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.

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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.

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Injury report not as dampening as expected

   Coach Bobby Wilder said this morning that defensive lineman Eddie McClam's knee injury does not appear to be as serious and initially feared. McClam fell awkwardly while making a tackle Saturday against Georgetown. The fear was that he'd torn his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

   But Wilder said that ODU's medical staff beliefs it is a sprain of the medial collateral ligament and that McCLam could play this Saturday when ODU hosts North Carolina Center at 2 in its homecoming game.

   Meanwhile, quarterback Thomas DeMarco is showing signs that his helmet-to-helmet hit was not too damaging. DeMarco was hit on a quarterback keeper and showed signs of grogginess. The coaches held him out of the second half of ODU's 31-10 victory over Georgetown.

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Following up after ODU-G'town

   Notes following ODU's 31-10 thrashing of Georgetown (which No. 1 Richmond plays in a couple of weeks):  

   Get used to seeing Georgetown. The Hoyas and Monarchs have a four-year deal. There’s another four-year deal out there with Campbell. That means that when the Monarchs dive into Colonial Athletic Association play in 2011, two of the Monarchs’ three non-conference games will be G’town and Campbell.

   For a game that was so lopsided, the Monarchs came out of this one with some bumps and bruises. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s late in the season, but it appeared that more players than usual got banged up against Georgetown. QB Thomas DeMarco didn’t play in the second half after taking a hard hit to the head in the second quarter. Offensive tackle Ryan Jensen was out for the second half, although he played the first half with a sore back. Linebacker A.T. Aoelua sat out with a sprained ankle. Defensive tackle Eddie McClam left the game after injuring his left knee. Cornerback Ricky Nichols went to the locker room after colliding with a teammate in pass coverage. Safety Craig Wilkins bruised a shoulder. And even wide receiver Reid Evans hurt himself on his TD reception, landing awkwardly on the small of his back. The injury report will be thick this coming week.

   Hard to really know what Dan Pitts can do, seeing how he’s come in and QB’ed the Monarchs when it was shut-down time the last two weeks. He’s playing with a severely limited playbook, what with the Monarchs holding big leads when he comes in. But it’s clear he’s been elevated to No. 2 status at QB. Bobby Cooper is not No. 3 and Tomy Reamon is playing tight end.

   Lost a little with DeMarco’s 144-yard rushing performance was Desmond Williams’ 113 yards rushing.

   The most dangerous 60 yards in Norfolk must be the 60 yards from ODU’s tunnel under the stands to the sidelines at Foreman Field: Coach Bobby Wilder had a police escort jogging at his sides again. Please, this isn’t Auburn ... yet.

   Sports and politics don’t mix. How many times have we heard that? It was obvious again when President Obama popped up on the big screen at Foreman Field Saturday night. His visual presence drew the heartiest boos all season. 

   Jake Sweedyk’s nine tackles Saturday night was a game high. The junior from Michigan got the start because of A.T. Aoelua’s sore ankle. 

    Evans’ touchdown reception was his second in three games.

   With defensive tackle Edie McClam most likely sidelined due to an injured knee, Jason Fuller’s value to this ODU team will very likely increase in the last two games. Fuller, you may recall, transferred in from Virginia to play one season of football for the Monarchs. Don’t look for any senior day activity at the homecoming game, though. Since Fuller is playing only one year and is the team’s lone senior, the Monarchs won’t be making any special plans to honor him. Fair enough. Playing an extra year of football when it looked like his college career was done is probably reward enough.

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Tonight on the radio show

   It's Buffalo Wild Wings Night for the ODU coaching staff. Coach Bobby Wilder will have a posse for his radio show tonight from 7 to 8 at the Greenbrier location. The entire staff is showing up.

   The duel of the Blazing Hot Wings will pit receivers coach Keita Malloy against equipment manager Tommy Rapier. Although Malloy reports that he puts hot sauce on everything, I'm taking Rapier in this one. I just got a feeling.

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ODU getting votes

   ODU received 10 votes in The Sports Network's FCS poll, which is a loose poll that includes SIDs, ADs and such. The 10 votes put ODU outside the Top 25, but if you are counting down the list it put ODU at 46th, tied with James Madison.

   A little hard to imagine ODU hanging with JMU right now, but hey, the Monarchs continue to grab some national attention, i.e. some luv.

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Halloweening at Foreman Field

   So why, really, is ODU sticking to a 6 o'clock start for Saturday's Halloween game against Georgetown?

   I finally got a good answer this morning: Sesame Street.

   The Constant Center has two shows booked for Saturday. Go Elmo!

   And -- whoops! -- there's goes the parking during the daytime hours.

   Not wanting a parking fiasco, ODU officials kept the football game at 6 p.m.

   So now you know the rest of the story.

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No. 1 in two categories

   This just in from ODU football SID Kim Zivkovich: ODU is No. 1.

   That's right, the Monarchs are No. 1 in the country in the Football Championship Subdivision in average turnovers per game at plus-2.00. Tied for second are Gardner-Webb, New Hampshire and Southern, all at plus-1.86. In fifth is Cal Poly, the team ODU announced it'll be playing next year as part of its schedule. Cal Poly is at plus-1.17.

   And to no surprise, ODU punter Jonathan Plisco has moved to No. 1 in punting in the FCS. Plisco is averaging 45.85 yards per punt. Pedro Ventura of Prairie View is second at 44.64.

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Monarchs up 17-0 at the half

   Thomas DeMarco continues to execute when needed. The sophomore QB hit Chris Lovitt on a jail-break, wide receiver screen pass to the right side and Lovitt turned it into a 25-yard touchdown with 7 seconds remaining in the first half.

   ODU goes to the break leading 17-0.

   Reid Evans and Nick Mayers were in for one series in the second quarter, but neither saw the ball. Desmond Williams, who rushed for 145 yards last week, has yet to see the field.

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ODU leads 10-0

   Obviously, The Three Amigos are being disciplined for something.

   Reid Evans, Nick Mayers and Desmond Williams accounted for all four of ODU's TDs last week against Campbell.

   This week, they have yet to see the field and it doesn't appear they will see the field in the first half.

   Drew Hareza just kicked his first field goal since his five he had in the first game of the season. This one was from 29 yards. ODU leads 10-0.

   The drive stalled when center Jeremy Hensley was called for a personal foul after the play with the ball at the 6.

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