Weekly Preview: Old Dominion

Image Credit: Washington Post

Opponent: Old Dominion Monarchs (0-1)
Game Date/Time: Saturday, September 7, 2013; 4:00 PM ET
Venue: Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium (54,000)
TV/Radio Broadcasts: ESPNews, Terrapin Sports Radio Network
All-Time Record: N/A

(Discuss this article on the BSL Message Board here.)

Opponent Preview:

While still technically a member of the FCS, Old Dominion is in a transitionary period between the FCS and the FBS. They will play 5 FBS opponents this season, will be eligible for the Conference USA title next season, and will be eligible for the postseason in 2015. They faced their first FBS opponent last week in East Carolina, a game that the Pirates took by a score of 52-38.

The Monarchs are led on offense by junior quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who is shattering passing records right and left. The Walter Payton Award winner in 2012 has a great number of weapons at his disposal in the high-powered Monarch offense, and has the ability to extend plays with his legs as well. He finished 2012 with 5,076 yards of passing, 470 yards rushing, and 55 total touchdowns. Needless to say, Taylor Heinicke is a very talented quarterback.

The Old Dominion offense is the highlight of this team, and has shown the ability to put up a ton of points week after week. They don’t use a tight end, and they don’t run the ball much. They spread the field with 4-5 wide receivers, and wear down defenses with their passing. Taylor Heinicke passed the ball 51 times last week, compared to the Terps’ quarterbacks combined 29 attempts. The Monarchs rushed the ball 23 times last week, 11 of which were runs by Heinicke. Maryland ran the ball 42 times, and quarterback C.J. Brown ran 11 of those times. It’s easy to see that these two offenses are very, very different from each other.

As good as the Old Dominion offense is, their defense leaves a lot to be desired. When the Monarchs lose games, it’s because their defense gives up more points than their offense can score, which is normally north of 35-40. They are on their 3rd defensive coordinator in 3 years, and by the looks of their 52 points given up to East Carolina, they haven’t improved a whole lot.

Old Dominion is a team in transition, and are very unbalanced. On one hand, they have a hugely successful offense that typically ranks near the top in the FCS. On the other hand, their defense consistently ranks near the bottom of the FCS. In order to succeed against FCS teams, their defense has to improve. They won’t be able to win games at the next level without a decent defense. The Terps have to be able to slow down the Monarchs’ high-powered offense and exploit the bad Monarch defense. If they can do that, they should be 2-0 heading into their game against Connecticut.

Opponent Interview:

Last week I was able to interview Old Dominion football writer Harry Minium and ask him a few questions about this year’s team. I’d like to thank Mr. Minium for his professionalism and insightful responses.

BSL: Old Dominion is entering their first season in the FBS, but is coming off of an impressive 11-2 finish in 2012. What are the expectations for this team heading into 2013?

Minium: It was difficult to know what to expect. ODU is a baby in the college football world. The school played its first football season in 2009, and at the time, officials had no idea they would make the move to FBS in just a few years. Maryland’s move to the Big Ten, and the resulting dislocation of schools from the old Big East, had much to do with ODU moving from the Colonial Athletic Association to Conference USA (which lost schools to the Big East). ODU felt like the window of opportunity might close if they didn’t take the chance.

Most of the players on this team were recruited for FCS. ODU signed a 37-man recruiting class this year, including 12 junior college players. But many will redshirt. I would say that ODU expects or at least hopes to win the seven FCS games on its schedule. It has a good chance to win at Idaho. Coach Bobby Wilder said before the season he wanted every game, especially, ECU, Maryland, Pitt and UNC, to be competitive in the fourth quarter. ODU played with poise at ECU, with 45,000 people there. Physically, ODU held up pretty well at ECU. And the game was competitive in the fourth quarter. We’ll see how they do at Maryland, which I think is a quicker, more physical team.

BSL: The centerpiece of Old Dominion’s high-powered offense is quarterback Taylor Heinicke. What can Terps fans expect to see from the ODU offense, especially from Heinicke?

Minium: Taylor Heinicke is a very special player. He set state high school passing records playing in suburban Atlanta, Ga., but because he’s a shade under 6-feet tall (he’s listed at 6-1, but he’s not 6-1), he had no offers from FBS schools. In fact, ODU was one of the few FCS schools to offer him. He was forced to play as a true freshman because of an injury to ODU’s starter and has been the team’s star ever since. Last season he completed 398 passes for 5,076 yards and 44 touchdowns and ran for 470 yards and 11 more touchdowns. Yes, that was against FCS competition, but last week he had 390 yards of total offense against ECU,  He’s incredibly smart, great at checking off plays at the line of scrimmage, is the best I’ve seen at short passes, is accurate on long passes and is far more fleet than he looks. He has a great instinct for avoiding tackles and for finding a route to a first down. He moves the chains. He’s one of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever seen. ODU plays a no-huddle, spread offense with four wide receivers. I’ve never seen them use a tight end, When they get rolling, they tend to wear down teams defensively. They have great receivers, including Larry Pinkard, a DC native.

BSL: Last week, Old Dominion fell to East Carolina by a score of 52-38. What does the ODU defense have to do differently to slow down the high-octane offenses of the Conference USA?

Minium: ODU defended well against the run and coverage on deep routes was outstanding. Where ODU got beat was on the line and coverage on the short passes. ODU is a little undersized and lacks experience on the defensive line. ODU has only one starter on the defensive line back from last season. Four of the six defensive ends who played at ECU played in their first college game. ODU never got pressure on ECU’s Shane Carden without a blitz, and for much of the game, he simply sat in the pocket and waited for receivers to get open. ODU must get pressure on Brown, and also contain him (he’s more mobile than Carden) to have a chance to compete. 11 of the 28 guys who played defense for ODU were playing in their first college game against ECU. They should be improved this game. How much, against a Maryland offense that I think is better than ECU’s, we’ll see.

BSL: How will ODU attempt to slow down what looks to be an explosive Maryland offense, and find success offensively against a defense that doesn’t seem to have slowed down much at all from last season when they were one of the best units in the country?

Minium: I don’t think ODU will do anything special for Maryland’s offense. They play a base 4-3 defense, with some nickel packages. They blitz a moderate amount. The interesting matchup will be when ODU has the ball. ODU averaged 45.1 points per game last season. The Monarchs scored 38 last week against ECU, and that was in a game where ECU’s offense ate up much time off the clock. If ODU can’t replicate that success against Maryland, I suspect it will be a long game for the Monarchs.

Zack’s Keys to the Game:

• Score in bunches – The Terps have to be able to score a lot of points on the Old Dominion defense. C.J. Brown has to be able to control this game with his arm and his legs.
• Slow down Heinicke – Maryland’s defense showed the ability to pressure FIU quarterback Jake Medlock last week, and needs to be able to rattle Taylor Heinicke the same way. Defensive back play will also be key, and true freshman William Likely could play a huge role if Jeremiah Johnson is unable to play this week.
• Eat up clock – Keeping the Old Dominion offense off the field for as long as possible has to be a priority for the Terps this week. 
• Run the ball well – Going with the above key, the Terps have to be able to run the ball and control the clock. C.J. Brown’s success with the read-option last week shows great promise for this Terps’ running game. If ODU keys in on Brown, watch out for Brandon Ross and Albert Reid. They could have huge games.
• Win the game – While it seems like a no-brainer, the Terps have to be able to win this game. After seeing so many FBS schools fall to FCS teams last week, Maryland has to win at all costs on Saturday. A team with an offense like ODU has could surprise some people this season, and if they keep this game close, the Terps simply have to find a way to win.