Minium: Texas State Could Be Most Difficult Team Left on ODU's Challenging Schedule

By Harry Minium

NORFOLK, Va. – There has been much ado made of the difficult schedule that Old Dominion’s football team plays this season, and with good cause.

Opening on the road at South Carolina, and then taking on Virginia Tech in S.B. Ballard Stadium two weeks later, is a lot for any football team to bite off and chew.

But now that the Monarchs are knee deep into their Sun Belt Conference schedule, things aren’t getting any easier. And that doesn’t surprise Ricky Rahne, ODU’s head coach.

“The Sun Belt is an incredibly competitive league,” he said. “It’s tough to beat anyone in the Sun Belt.”

In fact, ODU’s next opponent – Texas State – is an offensive juggernaut that could be the best team the Monarchs play this season. The Monarchs and Bobcats face off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at S.B. Ballard Stadium. It is ODU’s annual homecoming game.

Texas State (4-2 overall, 2-0 Sun Belt) was the favorite to win the Sun Belt West and has won both of its conference games so far by convincing margins the last two weeks – a 38-17 victory at Troy and a 41-9 triumph at home against Arkansas State.

The Bobcats, who are 10 ½-point favorites at ODU, are a couple of plays away from being 6-0.

The Monarchs are coming off a hard-fought, 21-14, victory at Georgia State in which for the second week in a row, they rushed for more than 200 yards.

ODU’s defense stood tall in Atlanta, limiting the Panthers to 314 yards in a game not decided until the final seconds.

Facing second down on the ODU 28 with 1:28 left, Georgia State quarterback Zach Gibson was sacked by Kris Trinidad. Gibson did not see Trinidad coming and the ball slipped from his grasp just before he hit the turf. Mario Thompson recovered the fumble to clinch the victory for ODU.

ODU’s defense has played with incredible resilience minus All-American linebacker Jason Henderson, who has been sidelined for all but the opener at South Carolina.

Rahne announced at his press conference on Monday that Henderson will redshirt this season.

Former walk-on Koa Naotala has played incredibly well in Henderson’s absence. He has 47 tackles, including three for a loss and two sacks as well as three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

“I’ve been very happy with how our linebackers have played,” Rahne said. “Koa has really played very, very well.”

That defense faces a difficult challenge against Texas State. The Bobcats lead the Sun Belt with 477.5 offensive yards and 38.2 points per game.

They are led by Jordan McCloud, a 6-foot, 205-pound redshirt senior quarterback who was Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year last season at James Madison. He transferred to Texas State after JMU’s head coach departed and has taken right over where he left off.

McCloud, who previously played at South Florida and Arizona, is 10th nationally in total offense with 1,915 yards and 15^th in passing yards with 1,715.

The next 10 days are critical to ODU's hopes of winning the Sun Belt title and/or winning the six games necessary to become bowl eligible.

Five days after hosting Texas State, the Monarchs host Georgia Southern on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. That game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Rahne, as usual, addressed only the next opponent at his press conference.

Texas State is located in the Austin suburb of San Marcos, Texas, and since moving up to FBS in 2012, has struggled to create a national identity.

The Bobcats had only one winning record and had never been to a bowl game until last season when first-year coach G.J. Kinne led them to an 8-5 record and a First Responders Bowl victory over Rice.

Had a couple of plays gone the other way, Texas State could be 6-0 and ranked nationally.

Texas State outgained, and in many ways, outplayed, Arizona State before losing, 31-28, on a Friday night game played on national TV. The Bobcats succumbed to their own errors – two fumbles and an interception.

“I think we earned a lot of respect around the country tonight,” Kinne said.

Arizona State is 5-1 and upset No. 16 Utah, 27-19, this past weekend.

A week after the Arizona State loss, the Bobcats led Sam Houston, 39-21, but again stymied by fumbles and 11 costly penalties, lost 40-39. Sam Houston is also 5-1.

Rahne confessed he doesn't know Texas State's history that well, but knows enough about its current team, and its coaching staff.

"I have a lot of respect for coach Kinne and what he's done at Texas State," Rahne said. "I was able to meet him and his wife at Sun Belt meetings and he's just a great, great guy. I've followed them from afar. Going to a bowl game last season was a big step for them and that they were touted to be a big team going into this year. I was able to catch a little of the Arizona State game at the time and was impressed.

"I know they're a very talented team and play very very hard."

NOTES: ODU is encouraging fans to wear Hudson Blue for Homecoming week.  . . . Tailgate lots around S.B. Ballard Stadium will open at 10 a..m., 5 1/2 hours before gametime, to allow fans to set up prior to the alumni parade. Once the parade begins at 11, tailgate lots will close again until the parade is over. Lots are expected reopen by noon at the latest. . . . The ODU Alumni Association is offering special packages for homecoming tailgating on Kaufman Mall. CLICK HERE for more information . . . For information on all homecoming events, CLICK HERE . . . Texas State re-committed to remaining in the Sun Belt earlier this year after being approached by both the Mountain West and Pac-12 conferences. . . . Rahne said that Henderson has managed to keep a positive attitude in spite of his injury. "He wants to be out there with his teammates and he wants to play the game he loves, right?" he said. "So it's tough for anybody. He's been around every day. He's trying to help his teammates, talk to them, while also working to make sure he's getting himself back into shape."

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