Old Dominion looking to be bowl eligible next Saturday...
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ODU crushes Marshall 38-14 to become bowl eligible
NORFOLK
This isn’t a vintage Marshall team. The Thundering Herd has lost six of its past seven games, and most weren’t close.
But it was symbolic of the progress Old Dominion has made in its short time in the Football Bowl Subdivision that the Monarchs became bowl-eligible for the first time Saturday night by crushing the Thundering Herd.
Tailback Ray Lawry rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown, and ODU’s defense was absolutely dominant, as the Monarchs rolled to a 38-14 victory over a Marshall team that by every measure, has been Conference USA’s premier program.
In its past three seasons, Marshall won 33 games, the 2014 C-USA championship and three bowl games. The victory was sweet revenge for ODU after being manhandled by the Herd the last two seasons. Marshall crushed ODU 56-14 in 2014 and won handily last season, 27-7.
ODU’s victory eliminated the Herd (2-7, 1-4 C-USA) from bowl contention.
The victory all but assured ODU (6-3, 4-1) of one of the league’s six bowl bids in just its second season of eligibility. And it came on a night when its longshot hopes of winning the C-USA East Division championship got a big boost.
Middle Tennessee was upset by Texas-San Antonio 45-25 and fell into third place. The Blue Raiders (6-3, 3-2) likely would have won a tiebreaker had ODU and MTSU finished first.
ODU and Western Kentucky (7-3, 5-1) are essentially tied for first. WKU, a 59-24 winner over ODU last month, will claim the title if it wins its last two games. However, if the Hilltoppers lose once and ODU wins its final three, the Monarchs are headed for the C-USA championship game on Dec. 3.
“It feels good to have made history, to be the first team to go to a bowl game,” Lawry said.
“And it feels great to finally beat Marshall. They embarrassed us two years ago in front of our home crowd. We were determined that we weren’t going to let them to do that again.”
Coach Bobby Wilder had insisted that the Monarchs weren’t focused on becoming bowl-eligible, but instead, on winning the East Division. But with two minutes left, and his players already celebrating, Wilder got an icy Gatorade bath from captains David Washington, Rashaad Coward, T.J. Ricks and Zach Pascal.
“We made history,” Wilder said. “We’re the first ODU team to go to a bowl game. But our first goal remains, to win the East Division championship.”
Wilder paid homage to the players who helped ODU build a successful FCS program, and paved the way for the school’s invitation to C-USA.
“This win was for everyone who’s been a part of this program, from Taylor Heinicke to Thomas DeMarco to Ronnie Cameron to Craig Wilkins. This win for was them. They laid the foundation for our success.
“If we’re a losing program, I’m not sure we’re in Conference USA.”
ODU’s offense rolled up 461 yards, as Washington threw touchdown passes to Travis Fulgham, Pascal and Jonathan Duhart. But the defense allowed ODU to dominate.
ODU surrendered the fewest points in a league game and was especially dominant in the second and third quarters. The Monarchs held the Herd to 4 yards in the second quarter and 20 in the third when ODU built an insurmountable 31-7 lead.
The Herd had 214 offensive yards, but 70 came on the game’s final drive, when Marshall’s subs scored a meaningless touchdown against ODU’s subs. The Monarchs held standout quarterback Chase Litton to a career-low 87 yards.
Tackles Rashaad Coward and Miles Fox controlled the line of scrimmage, as Coward sniffed out two third-down screen passes and tackled ballcarriers for a loss. End Oshane Ximines had two sacks.
Cornerback Brandon Addison may have played his best game of his career, setting a school record with five pass breakups and adding three open-field, one-on-one tackles.
ODU sprinted to a quick lead as its offense scored two touchdowns with a formation that the Monarchs haven’t used – running backs stood on either side of Washington as he took the shotgun snap.
The formation seemed to confuse the Herd at first, which was helpless on the Monarchs’ first two possessions.
ODU drove 75 yards on the game’s opening drive, with Washington completing three passes for 50 yards. He began and ended the drive with passes to Duhart, whose 9-yarder gave ODU a 7-0 lead with 10:32 left in the first quarter.
After the Monarchs held Marshall on downs, the Monarchs drove 75 yards again, this time largely with its rushing game. Lawry ran for 34 yards on first down, then five plays later, ran 33 yards for a touchdown that gave ODU a 14-0 lead just eight minutes in.
Litton then led Marshall on its only scoring drive of the first half that harkened back to Marshall’s high-octane offense of old. He rolled to his right on the last play of 93-yard drive, and placed the ball perfectly to tight end Ryan Yurachek, who made a diving, 5-yard catch.
But as they have most of the season, the Monarchs responded quickly, again driving 75 yards. Twice on third down, Washington was rushed from the backfield and found Fulgham for a 20-yard pass and Isaiah Harper for 15 yards.
Again rushed from the pocket, he lofted a throw-it-up-and-pray pass to the left corner of the end zone that Pascal jumped and took away from cornerback Rodney Allen. ODU led 21-7 with 5:03 left in the second quarter.
ODU’s defense shut Marshall’s offense down again, with Ximines sacking Litton on second down and tackle Coward tackling Hampton native Tony Pittman for no gain on third down.
ODU put the game out of reach midway through the third quarter, when Fulgham hauled in a pass at the 1, and bulled across for the TD for a 28-7 lead.
ODU will host Southern Mississippi this weekend with a ton of momentum. The Monarchs have won five of their past six . Southern Miss (5-4, 3-2) was upset 38-27 by Charlotte at home Saturday. Standout quarterback Nick Mullens left the game with an injury.
“It can’t be overstated how big this moment is for our program,” Wilder said. “The scene in the locker room after the game was one of most inspiring things I’ve been a part of. It was just pure joy.”
ODU crushes Marshall 38-14 to become bowl eligible
NORFOLK
This isn’t a vintage Marshall team. The Thundering Herd has lost six of its past seven games, and most weren’t close.
But it was symbolic of the progress Old Dominion has made in its short time in the Football Bowl Subdivision that the Monarchs became bowl-eligible for the first time Saturday night by crushing the Thundering Herd.
Tailback Ray Lawry rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown, and ODU’s defense was absolutely dominant, as the Monarchs rolled to a 38-14 victory over a Marshall team that by every measure, has been Conference USA’s premier program.
In its past three seasons, Marshall won 33 games, the 2014 C-USA championship and three bowl games. The victory was sweet revenge for ODU after being manhandled by the Herd the last two seasons. Marshall crushed ODU 56-14 in 2014 and won handily last season, 27-7.
ODU’s victory eliminated the Herd (2-7, 1-4 C-USA) from bowl contention.
The victory all but assured ODU (6-3, 4-1) of one of the league’s six bowl bids in just its second season of eligibility. And it came on a night when its longshot hopes of winning the C-USA East Division championship got a big boost.
Middle Tennessee was upset by Texas-San Antonio 45-25 and fell into third place. The Blue Raiders (6-3, 3-2) likely would have won a tiebreaker had ODU and MTSU finished first.
ODU and Western Kentucky (7-3, 5-1) are essentially tied for first. WKU, a 59-24 winner over ODU last month, will claim the title if it wins its last two games. However, if the Hilltoppers lose once and ODU wins its final three, the Monarchs are headed for the C-USA championship game on Dec. 3.
“It feels good to have made history, to be the first team to go to a bowl game,” Lawry said.
“And it feels great to finally beat Marshall. They embarrassed us two years ago in front of our home crowd. We were determined that we weren’t going to let them to do that again.”
Coach Bobby Wilder had insisted that the Monarchs weren’t focused on becoming bowl-eligible, but instead, on winning the East Division. But with two minutes left, and his players already celebrating, Wilder got an icy Gatorade bath from captains David Washington, Rashaad Coward, T.J. Ricks and Zach Pascal.
“We made history,” Wilder said. “We’re the first ODU team to go to a bowl game. But our first goal remains, to win the East Division championship.”
Wilder paid homage to the players who helped ODU build a successful FCS program, and paved the way for the school’s invitation to C-USA.
“This win was for everyone who’s been a part of this program, from Taylor Heinicke to Thomas DeMarco to Ronnie Cameron to Craig Wilkins. This win for was them. They laid the foundation for our success.
“If we’re a losing program, I’m not sure we’re in Conference USA.”
ODU’s offense rolled up 461 yards, as Washington threw touchdown passes to Travis Fulgham, Pascal and Jonathan Duhart. But the defense allowed ODU to dominate.
ODU surrendered the fewest points in a league game and was especially dominant in the second and third quarters. The Monarchs held the Herd to 4 yards in the second quarter and 20 in the third when ODU built an insurmountable 31-7 lead.
The Herd had 214 offensive yards, but 70 came on the game’s final drive, when Marshall’s subs scored a meaningless touchdown against ODU’s subs. The Monarchs held standout quarterback Chase Litton to a career-low 87 yards.
Tackles Rashaad Coward and Miles Fox controlled the line of scrimmage, as Coward sniffed out two third-down screen passes and tackled ballcarriers for a loss. End Oshane Ximines had two sacks.
Cornerback Brandon Addison may have played his best game of his career, setting a school record with five pass breakups and adding three open-field, one-on-one tackles.
ODU sprinted to a quick lead as its offense scored two touchdowns with a formation that the Monarchs haven’t used – running backs stood on either side of Washington as he took the shotgun snap.
The formation seemed to confuse the Herd at first, which was helpless on the Monarchs’ first two possessions.
ODU drove 75 yards on the game’s opening drive, with Washington completing three passes for 50 yards. He began and ended the drive with passes to Duhart, whose 9-yarder gave ODU a 7-0 lead with 10:32 left in the first quarter.
After the Monarchs held Marshall on downs, the Monarchs drove 75 yards again, this time largely with its rushing game. Lawry ran for 34 yards on first down, then five plays later, ran 33 yards for a touchdown that gave ODU a 14-0 lead just eight minutes in.
Litton then led Marshall on its only scoring drive of the first half that harkened back to Marshall’s high-octane offense of old. He rolled to his right on the last play of 93-yard drive, and placed the ball perfectly to tight end Ryan Yurachek, who made a diving, 5-yard catch.
But as they have most of the season, the Monarchs responded quickly, again driving 75 yards. Twice on third down, Washington was rushed from the backfield and found Fulgham for a 20-yard pass and Isaiah Harper for 15 yards.
Again rushed from the pocket, he lofted a throw-it-up-and-pray pass to the left corner of the end zone that Pascal jumped and took away from cornerback Rodney Allen. ODU led 21-7 with 5:03 left in the second quarter.
ODU’s defense shut Marshall’s offense down again, with Ximines sacking Litton on second down and tackle Coward tackling Hampton native Tony Pittman for no gain on third down.
ODU put the game out of reach midway through the third quarter, when Fulgham hauled in a pass at the 1, and bulled across for the TD for a 28-7 lead.
ODU will host Southern Mississippi this weekend with a ton of momentum. The Monarchs have won five of their past six . Southern Miss (5-4, 3-2) was upset 38-27 by Charlotte at home Saturday. Standout quarterback Nick Mullens left the game with an injury.
“It can’t be overstated how big this moment is for our program,” Wilder said. “The scene in the locker room after the game was one of most inspiring things I’ve been a part of. It was just pure joy.”
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Good for them. Their fans have to be through the roof about it. If they stay focused they might land in one of the better bowls that the mid-majors generally shoot for.
