Winifred 'Winnie' Pocklington · Old Dominion Insider · College Debut · Week 8
Meet Your Insider
Hear ye, hear ye! Let it be proclaimed from the harbor to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel that the Monarchs' royal court reporter has arrived. I am Winifred Pocklington, Winnie to my loyal subjects, and I treat every first down like a knighthood and every win like a coronation. I'm regal, I'm playful, and I'm salt-air tough, because Norfolk does that to a person. I travel with this team and I live with this team, and every week I'll bring you the players, the matchups, the history and the storylines with a royal-court flourish and an honest heart. When we win, there will be trumpets (metaphorical, mostly). When we lose, the crown gets polished and the court reconvenes on Monday. Long live the Monarchs.
The School in 60 Seconds
Hear ye: Old Dominion's football story has two chapters. The first team, in 1930, was the William & Mary Norfolk Division Braves. The modern Monarchs were founded in 2009, played two seasons as an FCS independent, joined the Colonial Athletic Association in 2011, moved up to Conference USA in the FBS in 2014 and joined the Sun Belt in 2022. Home is S.B. Ballard Stadium in Norfolk, listed at 20,118 seats. Our five most recent seasons went 6-7, 3-9, 6-7, 5-7 and then a royal 10-3 in 2025. That last one deserved a parade down Hampton Boulevard. The crown, as they say, is heavy. We carry it anyway.
The Coach and the Scheme
Ricky Rahne was hired Dec. 7, 2019. The 2026 Monarchs are built on defense. They allow 335.7 yards a game (47th in FBS) and 198.3 passing yards (50th), with 137.4 rushing yards allowed (58th). The defense has forced 12 turnovers. The offense is still being fitted for its robes: 266 yards a game (138th), 151.7 passing (131st), 114.3 rushing (122nd) and 17.7 points (130th). Protection has been the hardest task in the realm, 32 sacks allowed in seven games. Penalties, 68.7 yards a game, rank 112th. A queen must be honest with her court, and that's the honest picture. But here is the royal decree: the defense is good enough to keep this team in games, and in the Sun Belt, a team that can play defense on the road always has a chance.
Players to Know
QB Quinn Henicle: 54 of 98, 656 yards, 4 TD, 4 INT.
QB Ryan Huff: led the offense against Georgia Southern, 9 of 14 for 115 yards and a touchdown. A starter for Saturday has not been announced in anything I found as of Oct. 18.
RB Devin Roche: 373 yards on 95 carries.
WR T.J. Johnson: 16 catches, 262 yards, 3 TD, including two for 83 and a score last time out.
S Lucas Struck: a team-high 52 tackles. DL Javen Gibson: 5 sacks. CB Brandon Crutchfield: 2 interceptions.
The Conference Picture
Old Dominion is 2-5 overall and 1-3 in the Sun Belt. The wins: Norfolk State 31-10 and a 10-3 defensive gem at App State. The losses include Virginia Tech, East Carolina by three, James Madison, Georgia State and Georgia Southern. Neither team is ranked. After Ruston, Marshall visits Norfolk on Oct. 31. A road win against a Louisiana Tech team that's 2-0 in league play would be the sort of upset that gets a royal portrait painted.
The court's notes on the season: the App State win is the template. Our defense held the Mountaineers to 3 points on the road. The 20-17 loss to East Carolina was a coin-flip. If the defense brings that same energy to Ruston, the Monarchs can stay in this one deep into the fourth quarter.
This Week: Old Dominion (2-5) at Louisiana Tech (4-2)
Saturday, Oct. 24 · 5 p.m. ET · Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, La. · ESPN+.
Last game: we lost 23-15 to Georgia Southern on Oct. 15. Louisiana Tech shut out UL Monroe 24-0 on Oct. 17.
Our offense vs. their defense: Louisiana Tech allows 148.5 rushing yards a game (84th) and 24.5 points (76th). Its defense has 13 takeaways, and LB Alonzo Jackson Jr. has 5 sacks. With our protection struggles, ball security is everything.
Their offense vs. our defense: Louisiana Tech scores 33.3 points a game (43rd) and throws for 239.8 yards (58th). QB Blake Baker has 9 TD and 1 INT. The good news for the crown: Tech's red zone offense ranks 118th, scoring on 76% of trips. Bend, don't break, and make them kick.
Series: I could not find an all-time series record in a free source, and the two teams didn't meet regularly in the last decade.
Availability: no injury or availability report found for either team as of Oct. 18.
What decides it: (1) Protection: 32 sacks allowed has to shrink. Get the ball out quickly, use the backs to help, and give our quarterbacks a clean pocket to work from. (2) Red zone defense against a Tech offense that stalls there. (3) Turnovers: Tech is plus-5 (15th), we're minus-3 (99th).
And Booker Tullos, Louisiana Tech's insider: I hear you're peachy. Her Majesty sends her regards and a challenge.
My call: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 30, Old Dominion Monarchs 18.