Javen Gibson sacked Virginia Tech's quarterback on the opening drive and forced the Hokies to settle for a field goal. Malachi Harris, Brandon Crutchfield and Jackson Forrest each added a sack. Old Dominion still lost 44-21, trailing 34-6 by halftime. The Monarchs could disrupt a possession; they couldn't keep the game within reach.
East Carolina visits Saturday, September 19, at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with ODU given a 38% chance to win. That's a substantial opportunity for an underdog. No outside result carries enough benefit to recommend this week; the interactive guide and methodology provide the forecast and its background.
The blocking matchup comes with a familiar face. Alex Huettel coached ODU's offensive line from 2023 through 2025 before joining ECU in January as offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Now the Monarchs need to make his new unit uncomfortable.
ECU has given them a specific opening. The Pirates went 0-for-9 on third down at Alabama, then 2-for-13 against App State. Yet ECU produced 417 yards, including 187 rushing, in that 27-24 loss to the Mountaineers. ODU cannot assume the Pirates will struggle to move the ball. The opportunity is to contain them on early downs, then let the rush help end possessions before they reach scoring range.
Gibson's opening sack was useful last week. More satisfying Saturday would be pressure that sends ECU's punt team onto the field, giving ODU's offense another possession without another score to chase.
Keeping those possessions is the other half of the upset bid. At Virginia Tech, Quinn Henicle was strip-sacked on consecutive ODU plays. The Monarchs recovered a subsequent Hokies fumble on the first play; the second strip-sack became a Virginia Tech touchdown. Better protection and ball security have to work together.
ODU entered spring replacing its starting quarterback, receivers and offensive linemen, adding 11 newcomers to the line room and promoting Kody Cook to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. That reconstruction makes dependable possessions particularly encouraging. Josh Rodriguez supplied one promising example at Virginia Tech. His 34-yard reception helped set up Henicle's seven-yard touchdown pass to Leon Haughton Jr. on an 11-play, 75-yard third-quarter drive. Rodriguez finished with career highs of three catches and 89 yards. Henicle later added a 76-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Those plays give Cook something to build around, but they arrived after the damaging first half. Ricky Rahne's postgame assessment spread responsibility throughout the organization. Nobody performed as needed before halftime, and the improved second half couldn't overcome the deficit. ODU needs stops and sustained scoring drives before halftime against ECU. James Madison visits next week for the conference opener after winning all four Sun Belt-era meetings, including 63-27 last season. The Virginia Tech loss doesn't settle ODU's prospects in the East, but the Monarchs have one game left to address those breakdowns before conference play.
ECU leads the series 5-0, though its two Norfolk wins came by three and six points. ODU has a first victory to pursue and a plausible way to pursue it. Force punts, protect Henicle and keep the ball long enough for his receivers to help. Give this offense a fourth quarter in which a touchdown can win the game.