HN caught up with the fellas over at ODU Monarchists (@ODUMonarchists &
https://odumonarchists.com), to preview Saturday's game:
Can you talk a bit about the current vibe surrounding ODU football, particularly how Monarch fans feel about Ricky Rahne and the direction the program is heading?
This is a hard thing to answer right now since there is not a consensus among the fan base. But I think all Monarchs will agree that Ricky has made us a more competitive program than we were in CUSA, where we were really only competitive with the mediocre to bad teams in the league. And that is a welcomed change. Over the last two seasons, practically every game we’ve played has been a one score game in the tough Sun Belt east and with our tougher than standard non-conference schedules. However, the lack of consensus comes from the fact that we haven’t quite made that jump from borderline bowl team to conference title contender. Some are ready for change, while others believe he will soon make that jump now that we have seemingly found a QB.
ODU has lost several close one-possession games this season. Has there been a common factor in those losses that has made the difference between winning and losing?
The offense, plain and simple. It wasn’t effective in the second half against Madison at all in really any aspect of the game. Playcalling and execution were to blame. And against USC, App, and ECU, we turned the ball over too many times. If we protected the ball better in those 3 and had better execution against JMU, we’d be sitting pretty right now. If, if, if.
Marshall and ODU both moved from Conference USA to the Sun Belt at the same time. While many Marshall fans are pleased with the switch, what is the general sentiment among ODU fans about the move so far?
Old Dominion fans are happy to be in a league with a rival like JMU again and in a regional division that makes attending road games possible. It certainly helps that the majority of the SBC East also has devoted fan bases.
Where do you think ODU has an advantage on Saturday? What are the keys for a Monarchs victory, and who could be an X-factor for the team?
ODU’s advantage comes in the run game on both sides of the ball. We run the ball extremely well, when we are balanced between inside and outside runs. And we can be a pretty stout rush defense at times. The keys to victory will be protecting the ball, slowing down the Herd’s awesome pass rush and having a consistent game through the air. If we can do that, we will have a balanced attack that will be tough to slow down. But it’s something we just haven’t seen enough of throughout the season. This will be seem lazy given you can say it about every team but my x-factor is effort. ODU had a chance to compete for an East title and lost that last week against JMU. Is a bowl enough to keep them motivated and fighting each and every down? Only time will tell. But if the team is still fighting, this will be a good one.
From a matchup perspective, what about this Marshall team concerns you the most?
The pass rush. Mike Green is a stud and we have, at times, struggled to keep the QB upright. If we don’t slow down the pass rush, it’ll lead to mistakes we can’t afford and Marshall will control this game.
What’s your score prediction for the game, and how do you see it playing out?
Right now, we play one score games. It’s just what we always seem to do. Over the last two seasons, we’ve been in 18 of them. Given that, I predict a final score of 27 to 21. The hard part is who is the victor. Half of our crew on the podcast picked ODU, the other half picked Marshall. It’s easy to see it going either way. The team who does a better job of protecting the ball and controlling the clock will win this game. And with AJ Turner likely out, there is a chance for ODU to win that battle and shock the Herd. But it all comes down to the x factor I mentioned earlier.
