Virginia Tech Seeks to End Losing Streak at Old Dominion
Why do teams from power conferences rarely play on the road against Group of Five schools? Just ask Virginia Tech. In the past six years, the Hokies have twice traveled to Old Dominion and lost both times. As the Hokies (1-1) prepare to face the Monarchs (0-2) again this Saturday in Norfolk, they’ll aim to break their bad luck in this matchup. At home in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech has fared much better, winning all three meetings, including a 36-17 victory in last season’s opener. However, Norfolk has been a different story.
“I’m not naive,” said Old Dominion head coach Ricky Rahne. “I know Virginia Tech is a big game—for me, for our school, and for our fans.” Virginia Tech, on the other hand, seems less enthusiastic about the fixture. Hokies head coach Brent Pry deflected questions about the series, which includes three more scheduled games in Norfolk over the next seven years. “These contracts are made way in advance. I focus on what I can control,” said Pry, who lost 20-17 at Old Dominion in his head coaching debut two years ago. “We have to be a team that can go to Old Dominion and win.”
Virginia Tech is coming off a 31-14 win over Marshall, where Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. “He’s going to have a long NFL career,” Rahne said. The Monarchs will also have to deal with quarterback Kyron Drones, who has thrown for 452 yards and three touchdowns while completing 66.7% of his passes. Drones is also a threat on the ground, rushing for 818 yards and five touchdowns last season.
Old Dominion has struggled early in the season, committing six turnovers. The Monarchs lost a fourth-quarter lead in a 23-19 defeat at South Carolina on August 31, followed by a 20-14 loss to East Carolina last week. Quarterback Grant Wilson, who has thrown for 2,538 yards and 19 touchdowns over the past two years, was injured on the final play against East Carolina. Rahne has been tight-lipped about the status of Wilson and linebacker Jason Henderson, who led the nation in tackles last year but missed the last game after offseason knee surgery. If Wilson is unavailable, Old Dominion will rely on either Boston College transfer Emmett Morehead or redshirt freshman Colton Joseph.
