Norfolk, Va. – After Old Dominion secured a 10-3 win over Appalachian State on Saturday, head coach Ricky Rahne kept a halftime promise to his players in a way no one expected. He stripped off his shirt and slid face‑first down a muddy hill onto the field, a stunt that quickly spread across social media.
Rahne’s promise and the mudslide
During the halftime break, Rahne told his squad he would do something “big” if they pulled off the win. When the Monarchs broke through for the victory, he headed to a nearby hill, removed his shirt and launched himself down a slick, mud‑covered trail, landing at field level in a dramatic, shirtless slide.
“As the game kept going they kept mentioning to me and mentioning it to me,” Rahne recalled. “I didn’t say I was going to do it with my shirt off. That was a bad decision, but life’s not very fun without a few bad decisions.” The coach admitted the stunt was risky, but said it reflected his belief that a little fun can accompany hard work.
Team performance shines despite the spectacle
While the mudslide captured headlines, Rahne emphasized that the real story was the way his players performed. “The thing I don’t like about it is I feel like it took away from how well the guys played,” he said. “That made it more the story as opposed to how physical our guys played and how much they overcame to win that game, which I wish would’ve been more of the story.”
Old Dominion’s offense broke the 300‑yard mark for the first time since the second game of the season at Virginia Tech, showcasing a balanced attack that kept the Mountaineers on their heels. Defensively, the Monarchs limited Appalachian State’s Sun Belt‑leading passing attack to just 158 total yards, a performance aided in part by the rainy weather that made the field slick.
Looking ahead to Georgia Southern
With a short week to prepare, the Monarchs will host Georgia Southern on Thursday night at S.B. Ballard Stadium. The Eagles enter the matchup with a 2‑4 record, 1‑1 in Sun Belt play, and have lost three straight games against Old Dominion. Georgia Southern quarterback Max Johnson leads the Sun Belt in passing, averaging 262 yards per game, and the team boasts talent on both sides of the ball.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The game promises another test of Old Dominion’s growing confidence after a season‑turning win, and fans in Norfolk will be eager to see whether the team can sustain its momentum without the need for any more mudslides.
Community reaction
The viral clip of Rahne’s mudslide sparked a wave of comments from local supporters, many of whom praised the coach’s willingness to join his players in celebration. Others, however, echoed Rahne’s own concerns that the stunt might have distracted from the team’s on‑field achievements. Regardless, the moment has become a talking point across Norfolk’s social media circles, highlighting the close bond between the Monarchs and their hometown fans.
Old Dominion’s athletic department posted the video on its official football account, and national outlets quickly picked it up, further amplifying the story beyond Virginia. While the mudslide may have been a brief flash of spectacle, the Monarchs’ performance on the field suggests a more lasting impact for the remainder of the season.
Original reporting: WTKR News 3 (Scripps) – local — read the source article.
