Hoping to make a stand in a season that is looking increasingly unsalvageable, Old Dominion instead continued to tumble Saturday in a 38-14 loss to Alabama-Birmingham.
UAB was the last team Old Dominion had not played since joining Conference USA and arguably the last one the Monarchs needed to face at this point in a crumbling campaign.
The matchup was by all indications a bad one for ODU, and on a gray afternoon at 92-year-old Legion Field, things went about as projected.
To wit, Conference USA’s best defense dominated the league’s — and nation’s — worst offense. ODU managed just 150 yards, two above the program-low.
The ball-hawking Blazers, national leaders in fumble recoveries, added a couple more to their total.
A team that doesn’t lose at home — the Blazers have now won 16 straight since restarting football in 2017 — had an easy day against one that has now lost six straight, matching the longest skid in program history.
“We’re in as much adversity as we could possibly have right now,” coach Bobby Wilder said.
The Monarchs (1-6, 0-3 C-USA) could at least say they were competitive in their other losses. Not so in this one, which got away early.
Hoping to breathe some life into the offense, ODU turned to quarterback Messiah deWeaver, who sparked the team in relief at Marshall last week and started Saturday.
A UAB secondary considered the weak link of an otherwise stout defense provided a potential target.
But the Monarchs couldn’t sustain much. DeWeaver completed just 6 of 24 passes for 82 yards. ODU finally found the end zone late in the third quarter, putting a modest dent in UAB’s comfortable margin.
“People aren’t holding everybody accountable,” said receiver Darrell Brown, a fifth-year senior. “We practice hard and we practice well. I just don’t think we have enough people that are vocal and that’s including myself.”
A pair of early mistakes set the tone. The Monarchs committed their first on just their second play when a backward pass to Kesean Strong hit the turf and was recovered by the Blazers at the ODU 31. It wasn’t intended to be a lateral, but deWeaver did not drop deep enough before throwing.
It took UAB just three plays to take advantage, on a 2-yard run by Lucious Stanley.
UAB (6-1, 2-1) gave the Monarchs prime field position by fumbling themselves on their next possession. But ODU gave the ball right back. DeWeaver lost it on first down, and Alex Wright returned in 30 yards to set up UAB’s second score.
“Those are the huge mistakes we’re making right now, particularly early in games that are putting us in holes,” Wilder said.
ODU never dug out. If not for some inconsequential yards late, the Monarchs would have set an new offensive low.
Wilder blamed a lack of execution, and again pointed to his team’s inexperience playing together. After an off-season overhaul of the roster, the Monarchs are a mix of transfers and younger players who haven’t meshed.
The frustration was evident in the voice of defensive end Keion White, who said players simply have to “do their jobs.”
“I don’t care what we did in the past,” he said. “I planning on winning all five (remaining) games. Because I don’t lose. I’m not losing.”
Brown said players are planning a meeting to air things out. While that could help, Wilder said improvement comes down to eliminating fundamental mistakes. That can only be done through practice, and repetition.
It’s a familiar refrain. To fans growing impatient, Wilder asked for forbearance.
“We just hope they stick with us. We are a young, inexperienced team right now that’s making a lot of mistakes. We’re going to keep working our tails off to get better,” he said.
ODU will host Florida Atlantic this week.
