NORFOLK — Old Dominion has made any bones it has made by taking football season one task, one assignment and one moment at a time.

Workout by workout, practice by practice and game by game, the Monarchs have steadfastly embodied sixth-year coach Ricky Rahne’s tired but true “1-0” approach to a micro sport that lends itself to macro debate.

After Saturday’s showing at S.B. Ballard Stadium, ODU can’t fairly blame its finicky fans for widening the lens for a glimpse at the bigger picture.

The more Colton Joseph takes snaps, the more intriguing it becomes.

Joseph passed for 315 yards and four touchdowns, and the Monarchs fortified their case for growing national attention in a 47-7 Sun Belt Conference dismantling of Coastal Carolina.

The victory, ODU’s fourth straight and most decisive against an FBS team this season, could place the Monarchs (4-1, 1-0 Sun Belt) into consideration for their first AP Top 25 ranking in program history.

Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding caught seven passes for 101 yards and three touchdowns for ODU, which was surgically methodical when it needed to be and viciously sniper-like when it wanted.

The Monarchs scored touchdowns on plays of 3, 80, 13, 10 and 50 yards, removing all doubt by the time they took a 34-0 lead into halftime

Joseph, a redshirt sophomore from Newport Beach, California, did all of his damage in less than three quarters of action, leaving with a 44-0 lead.

Riley Callaghan kicked four field goals, serving as consolation on the occasions when his offense failed to close the deal.

ODU had 29 first downs to 12 for the Chanticleers (2-3, 1-1).

The days when the Monarchs, who went 9-11 in one-score games over the previous two seasons, had trouble putting opponents away seemed like ages ago.

Callaghan’s 26-yard field goal with two minutes left accounted for the final margin in front of a handful of remaining fans.

Tad Hudson’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Wright put Coastal on the board with 12:20 left in the game and ended the Monarchs’ bid for their first shutout win since a 6-0 defeat of Charlotte on Nov. 4, 2017.

Days before the game, ESPN’s College Football Power Index gave the Monarchs a 15% chance of making the College Football Playoff, seemingly a mere dream for a program that hasn’t had a winning record since 2016.

ODU, which only revived its football program in 2009, entered Saturday ranked 54th in the FPI, ahead of storied programs like Wisconsin, Colorado, Minnesota, Virginia Tech and Stanford.

Among teams from Group of Six (non-power) conferences, only Memphis (36), South Florida (49) and Boise State (51) were ranked higher.

The Steve, which officially holds 21,944 fans, had an announced crowd of 20,895 and the overall feel of a surging program on the verge of needing a fire marshal to clear room on the bandwagon.

ODU held a 379-91 advantage in total offense in the first half. Joseph had 302 passing yards and four touchdowns by the break.

Callaghan’s 22-yard field goal resulted in a 44-0 lead midway through the third quarter.

Joseph’s 50-yard touchdown run through the middle of the defense gave the Monarchs a 41-0 lead just two minutes and change into the second half, sending many of the patrons to enjoy their mild autumn evening elsewhere.

Joseph’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Gladding put ODU up 34-0 with 2:48 left in the first half.

Callaghan’s 34-yard field goal stretched the Monarchs’ lead to 27-0 with 4:48 remaining in the second quarter. The points came five plays after ODU’s Jackson Forrest forced and recovered a fumble by Hudson on the Chanticleers 27.

Joseph threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Gladding to give ODU a 24-0 lead with 6:05 to play in the second quarter.

Joseph’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Ke’Travion Hargrove put the Monarchs up 17-0 early in the second quarter. The score came after Joseph, one of the nation’s top rushing quarterbacks, feigned a draw play and hit a streaking Hargrove with a short toss over the middle.

Callaghan’s 27-yard field goal gave ODU a 10-0 lead with 2:19 to go in the first quarter.

The Monarchs exploded out of the gate, sprinting 87 yards on a nine-play scoring drive with their first possession. It resulted in Joseph’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Gladding with 11:44 left in the first quarter.

David Hall, david.hall@pilotonline.com.

https://www.dailypress.com/2025/10/04/odu-crushes-coastal-carolina-in-sun-belt-conference-opener/