For the first few weeks of the season, the University of Charleston football team looked capable of being one of the Mountain East Conference's most difficult offenses to stop.
The Golden Eagles were ranked No. 4 in the country in rushing yards per game.
Then came last week's 9-6 loss to West Liberty -- a game where UC looked not like itself after a couple of solid performances to open the season.
"West Liberty did a nice job, but in my opinion it was a lot of poor execution on our end," UC interim head coach Paul Johnson said. "When I watched the film, it looked like we were one guy away on every play from executing and having a big explosion in the running game. We've got to be able to execute."
In the loss to the Hilltoppers, Charleston gained just 117 yards on the ground and finished with 308 yards of total offense. Those struggles in the running game have often been an indicator of the Golden Eagles' success in past seasons.
UC has won just one game since 2012 when it has gained fewer than 150 rushing yards -- the lone victory coming last season against UVa-Wise.
"They have to understand that everyone has to do their job on every single play, and right now it's about getting back to the basics," Johnson said. "We messed up stuff that these guys have been running since they were freshmen, and that's where you're going to have some problems.
"We've got to stay disciplined and get back to understanding that if one guy is wrong, the play messes up. That's why this is such a great team sport because every part has to work together."
That matchup in the trenches is likely to be hugely important again Thursday night as the Golden Eagles host a Fairmont State team that enters the game third in the MEC in rushing defense.
The Falcons are allowing just 94 yards per game on the ground, limiting opponents to just one rushing touchdown and 2.3 yards per carry through the first three games of the season.
But Johnson, who also serves as the Golden Eagles' offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, said he has seen a motivated group in the practices leading up to this week's game. The team is hungry to correct the mistakes made a week ago.
Both teams expect a fight as they both enter the game with offenses capable of being explosive and defenses that are playing extremely well. And while Charleston wants to keep building momentum with a defense that has allowed just nine points in its last two games, it also knows that in order to fully be able to capitalize on the success on that side of the ball, it needs to execute on offense.
"We have a couple of very similar teams and every year it seems like the games are close, so you know it's just going to come down to who executes," Johnson said. "We know Fairmont is coming in and it's going to be a battle, it's going to be physical. They're coached well defensively, their defensive line is big and active up front. Our focus has been on getting everyone focused on doing their jobs and getting back to those basic things we emphasize."
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Johnson said Tuesday that UC head coach Pat Kirkland, away from the team since last Monday on medical leave, is "improving." According to the university, Kirkland had a medical issue Sept. 9 and was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital.
Contact Michael Carvelli at 304-348-4810 or michael.carvelli@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @carvelli3.