Big Blue played along and I liked how our dancers played along too, trying to protect him for that weirdo lookin' pirate. It's the little things like that that make football great. So thankful we started a program!
me too, never knew what we did without football. I guess we could be schools like VCU and GMU...ESPECIALLY GMU since all they do is live in the past.
Also, I'm not sure if I posted this already but being that this was my first road ODU football game it really made me appreciate Foreman Field and the facilities we have. We really have a first class athletic program.
And T-Dog, you don't have to worry about our mascot starting anything. He usually doesn't unless if he's instigated. I'd also really like to see ODU play you guys in the future. I think that would make a great match-up once we become a top-tier FCS program...even a mid-tier program. And who knows...it could probably make a GREAT out of conference rivalry as well. I'd like to see us play Liberty but I don't think we have any intentions on playing them at all according to Rich Radford from the virginian pilot who covers everything ODU football and seems to have a really good relationship with Wilder.
Radford said in one of his chats that we shouldn't expect to play Liberty any time soon. Other than baseball, we never seem to play them in anything and I don't understand why. It's really bothersome.
As for playing Appalachian State, I deeply hope it happens. We've already got a series with Montana scheduled, but I'd like home and homes with Georgia Southern, UNI, and Youngstown State too. I know the CAA is a tough league, but instead of our peers who play an FBS team every year, I'd rather have us schedule tough OOC FCS teams. I'm not Coach Wilder though, but I hope we don't pansy up our OOC schedules in the future and end up saying, "well the CAA is already hard enough."
The MEAC message boards are understandably taking this loss pretty hard. They have a few threads dedicated to this game, one which has over 100 responses. I kinda feel bad for 'em too. I mean, it's another blow to what's an already bad OOC record, and now Hampton, a historically powerful MEAC program has fallen to a local 2nd year team, at home.
Here's what a VA Pilot columnist is saying' about the importance of this game:
...Donovan Rose feebly tried to spin the loss, saying that it didn't bother him any more than if his Hampton team had just fallen to the New York Giants. But make no mistake; the loss hurt Hampton and the MEAC. It damaged their credibility...
...On Saturday, ODU went further in establishing itself with young, local prospects who may have been debating which school would be their choice.
A football pedigree like Hampton's is nice, but in a what-have-you-done-lately world, ODU holds the upper hand.
In retrospect, this was a no-win situation for HU. We win...they look bad for losing to a Year 2 team. We lose...oh well, we're a Year 2 team. Not our problem though. GO MONARCHS!!!
This thing with the HBCU bands playing during the game has me pretty upset. I saw a W&M - Norfolk St game in Williamsburg a few years ago and the NSU band played the entire 2nd half without any regard as to what was happening on the field. I know for a fact that W&M discussed this when they signed the home and home contract. NSU ignored W&M's request of not playing during the plays. Hampton's band played continuously during yesterday's game. So when Old Dominion tried the same thing in the second half, the referees stopped the play on the field to tell the ODU band to stop playing.
Some fans are excited about playing Hampton and NSU. F&%$ them. Just because their teams are normally not seriously contending for a national championship doesn't mean their opponents aren't either. These games matter and having to play through the sounds of the truly loudest bands in college football is an unnecessary hurdle.
Bobby Wilder has said several times he doesn't care how much noise is in the stadium. The reason is ODU signals in their plays, we don't call them in. He's gone as far as saying, he says if the fans want to do the wave or cheer while we're on offense...go for it, he loves the noise.
Can someone explain why ODU plays Hampton but not NSU, a much more natural, potential in-city rivalry? Is ODU afraid, like they are in hoops?
this is why I can't wait to play NSU...because of this comment from cocky, ignorant Spartan fans. This comment was from the comment section under the recap article from yesterday's game on odublitz.com.
We play NSU in 2013. I'm hope we beat the snot out of them. Saying we're afraid to play them in hoops as well?! Those two smilies really don't express how much I laughed when I read that comment.
This comment by radford put the icing on top...
This has been explained repeatedly, but I'll do it again: Norfolk State has to play a money-making game each year (Rutgers) and refuses to give up its annual game with Virginia State. That leaves one free slot on their schedule and if it doesn't match up with the free slot on the calendar that ODU has, then the two cannot play. ODU and NSU have a deal in place to start playing in 2013. There is your explanation, plain and simple. And it's been reported in The Virginian-Pilot multiple times.
From what I heard about the game, 21 of ODU's 28 points. Could be attributed to special teams blunders and short field situations. Even so, this was a very bad showing by Hampton and lends further credence towards the impending Legacy Bowl and the potential breakup of the conference. It was a victory for ODU but it was a bigger victory for the MEAC commish, the SWAC, and the supporters of the LB.
From what I heard about the game, 21 of ODU's 28 points. Could be attributed to special teams blunders and short field situations. Even so, this was a very bad showing by Hampton and lends further credence towards the impending Legacy Bowl and the potential breakup of the conference. It was a victory for ODU but it was a bigger victory for the MEAC commish, the SWAC, and the supporters of the LB.
Actually you can leave the SWAC out of the equation because they're gonna do their own thing LB or no LB. Anybody gloating is probably doing it because they interact with MEAC fans online
DSUrocks07 wrote:From what I heard about the game, 21 of ODU's 28 points. Could be attributed to special teams blunders and short field situations. Even so, this was a very bad showing by Hampton and lends further credence towards the impending Legacy Bowl and the potential breakup of the conference. It was a victory for ODU but it was a bigger victory for the MEAC commish, the SWAC, and the supporters of the LB.
It really wasn't Hampton having special teams blunders. I'm gonna credit it to superior coaching from the ODU staff. In the newspaper today, it mentioned that Hampton hadn't allowed a blocked punt since 2004, but yesterday ODU had three. From the story:
In a game Old Dominion felt evenly matched going in - and the post-game statistics called this one a draw - the Monarchs were looking for any angle or advantage they could gain.
ODU found it this week on video tape while scouting Hampton's punt team...
...ODU senior defensive end Deron Mayo said the coaching staff was so sure they could get to Stovall that he was recruited to be on the punt assault team just for this week. Mayo might be a defensive end, but he also runs a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash, making him ODU's fastest player.
"Coach Wilder grabbed me early in the week and said I was going to block punts this week," Mayo said.
"He was so excited that on Thursday, he called me into his office to show me on his TV why we were going to get a block."
The Monarchs (5-3) overloaded the left side with five players looking like they were going for the block. On the right side, they only had three players lining up for a rush. But those three were the real speed guys.
It was like a sleight-of-hand move by a magician: Make the audience look one way, make the magic happen somewhere else...
give part of the blame to HU's punt team but also give credit to ODU's coaching staff as well, not allowing a blocked punt since 2004 then allowing three in one half...
Not a criticism against Hampton just more of a criticism against the MEAC. 
. Otherwise, it was a great atmosphere (mostly 'cause the ODU fans actually cheered) and a great game...well at least the first half. Lookin' forward to playing Hampton next year.
This thing with the HBCU bands playing during the game has me pretty upset. 
I saw a W&M - Norfolk St game in Williamsburg a few years ago and the NSU band played the entire 2nd half without any regard as to what was happening on the field. I know for a fact that W&M discussed this when they signed the home and home contract. NSU ignored W&M's request of not playing during the plays. Hampton's band played continuously during yesterday's game. So when Old Dominion tried the same thing in the second half, the referees stopped the play on the field to tell the ODU band to stop playing. 
Just because their teams are normally not seriously contending for a national championship doesn't mean their opponents aren't either. These games matter and having to play through the sounds of the truly loudest bands in college football is an unnecessary hurdle.
