After four consecutive losses, the Old Dominion football team desperately needed a win.
They found it in a gritty 10-3 victory over Appalachian State — and sealed it in true, unfiltered fashion.
“Man, it was great. Honestly, I think that was a culture win,” said wide receiver Kendall Harris. “We had planned to be out there in the mud and in the wet and the cold, and we just went out there and we thought that we could show that our culture is that even though we lost four in a row, there wasn't any doubt that we could still go out there and ground and pound and do what we were supposed to.”
A Messy, Physical Battle
And that’s what they did. The team played a tough, physical game in wet, muddy conditions against an App State program they hadn’t beaten in years. For the first time since the second week of the season, the offense broke through for more than 300 yards.
“The guys played with a lot of passion, a lot of toughness throughout the game,” Thurmond Family Head Football Coach Ricky Rahne said. “I thought they played really, really tough and physical and came together as a football team.”
Defensive lineman Javen Gibson echoed the sentiment, noting that at the end of the day, football is all about winning. Coach Rahne added that executing a “pretty violent brand of football” was key.
A Promise at Halftime
What followed became the moment sports fans across the country would see.
Moments after the final whistle at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, North Carolina, Coach Rahne slid head-first down a rain-soaked muddy hill. Within seconds, players followed suit, coating their white uniforms in mud.
But the celebration wasn’t entirely spontaneous. It was the fulfillment of a halftime promise.
“I saw some people doing it at halftime, so I just told the guys ‘when we win, I’m gonna slide down that hill’,” Coach Rahne said in his Monday press conference.
He said the players made sure he didn’t forget it, reminding him through the end of the game. When the clock hit zero, he kept his word. And the internet took notice.
By Sunday morning, the 10-second clip had taken over sports television and social media, racking up thousands of views on feeds from ESPN, Yahoo Sports, Fox College Football and Barstool Sports.
Enjoying the Process
Emotions were running high going into the game, but the relief was felt instantly.
“God is so faithful,” said Kendall. “When you just keep going in and you keep putting in the work and keep trusting His plan, it’s like, everything. We’re only halfway through the season, but after such a stretch like we had, that was tough to go out and get a dub [win] and then have something that fun, right at the end of the game, it was amazing. Honestly, it was a thing of relief and I’m excited to keep that going.”
Throughout the week leading up to the matchup, Coach Rahne emphasized making sure the team enjoyed the process and the game itself.
He noted the team only led for eight minutes of the game, highlighting their strong run defense, physical offense and exceptional play from quarterback Quinn Henicle.
That execution on the field laid the groundwork for the celebration that followed. While Javen didn’t make it to the mud hill himself, seeing his coach lead the dive caught him off guard and earned his respect.
“That’s my guy,” Javen Gibson said.
ODU created a shirt to remember the viral moment. Proceeds support ODU Football.
Photo by Cam Easton