At the half

   I thought it somewhat weird when Eddie McClam came out of the locker room for warmups hollering "Whacka, whacka, whacka!"

   Maybe he knew something, because the first half of this game was like watching the video game Pac-Man.

   Whacka, whacka, whacka.

   There were a lot of yards being gobbled up.

   VMI has rushed for 219 yards so far. Tack on a couple of yards passing and the Keydets have 234 total yards in the first half.

   Andy they trail.

   ODU has 164 through the air and 96 on the ground for 260 total yards and leads 28-21 at the half.

   QB Thomas DeMarco has thrown for two TDs and rushed for two more.

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of civility. Comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its Web sites. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment.

This is too, too funny

   Lexington, Va., is expecting a traffic jam Saturday. Blame the Monarchs.

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of civility. Comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its Web sites. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment.

Welcome to the club, guys

   A funny thing happened on the way off the practice field last night.

   Sounds like the start of a joke, doesn't it?

   But what was being discussed by a few players was the fact that it was not a joke: Their red-shirt seasons were over.

   I think I heard offensive lineman Alex Bell say it first. Then a very unexpected thing happened: Defensive lineman Nate Barnes stuck out his fist and fist bumped me with a big grin on his face.

   These guys will be competing for playing time when spring drills begin. To this point, they'd been going through the motions somewhat.

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of civility. Comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its Web sites. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment.

Wilder show on tonight

   Bobby Wilder's one-hour radio show with Ted Alexander will be on tonight at 7 p.m. on 94.1 FM.

   It's been moved up a night because of conflicts with the men's and women's games Thursday night.

   Wilder's final show of the season will be next Tuesday and will originate from the Monarch Grill, right across the street from the campus. 

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of civility. Comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its Web sites. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment.

Friday night, er, no lights

   When the water's on the rise, you improvise.

   Bobby Wilder hasn't been able to practice his Monarchs the last two days, what with power out in many areas in and around ODU. And let me tell you, one of the weirdest things I've seen in a while are the shredded nets on the driving range hanging from the poles at Lamberts Point Golf Course. Can't imagine the thousands of dollars repairing that mess will cost.

   So what is a football team to do? Tonight, they will huddle at Webb Center for dinner, then do a Monarch March to the Ted for tonight's women's basketball game: Stanford vs. the ODU women.

   Coach Wilder says his troops will sit in the student section and he welcomes all to come and sit with them and chat it up.

   The Monarchs lost practice time Thursday and Friday (hint to Dominion Virginia Power: This team needs some amps). They will reconvene on Sunday for a practice and Wilder said he's told his guys, "You will have been without pads for eight days. You should be fresh and rested and healed."

   "I'll have to change our practice routine a little to get the rust off, but we should be ready to go," in preparation of a road game at VMI next Saturday.

   * OK, with a little time on my hands, I called Commander Wayne Justice, who is the Coast Guard honcho in Portsmouth. He told me his troops were out in the rivers working hard to get the harbor work-efficient after this big ol' storm. It was good information, but not what I was calling about.

   Commander Justice has a son, Michael, who is about 6-foot-7 or so and weighs about 280 and plays football for West Springfield High in northern Virginia. Right now, he has offers from ODU, Bryant, Eastern Michigan, Wofford and Georgetown.

   "Things are heating up," Commander Justice reports. "Villanova and William and Mary and Maryland are showing interest. But ODU remains a viable contender and consideration."

   And you didn't think I could squeeze a little recruiting news out of the day. Well, I've already squeezed enough water out of my clothes, so why not?

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of civility. Comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its Web sites. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment.

Wilder show still on

   Bobby Wilder's coaches show can be heard tonight from 7 to 8 p.m., but don't expect him to make it to Red Mill. Coach Wilder and Ted Alexander will hunker down in the studio for this one. Check out 94.1 if you aren't bailing water somewhere.

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of civility. Comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its Web sites. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment.

Live chat is back! Thursday!

   OK, so the weather isn't that nice. Maybe it's going to end up with you stuck at home.

   OK, so the Monarchs aren't playing football this week. But you need your ODU football fix anyway.

   That's what we're here for. I will hold a Live Chat on the Rich Radford ODUBlitz.com blog Thursday at 12:15 p.m. and I'm bringing a special guest to the blog, Virginian-Pilot columnist Bob Molinaro.

   Join us for the hour-long fun.

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of civility. Comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its Web sites. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment.

Starting the week early

   It's been a while since I had a Live Chat on the blog, so we'll do that on Thursday at 12:15 p.m. and I'll have a guest blogger with me ... Virginian-Pilot columnist Bob Molinaro. We'll answer questions and offer opinions.

   * Angus Harper had committed to sign with the Monarchs. He's a talented running back from Edison High in Alexandria. For more, read this. And to watch his moves, click on this.

   * ODU QB Thomas DeMarco has thrown for 19 TDs, run for 14, and then there are a couple of two-point conversions thrown in somewhere along the way. That makes him responsible for 202 points, and that's the most in the Football Championship Subdivision. You can look it up right here.

   * And finally, if you haven't seen heavyweight boxer Bobby Wilder in action, click on this.

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of civility. Comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its Web sites. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment.

Saturday at Foreman Field

   Here's the skinny: ODU is giving fans an hour extra to party like a rock star (or in this case a football fan) before Saturday's homecoming game, which begins at 2 p.m.

   And here's why: If five hours isn't enough time for tailgaiting for ODU's first-ever homecoming game, then maybe the fans that are making it to the games late are there to tailgate first and watch football second. It's just a guess.

   So ODU's giving an extra hour on the tailgating front-end, opening the lots at 9 a.m. That's five hours. Oh, that's right, we said that already. Bust out the Bloody Mary's and scrapple

   Here's the carrot that might get fans into their seats on time this time around (there's been somewhat of a Los Angeles approach to finding seats lately): There's going to be a Navy Hornet flyover, coinciding with the national anthem.

   Nothing like the raw power of steel and jet fuel and ear-shattering sound to get the juices flowing.

   * Recruiting at the Football Championship Subdivision level usually requires patience and doesn't really get rolling until December, once the ACCs and SECs and Big Easts of the world have decided on who they want. But at ODU, the Monarchs appear ahead of the curve.

   Paul Morant's commitment to sign with the Monarchs this coming February brings the number of commitments for this upcoming recruiting class to four. Throw in Tavon Gatlin, the wide receiver from Green Run who came up just short of NCAA Eligibility guidelines but is ironing that out this fall, and the Monarchs already have five pretty good ones coming in. Gatlin was considered a jewel in last year's class. He's expected to enroll in January and participate in spring drills.

   Morant is a 6-foot, 190-pound dual-threat quarterback who may never play QB for the Monarchs: He's already told the staff he wants to play safety (and he's pretty good at that too).

   When I talked to him last night, it sounded like he was playing the video game Madden 2009 in the background. I could be wrong (plus, I was playing Call of Duty at my end, so who am I to judge?).

   Morant's Phoebus Phantoms are 9-0 this season. Phoebus, by the way, has won 24 straight.

   Others who have committed: WR Trevon Butler (6-1, 170, Wise High, Upper Marlboro, Md.) and classmate DT Charles Owens (6-1, 300, Wise High, Upper Marlboro, Md.), and DL Dominique Guinn-Bailey (6-4, 225, Churchland, Portsmouth, Va.).

   Meanwhile, it appears the commitment of QB Tyler Hamilton (6-1, 185, Council Rock North, Newton, Pa.) is on hold. He might be weighing his options a little more and reconsidering. 

   Ah, commitments. Until it's on paper, it's just a promise anyway. It doesn't become official until pen hits paper in early February.

   But this much is clear: The Monarchs are quickly becoming players in this mix called recruiting. There's been too much noise this fall to ignore that.

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of civility. Comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its Web sites. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment.

About those personal fouls

   Bobby Wilder's bunch has been guilty of more than a few personal fouls this season, enough to concern fans and, to a degree, even the head coach.

   There are lousy personal fouls. Like barking too much at opponents (really, doesn't a hard hit say it better?) and dirty play.

   Ah, dirty play. We laugh when Paul Newman's character in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid gives the "There'll be none of this" speech while emphasizing his point with, uh, some of this.

   Honestly, Wilder's over the barking and the cheap shots too, and swears (well, swearing is a problem now, isn't it) that he's getting it in check.

   But ... there's always a but ... some of it is just plain youthful mistakes.

   "We're trying to teach them to play fast and I'd rather have them playing fast and making fast mistakes that are correctable mistakes," Wilder said. "The other night Mychael McJunkins hit someone on the sidelines and got 15 yards for a late hit. Was it a late hit? Maybe. He needs to learn where that fine line is.

   "Part of the issue is that in a normal program I'd be coaching up the incoming freshmen on what's acceptable and what isn't. With us being a first-year program, I'm having to coach up a whole team."

   So, yes sports fans, the Monarchs' coaching staff is aware of it. And doing something about it.

   * ODU's 10 straight games to start the season has a silver lining: The team is off next week and the coaching staff will get a jump on recruiting.

   It's an evaluation period, which means the coaches cannot be in contact with recruits. But they can visit high schools and junior colleges and prep schools and talk with coaches and get transcripts of players' grades.

   ODU's coaches will fly out on Sunday and spend Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday making the rounds in their respective recruiting areas. When they return, the Monarchs will return to practice on Thursday.

   "We'll practice Thursday and Friday in preparation for VMI, which means we'll get a head start on that game," Wilder said. "But everybody's taking a manditory day off on Nov. 14.

   And what will Wilder do that day?

   "Daddy stuff."

   * Pep rally: Friday night behind the Constant Center, beginning at 5:45. Enough said.

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of civility. Comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its Web sites. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment.