NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Compare the Old Dominion team that charged out to a 4-1 start to the one that's taken the field the last two weeks and you'll find them to be drastically different.
Sun Belt road games have been a horror show for the Monarchs the last two weeks. Turnovers, failed fourth down conversions, production grinding to a halt... all things uncharacteristic from the first five weeks of the season. But head coach Ricky Rahne says the confidence he has in his players and team hasn't waned.
"They've shown they can do it and they've shown they care," he said Monday. "Concern isn't really the word. It's more wanting to make sure that I can find the best way to help them reach the level of success that I know they deserve based on their work ethic and things like that."
"The past two weeks haven't been our best ball," added redshirt sophomore cornerback Zion Frink. "We know we them boys. We still feel confident and know that we're the guys, just got to come back and just attack with the process, doing everything the right way and live with the result."
Results the Monarchs hope will resemble their convincing victories over Virginia Tech, Liberty and Coastal Carolina, rather than their setbacks at Marshall and James Madison. ODU committed eight turnovers over the course of those two games while giving up 48 and 63 points, respectively. Saturday saw the Monarchs allow 624 yards to the Dukes (the second-most ever in program history) and only gain 10 total yards of offense after halftime.
"Definitely frustrating," senior offensive lineman Stephon Dubose-Bourne said of the second half disaster. "We're a really good team and we just been showing it the last two weeks. We really need to just get back to what we've been doing in the past."
ODU returns home this Saturday to face Appalachian State in a meeting of squads with identical 4-3 records, 1-2 in the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers are coming off a loss to Coastal Carolina and looking to get back on the right foot. They average 420 yards of offense per game and have some players who can cause issues in all three phases of the game. Despite the results of the last two contests, Rahne is full speed ahead and eager to respond.
"When we lose, I feel as much or more pain than anybody because I invest heavily in it," he noted. "But I'm going to be able to react and get ready for the next game because not only is it important for me, but it's important for the kids around me and it's important for those young men to see how people need to respond to things."
The evidence of the silver and blue's potential is there. Through five games, they ranked tenth in the nation in total offense, were scoring nearly 40 points per game and shutting teams down. Their only defeat through the first five outings was a 27-14 opening loss to now No. 3 Indiana. With five games remaining, the Monarchs now work on returning to that form.
"We've played really really well for long stretches during this season," the head coach pointed out. "Obviously we have to get back to that and that's all of us and it's my job to get us to play with that conviction and play with that sort of speed and things of that nature."
Old Dominion and App State kick off Saturday at noon in the Monarchs' homecoming game. Fans who can't make it to S.B. Ballard Stadium can catch the contest on ESPNU.
