NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion started its season with a 54-21 victory. Head coach Bobby Wilder knows the key to more wins is avoiding a loss - the loss of his star quarterback.
"He's such an important member of our team," Wilder said of QB David Washington. However, Washington was pulled for a series in Sunday's season-opening victory vs. Hampton. However, the punishment was not for his play on the field, as Washington completed 10-of-18 passes for 187 yards and four touchdowns. Rather, the dual-threat QB was ordered to take a seat after not following orders to avoid contact.
ODU quarterback David Washington
"He instinctively goes back to being a wide receiver, so he's going to run somebody over, but he can't do that now," Wilder told News 3. Twice in the first half, Washington, who is less than a year removed from reconstructive knee surgery, took-on defenders rather than duck out of bounds.
"We need him to stay healthy, so we need him to get out of bounds when the time is right," said Wilder. "Like we do with all of our players: if you're not doing specifically what you're asked to do, then you're not going to play."
ODU (1-0) travels to Appalachian State (0-1) Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff.
