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Saturday night lights: No. 21 Virginia hosts Old Dominion
Old Dominion (1-1) at No. 21 Virginia (3-0), Saturday at 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN2).
Line: Virginia by 28 1/2.
Series record: First meeting.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Virginia looks to continue its best start in more than a decade and overcome what many would consider a trap game with Notre Dame on the road up next. The Monarchs gave Virginia Tech a game two weeks ago and are coming off an early bye week that might have allowed them to install a few surprise elements.
KEY MATCHUP
ODU QB Stone Smartt vs. the Virginia front seven. Smartt kept many plays alive against the Hokies with his feet, and his 48 rushing yards contributed greatly to their ability to finish with 202 yards on the ground. Containing and pressuring him could lead to a big day for the Cavaliers' very talented secondary.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Old Dominion: LB Lawrence Garner. He's a captain, their top tackler and was the leading tackler in Conference USA last season with 11.1 per game. For the Monarchs to contain Perkins and slow an emerging Cavaliers running game, Garner will likely have to have a huge day.
Virginia: RB Wayne Taulapapa. In games Virginia is expected to win, an effective running game could limit the number of times Perkins has to tuck the ball and run, exposing himself to hits that could alter their expectations going forward. A repeat of Taulapapa's three-TD effort against Florida State would help in that regard.
FACTS & FIGURES
Coach Bobby Wilder's son, Derek, plays defensive end for the Monarchs, making the pair one of just six father-son combinations in the Football Bowl Subdivision. ... Wilder, in his 11th season, has a 77-46 record since restarting football for Old Dominion and is the 11th-longest tenured coach at that level. ... The Monarchs have two players already familiar with Virginia in WR Eric Kumah and ER Chris Cunningham, who both transferred from Virginia Tech after last season. ... The Cavaliers are playing their fourth consecutive night game. ... Virginia has a 1-3 record against current members of Conference USA. ... Hasise Dubois needs 33 receiving yards and Joe Reed needs 39 to become the 40th and 41st Cavaliers to reach 1,000 career receiving yards. ... Virginia has 63 freshmen and redshirt freshmen, third most in the FBS.
