The Bulldogs will resume conference play this week with an eagerness to put the memory of last week’s upset loss behind them.
The loss to Logan was not a season killer, but the margin for error is thin for the team’s playoff aspirations going forward.
“Our backs are against the wall at this point,” coach Ryan Adams said. “We’ve still got everything to fight for that we started out wanting at the beginning of the season, but certainly another slip will take away a lot of what we’re fighting for.”
This week’s opponent will be the Meigs Marauders (3-3, 1-2 TVC Ohio). The Maruaders’ first and second string quarterbacks have sustained injuries, and it is unclear whether either will play Friday. Adams is prepared for a steady diet of the Meigs running game, but is unsure of what to expect beyond that.
“(Meigs) still has athletes back there to get some things done,” Adams said. “It just depends on what they decide to put in this week, which kind of makes them a little bit of a mystery.”
With Meigs trying to control the clock with the ground game, the pressure will be on the Bulldog offense to be efficient. Every possession will be more important than usual if Meigs runs successfully, but quarterback Brendan Sano’s approach will hardly vary.
“We just know we wanna score every time we get the ball,” Sano said. “Everyone says ‘Punt team? We don’t need it. That’s our motto.' "
Athens’ defense is especially ready to erase last week's memories of missed tackles and mistakes in the secondary. After a talk with Adams earlier in the week, cornerback Nate Gribble said the defense has the right mindset heading into Meigs.
“Defense all starts with the aspiration to play,” Gribble said. “We’re ready to hit somebody this week.”
Gribble said Athens (4-2, 2-0 TVC Ohio) will play a lot of man coverage this week in an effort to focus the wandering eyes of the secondary. If Meigs’ quarterback injuries linger into Friday, playing man would make even more sense, giving an opportunity to put more defenders in the box against a run-heavy attack.
All-position man Treyce Albin will get his first start at cornerback this week, which will give Athens more size and athleticism in its secondary. Given his new defensive role on top of his offensive and return man duties, Albin will rarely come off the field this week.
Meigs may have questions at quarterback, but it’s hard to imagine Athens playing down to its opponent’s level after last week. Adams said Meigs is a tough road environment, but his team is ripe for a revenge game, and the atmosphere at practice showed it.
