Mike Langston is the founder of ODU Monarchists and an ODU alum. You can follow him on Twitter at @ODUMonarchists. You can also check out his podcast at the-monarchists.captivate.fm and at ODUMonarchists.com. Mike joined us this week for a game week Q&A.
Tell us about yourself and your podcast.
Our group, the Monarchists, is made up of about 18 folks and our significant others. This group has evolved quite a bit over the years going from just a twitter DM group to a tailgating group and now we’re a media outlet with 2 podcasts (one in partnership with ODU hoops). We still tailgate together, but throughout we have done our best to find the next charity or ODU team to support.
So far, we’ve helped raise over $60k for Old Dominion Athletics, as well as collecting thousands for Toys for Tots. We take a lot of pride in that.
In 2022, Aaron Zielinksi and I decided to start a podcast to help support our fundraising efforts. This fall our group launched our website (odumonarchists.com) with the goal of supporting the program even more.
Tell us about your team this year. What are your expectations for Old Dominion this season?
We are in a state of major transition. We have 58 new players and are replacing quite a few starters. This includes three NFL draftees and a number of transfers, most notably VT WR Ali Jennings. Last season was a failure due to an offense that just plain didn’t work and required an overhaul this offseason.
Coach Rahne brought in a new offensive coordinator, Kevin Decker, who brings a new system from his stint at Fordham. Coach Decker’s offense is similar to Josh Heupel’s spread offense at Tennessee with modern Air Raid concepts and the ability to run in space. Like Heupel’s, the offense is spread out to the barriers of the field, is up tempo and has been wildly successful. Fordham averaged over 400 yards passing and 49.5 points per game in 2022. He brought with him QB Grant Wilson who was just named the starter. Offensive line coach Alex Huettel also followed Decker to ODU and has already had an impact on the O Line bringing in some talented experience and improved their unit chemistry.
Once the offense starts clicking, this team will be a lot of fun to watch. It’s going to take some time and we have a pretty tough schedule lined up (VT, Wake, Liberty and the Sun Belt East).
Our defense is solid but needs to develop proven depth, especially at cornerback. The bend don’t break style we play combined with often short offensive drives, made for a tired defense late in games. This resulted in ODU’s defense being on the field more than any other defensive unit in the country.
So, I expect to see an offense that is capable of moving the ball more consistently and think that will result in a more competitive team. It might not result in too many more wins early, but it’ll be a lot more fun to watch.
What are your thoughts on playing Virginia Tech in Lane Stadium for a night game?
Playing at night in Lane is both exciting and daunting. Our group is making the trip and I am looking forward to experiencing Enter Sandman at night for the first time. Everyone knows no matter how good or bad the Hokies are, they are a different beast at night in Lane. Should be a great environment.
How do you view the Virginia Tech program since going 2-2 against the Hokies since 2017?
If any Monarch tells you they expected to have 2 wins in the series already, they are lying. But I still view the program similarly to how we did when the series was first announced. Virginia Tech has the biggest fanbase, the best program support structure and facilities in the Commonwealth, and while y’all are down from the Fuente fiasco, the Hokies still provide an amazing challenge and a great measuring stick for a program as young as ours.
Are you excited about ODU joining the Sun Belt Conference?
We love the move to the Sun Belt. After our painful stint in CUSA, it’s a breath of fresh air to be in a regional division with programs that are easier to travel to and who have fan bases that care like App State, Georgia Southern, Marshall and JMU. It’s also nice to not have to be overly concerned about all this realignment drama.
What are your expectations for the Virginia Tech game?
This game could go a number of ways for ODU. It’ll be our QBs first ever start in a brand new offense for our team, on the road at night in one of the best environments in college football. So it could easily blow up in our faces. Or the offense could click early and make this a competitive game. I know we have the talent to compete. Our starting back, Kadarius Calloway, is an exceptional talent in an offense that makes finding running lanes a lot easier. But will the passing game click from the jump? I honestly don’t know. I do know we have a good knack for turning Grant Wells over and our defense remains talented. So if I was betting I’d tease the under up a few points, bet ODU on the spread, and take VT moneyline.
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