Minium: The Beat goes on for ODU football, which plays another very tough game this week

By Harry Minium

Zach Barlev didn’t need to watch film this week to learn that Bowling Green is a very good football program.

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound junior from Bolingbrook, Illinois committed to Bowling Green while playing for Plainfield East High School. But when Illinois offered him, he called coaches at Bowling Green to let them know he would play for his home-state team, which plays in the Big Ten.

Four years later, Barlev anchors Old Dominion’s offensive line. And the next game on ODU’s schedule is, oddly enough, Bowling Green.

The Falcons (1-2), members of the Mid-American Conference, host the Monarchs (0-3) Saturday night at 5 in the final non-conference game for ODU.

Bowling Green came heartbreakingly close to upsetting two Top 25 teams. Three weeks ago the Falcons fell at then No. 8 Penn State, 34-27. Then this past weekend, No. 25 Texas A&M held off Bowling Green, 26-20.

“If you see the game against Penn State, you could say that, ‘Oh, it’s just one game,” Barlev said.

“But then they did it again against Texas A&M. That’s a very good football team.”

That is a recurring theme for ODU. The Monarchs have played a murderer’s row so far this season, opening with a 23-19 loss at South Carolina, a game in which the Monarchs outplayed the Gamecocks; fell at home to East Carolina, 20-14; and then lost to Virginia Tech, 37-17.

Turnovers and other mistakes cost the Monarchs dearly in all three losses, and in recent games, so has ODU’s failure to protect its quarterback.

Bowling Green is a 9 ½-point favorite, and as ODU Head Coach Ricky Rahne said at his Monday press conference, Bowling Green “will be battling for the MAC championship.”

And the Sun Belt Conference schedule may be just as difficult as the non-conference. The Monarchs begin their eight-game league schedule on Oct. 5 when they visit Coastal Carolina, which is 3-1

On Oct. 12, ODU travels to Georgia State, which is 2-1 and upset Vanderbilt two weeks ago; and then on Oct. 19, hosts Texas State, which is 2-1 after blowing out UTSA and then a losing a 31-28 nail biter to Arizona State.

James Madison, a blowout winner over North Carolina last week, awaits in a home game on Nov. 8 at ODU that, by the way, is nearing a sellout.

“We knew we were going to play a tough schedule,” said safety Jahron Manning, a New Orleans, Louisiana native and a transfer from Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy at all. And that’s the way you would want it at any level. You don’t want an easy, walk-through schedule.

“But I feel like as team, as a defense, offense, special teams — all three phases of the game — we came out and showed that we can compete with any team in the country.”

ODU is coming off a bye week, and an additional week off was something the Monarchs dearly needed.

Starting quarterback Grant Wilson did not play against Virginia Tech, and All-American linebacker Jason Henderson played sparingly at South Carolina and hasn’t played since.

As usual, Rahne would not comment on their status other than to say they are both making progress and that he will start the players “who give us the best chance of winning.”

He has steadfastly declined to comment on injuries to protect his players.

Redshirt freshman Colton Joseph played two series against the Hokies, with true freshman Quinn Henicle playing most of the game. Neither had played a down of college football.

Combined, they completed six of 14 passes for 50 yards and were sacked six times.

Koa Naotala, a 5-11, 227-pound junior from Newport News, replaced Henderson and leads ODU with 32 tackles

For Barlev and the rest of the offensive line, the extra week was a time to focus on its most important job – giving the quarterback, whoever plays, time to throw.

“Our main goal is to protect our quarterback,” Barlev said. “And we haven’t done a great job of that this season.

"That's what our main emphasis has been this week, protecting whoever is back there."

Although the Monarchs are 0-3, there is still much to play for. Win six of the final nine games and the Monarchs go back to a bowl game for the third time in four seasons.

And a team that outplayed South Carolina on its home field surely can contend for the Sun Belt title.

But for now, the focus is on Bowling Green, which features some very good players.

Quarterback Connor Bazelak threw for 5,084 yards in three seasons at Missouri before transferring to Indiana and then to Bowling Green. He completed 20 of 26 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown against Texas A&M.

Tight end Harold Fannin Jr., a 6-4, 235-pound senior, has 25 catches for 349 yards and two touchdowns.

"They've got a very experienced quarterback who's going to end up throwing 300 passes in five consecutive seasons (not including the 2020 Covid season)," Rahne said. "And their tight end, he's a very good football player.

"This team is well-coached. I have a lot of respect for them.

"It's homecoming, so there should be a good crowd. We're looking forward to it."

And, Rahne said, the rest of the season.

"We're capable of getting better and capable of putting a run together," he said. "And I know we were capable of winning games we already played this year.

"One thing that we've been able to do since I got here is improve. The guys have gotten better.

"Getting better is something we need to continue to focus on."

Minium is ODU’s senior executive writer. Contact him at hminium@odu.edu or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram