NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- It's been a rough year for Old Dominion's offense and the Monarchs are looking for answers as the window nearly closes on bowl eligibility.
ODU's 26-0 loss at Louisiana Tech this past Saturday dropped its record to 2-6, 1-4 in Sun Belt play, putting the silver and blue in a position where they have to win their remaining four games to qualify for a bowl game.
The latest defeat was marred by just 141 yards of total offense, which included minus-9 yards on the ground. Old Dominion's 251 yards per outing rank at the bottom of the nation among FBS programs, with their rushing offense, scoring and sacks allowed near the bottom of the FBS statistical lists as well. Despite the struggles, Ricky Rahne still believes in his coaches and personnel.
"I see those guys battling and I see those guys fighting," Rahne said Monday. "Obviously their production is not what any of us want, but I think our kids are committed, our coaches are committed, I'm committed to making sure we play really, really well this week and we continue to go."
The offensive output has become a major source of concern. Old Dominion has tallied 274 total yards or less in five of its last six games. Two of them saw the Monarchs held under 150 yards. The 38 sacks allowed rank last in the Sun Belt, 19 more than the rest of the league and ODU is the conference's only team to average less than 100 rushing yards per game.
Rahne says his message to offensive coordinator Kody Cook is finding ways for the unit to perform consistently.
"Nobody wants to score more points than he does," Rahne said of his assistant. "For all of us on offense, we're trying to gain more consistency. That's the thing that we have to have. We're not being consistent enough and that consistency is not only leading to lack of sustaining drives, but it's leading us to not being able to hit the explosive plays that we want to hit."
There has also been inconsistency at the quarterback position due to injury. Jaxon Potter made his first start in silver and blue this past Saturday after injuries to starter Quinn Henicle and back-up Ryan Huff. Rahne said Monday that both are progressing and one or both could be ready to play this weekend.
The Monarchs now turn the page and welcome Marshall for a Sun Belt East showdown this Saturday. The Thundering Herd will have 11 days between games after picking up a 2013 win over South Alabama last Tuesday. Marshall is 4-3 on the season and has won eight in a row in the series with Old Dominion.
Kickoff between ODU and the Thundering Herd is set for 1 p.m. this Saturday afternoon.
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