Not since the season opener six weeks ago has Old Dominion been as close to full strength as it will be for today?s game at Marshall.
With tailback Ray Lawry and defensive ends Bunmi Romiti and Daniel Appouh healthy and expected to play, the Monarchs regain the services of potential difference-makers on both sides of the ball.
And not a minute too soon.
After losing three straight, by a combined 98 points, ODU (2-3, 0-1 Conference USA) approaches the halfway point of the season ?humbled,? said senior cornerback Brandon Addison, a team captain and Western Branch High graduate.
?I told the team: ?When you?re at your lowest is when your character is challenged,? ? Addison said. ?We?re going to get a character check this week.?
The defense, in particular, will find out what it?s made of after missing 39 tackles and allowing 453 rushing yards last weekend in a 58-28 loss to Florida Atlantic . That came on the heels of allowing a combined 91 points in losses to North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
?We?ve just got to get back to being ourselves,? Addison said. ?I?ve been saying it the past three weeks: We haven?t been ourselves at all.?
The Monarchs have certainly born little resemblance to the unit that gave up just 24 points through two weeks and led the nation in sacks, with 15, after wins over Albany and Massachusetts. Or to the group that finished second in C-USA in scoring defense and third in total defense last year.
Injuries and a major step up in competition have had a lot to do with the defense?s play. So, perhaps, did less-physical practices designed to avoid more injuries.
The Monarchs got back to hitting hard this week, with more rugged and competitive practices. For the defense, it was about regaining the confidence it played with earlier.
?I think guys just got away from the fundamentals we teach in practice,? defensive end Oshane Ximines said. ?The biggest thing is coming out with the right mentality in practice, to just get back that mindset we had.?
Coach Bobby Wilder lamented the team?s tackling after the FAU game. but said the defense must be better schematically, which comes back to coaching.
The good news, from Wilder?s perspective, is that ?it?s all things that can be corrected.?
The flip side is that resurgent Marshall (4-1, 1-0) represents yet another major challenge. The Herd rank just middle-of-the-pack in scoring offense and total offense in C-USA, but have a veteran quarterback in junior Chase Litton and the league?s second-leading pass catcher in receiver Tyre Brady, a transfer from Miami.
Not that Wilder expects Marshall to come out slinging, after watching ODU?s run defense vs. FAU.
?I fully expect they?re going to come out and come right at us running the ball and challenge our ability to stop the run, which I would do if I was them,? he said.
ODU had no answer for FAU?s run game, which often stretched the defense east to west, then found openings up the middle. The Monarchs allowed the Owls to develop an offensive rhythm early and never caught their breath.
The lone bright spot was that the ODU run game showed signs of life, with Jeremy Cox rushing for 202 yards. If Lawry is able to play, the Monarchs could get closer to being the power running team they?d hope to be this season.
Marshall rushed for 212 yards in a win over Charlotte last week and has been particularly effective in the fourth quarter, outgaining teams 276-81 on the ground.
?We?ve got to get (Marshall) of their comfort zone and slow the run, which we couldn?t do last week,? Wilder said.
It starts, Addison believes, with defenders getting back in their own comfort zones.
?We?ve just got to get back to who we are,? Addison said.
Getting back to full strength would help. Rotimi and Appouh missed the past two games. The defensive line, which returned three starters and several experienced reserves, was expected to be the strength of the defense. Ximines and Rotimi are ODU?s career sack leaders. Defensive tackle Miles Fox leads this year with 4.5.
?They have very good players, and it?s not just coach-speak, if you turn on the film and watch them,? Marshall coach Doc Holliday said.
Even after what the film showed last week?
?They missed a lot of tackles. I?m sure they?ll get that corrected this week and come in here against us and be ready to go.?
ODU is counting on it.
With tailback Ray Lawry and defensive ends Bunmi Romiti and Daniel Appouh healthy and expected to play, the Monarchs regain the services of potential difference-makers on both sides of the ball.
And not a minute too soon.
After losing three straight, by a combined 98 points, ODU (2-3, 0-1 Conference USA) approaches the halfway point of the season ?humbled,? said senior cornerback Brandon Addison, a team captain and Western Branch High graduate.
?I told the team: ?When you?re at your lowest is when your character is challenged,? ? Addison said. ?We?re going to get a character check this week.?
The defense, in particular, will find out what it?s made of after missing 39 tackles and allowing 453 rushing yards last weekend in a 58-28 loss to Florida Atlantic . That came on the heels of allowing a combined 91 points in losses to North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
?We?ve just got to get back to being ourselves,? Addison said. ?I?ve been saying it the past three weeks: We haven?t been ourselves at all.?
The Monarchs have certainly born little resemblance to the unit that gave up just 24 points through two weeks and led the nation in sacks, with 15, after wins over Albany and Massachusetts. Or to the group that finished second in C-USA in scoring defense and third in total defense last year.
Injuries and a major step up in competition have had a lot to do with the defense?s play. So, perhaps, did less-physical practices designed to avoid more injuries.
The Monarchs got back to hitting hard this week, with more rugged and competitive practices. For the defense, it was about regaining the confidence it played with earlier.
?I think guys just got away from the fundamentals we teach in practice,? defensive end Oshane Ximines said. ?The biggest thing is coming out with the right mentality in practice, to just get back that mindset we had.?
Coach Bobby Wilder lamented the team?s tackling after the FAU game. but said the defense must be better schematically, which comes back to coaching.
The good news, from Wilder?s perspective, is that ?it?s all things that can be corrected.?
The flip side is that resurgent Marshall (4-1, 1-0) represents yet another major challenge. The Herd rank just middle-of-the-pack in scoring offense and total offense in C-USA, but have a veteran quarterback in junior Chase Litton and the league?s second-leading pass catcher in receiver Tyre Brady, a transfer from Miami.
Not that Wilder expects Marshall to come out slinging, after watching ODU?s run defense vs. FAU.
?I fully expect they?re going to come out and come right at us running the ball and challenge our ability to stop the run, which I would do if I was them,? he said.
ODU had no answer for FAU?s run game, which often stretched the defense east to west, then found openings up the middle. The Monarchs allowed the Owls to develop an offensive rhythm early and never caught their breath.
The lone bright spot was that the ODU run game showed signs of life, with Jeremy Cox rushing for 202 yards. If Lawry is able to play, the Monarchs could get closer to being the power running team they?d hope to be this season.
Marshall rushed for 212 yards in a win over Charlotte last week and has been particularly effective in the fourth quarter, outgaining teams 276-81 on the ground.
?We?ve got to get (Marshall) of their comfort zone and slow the run, which we couldn?t do last week,? Wilder said.
It starts, Addison believes, with defenders getting back in their own comfort zones.
?We?ve just got to get back to who we are,? Addison said.
Getting back to full strength would help. Rotimi and Appouh missed the past two games. The defensive line, which returned three starters and several experienced reserves, was expected to be the strength of the defense. Ximines and Rotimi are ODU?s career sack leaders. Defensive tackle Miles Fox leads this year with 4.5.
?They have very good players, and it?s not just coach-speak, if you turn on the film and watch them,? Marshall coach Doc Holliday said.
Even after what the film showed last week?
?They missed a lot of tackles. I?m sure they?ll get that corrected this week and come in here against us and be ready to go.?
ODU is counting on it.
