Old Dominion 49, Virginia Tech 35
When: 3:30 PM ET, Saturday, September 22, 2018
Where: Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium, Norfolk, Virginia
Temperature:
85°
Head Official:
Steve LaMantia
Attendance:
20532
By Field Level Media
Blake LaRussa came off the bench to throw four touchdown passes and run for a fifth score as previously winless host Old Dominion pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the college football season with a 49-35 triumph over No. 13 Virginia Tech on Saturday in Norfolk, Va.
LaRussa entered the game on the Monarchs' second offensive series and completed 30 of 49 passes for 495 yards and threw three touchdowns to Jonathan Duhart (nine catches, 142 yards) and one to Travis Fulgham (nine catches, 188 yards).
ODU (1-3) prevailed in its first-ever game against a team ranked in the AP Top 25. The Hokies (2-1) were playing for the first time in two weeks after their game against East Carolina was canceled due to Hurricane Florence last week.
The Monarchs, four-touchdown underdogs, had lost to Liberty (52-10), Florida International (28-20) and Charlotte (28-25).
Tech (2-1) lost starting quarterback Josh Jackson to injury early in the fourth quarter. He was replaced by Ryan Willis, who threw a tying touchdown pass but couldn't keep pace with LaRussa.
The score was tied at 28 when Jackson, who had passed for 151 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 58 yards, injured his lower left leg. He was helped to the sideline and watched the finish while on crutches.
Jeremy Cox's 15-yard touchdown run gave the Monarchs their first lead of the game at 35-28 with 9:57 remaining.
On fourth-and-3, Willis threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Chris Cunningham to tie the game with 7:15 left.
Old Dominion regained the lead when LaRussa and Duhart teamed on a 29-yard touchdown with 5:11 left.
Willis drove Tech to the ODU 21, but he threw an incompletion on fourth-and-4 with 2:33 remaining.
Cox then ran 40 yards for a clinching touchdown with 1:34 left. He finished with 130 yards on 20 carries.
The score was tied at 14 at halftime before Tech received the second-half kickoff and drove 84 yards to break the tie on Steven Peoples' 1-yard touchdown run.
The Monarchs answered the Hokies' touchdown with one of their own for a third time when LaRussa ran 1 yard for a touchdown to even the score at 21 late in the third quarter.
Jackson's 72-yard touchdown pass to Damon Hazelton put the Hokies back on top 28-21 after three quarters.
LaRussa answered again, throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Fulgham to tie the score at 28 early in the fourth quarter.
The Hokies scored first when Peoples ran 87 yards for a first-quarter touchdown, but LaRussa answered with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Duhart.
Tech regained the lead in the second quarter when Jackson threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Sean Savoy.
LaRussa and Duhart teamed for a 4-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the period to create a 14-14 halftime tie.
--Field Level Media
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Virginia Tech |
|
Old Dominion |
Steven Peoples
|
Player |
Jeremy Cox
|
20 |
Attempts |
20 |
156 |
Yards |
130 |
7.8 |
Avg Yards |
6.5 |
2 |
Touchdowns |
2 |
0 |
Long |
0 |
Team Stats Summary
|
Yards |
Scoring |
Defense |
Team |
Tot |
Rus |
Pas |
TD |
FG |
INT |
Sck |
FF |
Virginia Tech
|
600 |
318 |
282 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
3.0 |
0 |
Old Dominion
|
632 |
137 |
495 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
4.0 |
0 |