NORFOLK — From Maine to San Diego and from Miami to Seattle, TV viewers across the nation can tune in Thursday night to watch what takes place inside the odd triangle formed by Hampton Boulevard, Bluestone Avenue and 49th Street.
People in homes and bars in Alabama, Minnesota, Arizona and Montana will have live access to the goings-on at Old Dominion’s Kaufman Mall and S.B. Ballard Stadium. They’ll witness the communal rites that are uniquely ODU, from the football team’s “Crazy Train” entrance to the singular oddity that is “Ice Cream and Cake.”
But to the Monarchs, Thursday night’s ESPN game against Troy might as well follow “Wayne’s World” on a public access channel.
The camera, no matter its reach, doesn’t lie. Neither does it distort.
The Monarchs (6-3, 3-2 Sun Belt) are already bowl-eligible, striking one previously lagging topic from the list of perpetual late-season conversations.
With three regular-season games remaining, ODU is focused on one thing. And it’s not the size of the spotlight.
“We’re just excited for any game, as any other week,” said junior right guard Maarten Woudsma. “It’s just another opportunity to get better and face another good opponent. But we’re definitely excited for this one on Thursday.”
ESPN, with its estimated 200 million potential viewers, will stage its hour-long “SportsCenter Campus Tour” show from ODU beginning at 2 p.m., with live check-ins throughout the day.
Unique tailgating experiences, a halftime drone show and pockets of entertainment will surround the 7:30 p.m. game, which falls during Military Appreciation Week in perhaps the nation’s most grateful and cognizant region.
Monarchs head coach Ricky Rahne even took flight in a Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet leading up the festivities, breaking the sound barrier four times as he tried not to touch the eject button.
At its heart, though, Thursday night represents another opportunity for Rahne to hammer home his ubiquitous “1-0” philosophy.
“I think it’s going to be a great atmosphere, obviously, getting some national exposure for the university, for the program,” Rahne said. “But more importantly, we’ve got a great Troy team coming in here, so it should be a good game.”
The Trojans (6-3, 4-1), with their creative use of offensive and defensive sets, sit in second place in the Sun Belt West Division. ODU, coming off a bye week, is in third in the East, nearly out of reach of first-place James Madison.
The nation will get to see the Sun Belt’s brand of football, filled with uncanny parity and unexpected twists.
The Monarchs will get to see what they can do down the stretch with one major goal behind them.
How it plays in Seattle or Aurora is of little consequence.
“If I’m being completely honest, it doesn’t really affect us too much,” junior linebacker Jahleel Culbreath said.
“It’s a national stage. It’s a great opportunity to go out there and show what we can do, but at the end of the day, it’s those 22 kids that’s playing.”
David Hall, david.hall@pilotonline.com.
The game
Troy (6-4, 4-1 Sun Belt) at Old Dominion (6-3, 3-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
On the air: ESPN, 94.1 FM
The Trojans: Troy won five straight before a 23-10 homecoming loss to Arkansas State on Nov. 1. Like ODU, the Trojans have since had a bye week to focus on fundamentals, recruiting and healing nicks and bruises. Joining first-place JMU, Troy is one of two Sun Belt teams holding opponents to fewer than 360 yards of total offense per game. The Trojans have one of the league’s worst rushing offenses (121.1 ypg) and one of its best rushing defenses (161.1 ypg). RB Tae Meadows (546 yards, 4 TDs) is eighth in the Sun Belt in rushing. LB Donnie Smith leads the league with six sacks.
The Monarchs: A complete game has eluded ODU since a 47-7 win over Coastal Carolina on Oct. 4. Since then, the Monarchs have lost badly to Marshall and JMU, followed by a narrow 24-21 win over Appalachian State. Even a 31-6 triumph at Louisiana-Monroe raised questions; despite an outstanding defensive effort, ODU scored just seven second-half points. QB Colton Joseph (2,231 passing yards, 19 TDs, 9 INTs) remains one of the league’s best passers, even if consistency has eluded him at times. The Monarchs are holding opponents to 23.4 points a game, good for second in the Sun Belt.
