Minium: ODU Football Team is Frustrated but Hasn't Lost Heart Nor its Demeanor After a 1-5 Start

By Harry Minium

I can't imagine how difficult it has been for Old Dominion's football team, players and coaches alike, to endure what has by any standard been a terribly frustrating first half of the 2021 season.

Only a handful of plays separate this team from a 4-2 record. And that would have been considered a miracle in some quarters given that ODU is one the nation's youngest teams, is being coached by a relatively new coaching staff and because of the pandemic, did not play in 2020.

A key penalty and a fumble during the fourth quarter were among the many mistakes that cost ODU in a 35-34 loss to Buffalo, a game in which the Monarchs outscored the Bulls, 27-0, in the second half.

A fumble, penalties and a dropped pass near the end zone allowed UTEP to rally from a 21-20 deficit and defeat ODU 28-21.

And ODU led Marshall 13-6 on the road last weekend, with less than a minute to go before the Herd tied the score on a 52-yard touchdown pass and then won in overtime, 20-13.

A play here or two in each game and ODU would have a winning record. And by the way, effort hasn't been the issue. This team has played hard. For the most part, it's been mental errors.

As a result, ODU is 1-5 and has lost four in a row as the Monarchs prepare to host Western Kentucky Saturday at 3:30 for homecoming.

In spite of the hardships this team has experienced, the Monarchs have neither lost hope nor their demeanor.

By this point of a similar season, in some programs there would be finger pointing and frustrations boiling over on the field. Yet none of that has happened. On the practice field, in the locker room and playing field, the Monarchs have been models of decorum.

"Character is one of our three C's," coach Ricky Rahne said of ODU's motto, Care, Compete, Character, during his weekly press conference Monday.

"We've been great at that. We've been great at not talking back to the refs or not showing disrespect to our opponents or not showing disrespect to our teammates or coaches.

"I've been incredibly impressed with how we've handled our emotions during games."

I've said from the start of fall practice that this is a good football team and will win games. I believe that's truer today than it was then.

The Monarchs have played a difficult schedule. UTEP is 5-1 and a victory away from being bowl eligible. Wake Forest (6-0) is nationally ranked and the only unbeaten ACC team. Marshall is only 3-3, but the Herd should have beaten both East Carolina and Appalachian State. They failed to make the big plays in those games that they made against ODU.


Nick Saldiveri

Liberty is 5-1 and surely headed back into the Top 25 before the season ends.

Offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri said the team has improved each week and admits, it's "definitely frustrating" to not see that show up in ODU's record.

"Just seeing your teammates leaving it out on the line and, and you're leaving it out on the line, every game and being so close, it hurts," he said.

"But focusing on what we have next, that's so important. Everybody knows that we're close, but close is close, it's not getting the job done.

"Every day needs to be the best practice of the year. You need to leave the field exhausted. That's where you gain that confidence, that ability to finish games."

Rahne admitted Monday he may have made some mistakes against Marshall. He's been good about that all season, acknowledging that he, like anyone else, is not perfect.

Regardless, his message to the team after the game was crystal clear.

"I told them this is when you invest more, this is when you work and make sure that in every single practice, you're giving everything you have," he said.

"We ran out of gas again at the end. I actually think it was more of a mental thing. So, we've got make sure we're mentally locked in throughout practice so we can start to build up that sort of mentality throughout the game.

"They responded well. We've got a great group of young men. I'm proud of the way we've responded.

"I thought our players played extremely hard, again, and that's something I expect them to do and continue to do throughout the season.

"But we need to find a way from the coaches to the players to the trainers to everyone involved in our program, we have to find a way to close that out and get the win."

As he has said often this season, there are no moral victories.

"Overall, we're trending in the right direction," when asked to judge his team at mid-season.

"But we haven't been consistent enough to produce the results that we want and Monarch Nation deserves. The thing that has held us back is overall consistency.

"We've got to be more consistent to show the progress we're making.

"I'm process oriented but I'm not an idiot. I'm judged on results, which is fine. I know we're still making progress. Anyone who watches the tape knows we're making progress.

"But ultimately the results are the results. We've got to be more consistent to get the results."

Western Kentucky (1-4, 0-1 Conference USA) has a high-powered offense led by Bailey Zappe, a transfer from Houston Baptist who threw for more than 10,000 yards at the FCS school and averages 447 passing yards and four touchdown passes per game. The Hilltoppers are 12 ½-point favorites over ODU (1-5, 0-2).

Speaking of teams that would have a much better record, WKU could easily be 4-1. The Hilltoppers' only game that wasn't close was a 48-31 loss at nationally Michigan State, and WKU hung tough with the Big Ten school for three quarters.

Their other losses were at Army, 38-35, at home against Big Ten opponent Indiana, 33-31, and at home against unbeaten Texas-San Antonio, 52-46. 

Asked about his team's confidence after the loss to Marshall. Rahne said that more than ever, the players believe they are on the right track and will win games.

"Are they upset we didn't win a game we could have and probably should have? Of course," he said.

"But I wouldn't say their confidence is any lower. They realize the mistakes that we made that put us in that position. They realize the great plays we made that put us in that position.

"The thing is that that I see their confidence growing from fact that when we are doing things correctly, they know the kind of team we can be."

A team that can and will win games.

Minium was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in his 39 years at The Virginian-Pilot and won 27 state and national writing awards. He covers ODU athletics for odusports.com Follow him on Twitter @Harry_MiniumODU, Instagram @hbminium1 or email hminium@odu.edu