COLUMBIA, S.C. – Old Dominion Head Football coach Ricky Rahne does not subscribe to the idea of “defeat with honor,” which reflected the situation on Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium. The Monarchs fought fiercely against SEC rival South Carolina but ultimately fell short, losing 23-19 despite showing moments of superior physicality and performance.
In front of a record crowd of 78,946, the largest ever to witness an ODU game, the Monarchs often matched the Gamecocks in intensity. However, the inability of ODU’s offense to score enough points while committing two pivotal turnovers cost them crucial touchdowns.
Rahne expressed disappointment after the game, stating, “I’m not happy with the outcome. I expected to win this game.” The Monarchs’ defense delivered a commendable performance, limiting South Carolina to only three field goals, with both Gamecock touchdowns resulting from turnovers inside ODU’s 10-yard line.
Quarterback Grant Wilson completed 22 of 38 passes for 197 yards and contributed both a passing and a rushing touchdown, although he also recorded two interceptions. Rahne noted the importance of encouraging Wilson to continue fighting through the challenges. “He’s a tremendously tough kid… I have the utmost faith and confidence in him. He will bounce back and have a tremendous game against East Carolina.”
The Monarchs are set to kick off their home schedule against East Carolina on Saturday at 6 p.m. at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
After trailing 16-7 midway through the third quarter, ODU’s offense surged. Wilson connected with Myles Alston for a pair of completions, and then he scrambled for a 36-yard touchdown, narrowing the gap to 16-13. Following a defensive stand, ODU drove to South Carolina’s 24, and after stalling, Ethan Sanchez kicked a 40-yard field goal, tying the game at 16-16 as the third quarter concluded.
The Monarchs then took their first lead of the game at 19-16 with a 33-yard field goal from Sanchez after a promising offensive drive. However, things took a turn for the worse when Wilson lost the ball to South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart, which set up a Gamecock touchdown on a three-yard rush by Sellers to reclaim the lead at 23-19 with just over six minutes left.
Despite getting the ball back twice more, ODU’s offense failed to penetrate into scoring territory. The game ended with Wilson’s fourth turnover when Jalone Kilgore intercepted him at the ODU 41.
The game had a tumultuous start, with Wilson fumbling on the first drive, leading to an early touchdown for South Carolina. However, he quickly rebounded, throwing a 72-yard touchdown pass to Isiah Paige.
South Carolina led 10-3 at one point, but a lightning strike caused a 40-minute delay, halting the momentum of both teams. ODU managed to score more points than South Carolina in the second half, yet it was not enough to secure a win.
In his post-game remarks to South Carolina media, Rahne emphasized that the Gamecocks deserved to feel proud of their victory, urging that the narrative surrounding the game reflect the competitiveness displayed by his team.
In notable statistics from the game, the temperature at kickoff reached 94 degrees, marking the hottest game in ODU history. Wilson’s long touchdown pass was a highlight for the team, with various players marking career milestones. The defense also showed improvement, with Mario Thompson earning 2.5 sacks, tying for the second-most in a game in ODU’s record.