By Harry Minium
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Defeat with honor is an announcement that isn’t within the lexicon of Outdated Dominion Head Soccer coach Ricky Rahne. However that clearly described what occurred Saturday night time at Willams-Brice Stadium.
ODU went toe-to-toe Saturday night time with an SEC opponent by itself house turf. The Monarchs had been usually extra bodily than South Carolina and at occasions, outplayed the Gamecocks. However the Monarch offense couldn’t generate sufficient factors and dedicated two essential turnovers that led to 2 South Carolina touchdowns and allowed the Gamecocks to say a 23-19 victory.
The sport was performed earlier than earlier than a boistrous crowd of 78,946, the most important ever to see an ODU workforce play.
The ultimate rating will certainly increase some eyebrows nationally. South Carolina was a three-touchdown favourite, and was in some ways outplayed by a Solar Belt Convention workforce at house.
That did nothing to salve Rahne’s emotions.
“I am not glad” with the result, Rahne stated. “I anticipated to win this recreation.”
In some ways, it was a recreation the Monarchs ought to have received. ODU’s protection was excellent and basically restricted the Gamecocks to 3 discipline objectives.
Each South Carolina touchdowns got here on turnovers contained in the ODU 10.
Each turnovers got here on fumbles from quarterback Grant Wilson, who accomplished 22 of 38 passes for 197 yards a passing and dashing landing and two interceptions.
Requested what he anticipated to inform Wilson, Rahne stated: “I’d inform him to maintain preventing, you realize?
“He is a tremendously robust child. And sure he had some turnovers and he is aware of he cannot have these. We have to proceed to work with him.”
“I’ve the upmost religion and conficence in him,” he added.”He’ll bounce again and have an incredible recreation towards East Carolina.”
The Monarchs open their house schedule towards East Carolina Saturday at 6 p.m. at S.B. Ballard Stadiium.
ODU trailed 16-7 halfway by the third quarter when the beforehand moribund Monarch offense kicked into gear.
Wilson accomplished two passes to Myles Alston, after which on third down, was rushed from the pocket, and raced 36 yards for the landing to trim the South Carolina result in 16-13 with 4:57 left within the third quarter.
Then, after ODU’s protection held the Gamecocks on downs, the Monarchs drove from their very own 40 to the Gamecock 24, the place the drive stalled.
Ethan Sanchez, who had a PAT blocked on the earlier rating, then drilled a 40-yard discipline objective to knot the rating at 16-all with 14 seconds left within the third quarter.
The Monarchs then held the Gamecocks on downs once more, and the offense marched deep into South Carolina territory once more earlier than the Monarchs once more stalled.
Sanchez then kicked a 33-yard discipline objective to provide ODU its first lead, 19-16, with 9:54 to play because the 1,000 or so Monarch devoted started chanting “ODU” in an in any other case quiet stadium.
The Monarch protection then held the Gamecocks on downs and with 7:52 left, and the Monarchs began at their very own 10 yard line.
However that is when issues turned undone. On third down, Wilson scrambled up the center and was stipped of the by ball by lineman Dylan Stewart. Lineman DeAndre Jules recovered.
It took two performs for South Carolina to retake the lead, 23-19, on a three-yard Sellers rush with 6:11 left.
“I believed I had a lane however the protection actually closed rapidly,” he stated. “I simply did not have the ball secured like I ought to have.
“I’ve to work extraordinarily arduous so it does not occur once more.”
ODU’s offense obtained the ball again twice extra however was unable to get into scoring place. Defensive again Jalone Kilgore iced the sport with 1:21 when he intercepted Wilson on the ODU 41. It was Wilson’s fourth turnover of the sport.
The Monarchs obtained off to a tough begin. On the sport’s first drive, Wilson was rushed from the pocket and corralled by two South Carolina defenders, together with Kyle Kennard, who knocked the ball free. The Gamecocks recovered on the three.
Raheim Sanders scored three performs later and the Gamecocks led, 7-0.
Wilson recovered rapidly from his mistake and quieted the boisterous crowd with a 72-yard TD go to Isiah Paige that knotted the rating at 7-7 simply seconds later. He discovered Paige on the 25, and the speedster from Richmond junked to his proper after which left once more to shake off a defender and bounded into the tip zone.
South Carolina made it 10-3 on a 40-yard discipline objective from Alex Herrera – the sector objective was pressured by a third-down sack by ODU’s Mario Thompson.
South Carolina led, 10-7, early within the second quarter when a lightning strike a number of miles away pressured a 40-minute delay.
ODU’s offense struggled because it did earlier than the delay, and ended the half with 97 whole yards 72 of the approaching on the bomb to Paige. Herrera kicked a 46-yard discipline gioal with 4:02 left within the first half.
ODU outscored the Gamecocks within the second half, however it was not sufficient.
Rahne spoke on to the South Carolina media as he ended his post-game press convention.
“Be sure that these followers perceive that the youngsters within the different locker room deserve to have the ability to be ok with profitable this soccer recreation,” he stated. “As a result of they simply performed a heck of a soccer workforce.
“Nobody ought to make them really feel dangerous about quote, unquote, barely profitable. So, if that’s the headline everyone’s going to jot down, I guarantee you that it is not a superb headline.”
Notes
The 94-degree temperature at kickoff made it the most popular recreation in ODU historical past. The earlier excessive was 90 levels (2012 vs. Duquesne and 2019 vs. ECU) … Grant Wilson’s 72-yard landing go to Isiah Paige was Paige’s longest profession reception and ODU’s longest go play since Wilson hit Kelby Williams for 78-yards final 12 months at Southern Miss … Koa Naotala and Jeremy Mack mixed on a sack within the first quarter, the primary of every of their careers … Keanon McNally, Zach Barlev, and Maarten Woudsma made their first profession begins for the ODU offense, whereas Jahron Manning made his first profession begin on protection … ODU led the nation with 12 landing drives one minute or much less, and the primary one in 2024 was 30 seconds … Mario Thompson had 2.5 sacks. He got here into the sport with two profession sacks. The two.5 sacks is tied for second-most in a recreation in ODU historical past … Myles Alston picked up a primary down within the third quarter along with his first profession catch. He completed with 5 grabs for 40 yards … Grant Wilson’s 36-yard landing run was the longest TD run of his profession … Isiah Paige recorded his first profession 100-yard receiving recreation with a career-high 115 yards on eight catches … Patrick Smith-Younger, a switch from North Texas, had a game-high 9 tackles and recovered and returned a fumble for 37 yards.