ODU looks to recapture winning feeling in season finale at South Alabama
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
It’s not likely to affect next season, and it won’t cause any meaningful improvement in the Sun Belt Conference standings. But a win in Saturday’s season finale at South Alabama would sure do Old Dominion some good.
The Monarchs (3-8, 2-5 Sun Belt) saw both their postseason hopes and any possibility of a .500 season dashed with a 37-3 home loss to James Madison two weeks ago. Last week’s 27-14 setback at Appalachian State was ODU’s fifth straight.
The Monarchs find themselves at a self-inflicted crossroads: Either send their seniors out with a win or close the season with six straight losses. Obviously, they’d prefer the former.
“I just think it’d be important to get a win because we need to feel that feeling again,” said coach Ricky Rahne, whose team last won at Coastal Carolina on Oct. 15.
“What impact that has in March when we start spring ball? Just to be blunt, probably very little. But I do think that for some of our younger guys who have started to play more here in the second half of the year due to injuries and things like that, they need to experience what it takes to win a game and see that sort of thing.”
It’s not like they’ve been close lately. During the five-game skid, the Monarchs have been outscored 135-57. The downturn included a strange 13-quarter scoreless streak that ended with a fourth-quarter touchdown at App State — ODU’s first touchdown in three November games.
A sense of urgency long ago set in for the Monarchs’ seniors, who are in the final short row of their careers.
“I just want to win, man,” said R’Tarriun Johnson, a senior safety. “Not for me, but for the rest of these seniors. Some of us might not ever play again. We just want to go out on the right foot.”
As it has been every week, the task is easier said than done. South Alabama (9-2, 6-1) is tied with Troy for first place atop the Sun Belt West Division and is playing for a potential spot in the league’s Dec. 3 championship game.
Jaguars defensive coordinator Corey Batoon said he’s wary of the Monarchs, but confident in his unit’s motivation.
“It’s been a long season for [ODU],” he said. “I think our guys are hungry. I want to send the seniors out the right way. I would anticipate us showing up the same way we have all year. I would be disappointed if we didn’t.”
The approach of the end began to hit Monarchs senior defensive tackle Tyre Bibby as he went through his final Sunday practice with his teammates.
“It was like a bittersweet moment,” Bibby said. “I was happy to be around everybody, but just me knowing that it was my last time practicing with them on a Sunday after the game, it kind of felt crazy a little bit. But I’ll adjust to it.”
Rahne, who has long lamented his team’s inability to execute with consistency, hopes his players draw upon the losing streak as a means to end it.
Last season, the Monarchs followed five straight losses with five straight victories to achieve bowl eligibility. Though that’s now impossible to replicate, they can apply what they’ve learned in recent weeks.
“I think pain and joy both have a place in life,” Rahne said. “And pain can be a motivating factor as well. There’s been a lot of people in this world who have been very successful because of painful memories in their lives, not always experiencing the joy. All emotion is good; you just have to learn how to manage it.”
David Hall, david.hall@pilotonline.com
ODU (3-8, 2-5 Sun Belt) at South Alabama (9-2, 6-1)
When: Noon today
On the air: ESPN+, 94.1 FM
The Monarchs: ODU is coming off a 27-14 loss at Appalachian State in which its offense finally showed signs of life in the final half of the fourth quarter. During an ongoing five-game losing streak, the Monarchs have been outscored 135-57 while losing a handful of star players to injuries. LB Jason Henderson, who leads the nation with 168 tackles, left the App State game early and is questionable for Saturday.
The Jaguars: South Alabama, playing its 10th season at the FBS level, has emerged as one of the best teams in a strong Sun Belt Conference. The Jaguars have won four straight since a 10-6 loss to rival Troy on Oct. 20. A South Alabama win and a Troy loss at Arkansas State on Saturday would give the Jaguars the Sun Belt West title. South Alabama has one of the league’s best rushing defenses. It will face the worst rushing offense in the conference in ODU.
