NORFOLK, Va. — Down 14-0 nothing after witnessing two "Sportscenter top 10" worthy touchdown catches, Old Dominion got the ball at their own 25 with 7:22 left in the first quarter. What happened next is what fans are slowly coming to expect from the Monarchs...a response.
About 2 minutes later Hayden Wolff pulled the ball from his running back and scampered into the end zone. About a minute after that ODU defensive back Robert Kennedy picked off Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter. On the ensuing drive Ali Jennings had 47 of his 129 receiving yards and a touchdown. The score suddenly tied 14-14 at the end of the first quarter.
It was a showcase of the differences between the Monarchs of early 2021 and those of early 2022. This version is able to compete with any opponent under any circumstances.
This version of the Monarchs also proved that their are more steps to take before those responses become consistent wins. This time around it was penalties that did the most damage to ODU. Fourteen of them for 120 yards, many at critical moments.
Outside of the yellow, the team in red had something to do with the loss as well. Liberty had two rushers go for over 100 yards, highlighted by Dae Dae Hunter's 121 yards and two touchdowns. Liberty outgained Old Dominion 478 to 415 in an explosive game for both outfits.
The Monarchs take a 2-3 record into their bye week. On the surface the record is disappointing, but it includes a win over Virginia Tech and competitive showings against both UVA and Liberty. It is fair to note that UVA and Virginia Tech have fallen well below even adjusted expectations, but that does not diminish the Monarchs handling of a ridiculously tough opening slate to 2022.
They'll have a week to think about a tough home loss, nowadays we expect they'll have a response.