Oct. 1, 2011

Box Score | Photo Gallery

Post-Game Recap:

Post-Game Press Conference:

NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion University football scored the first 25 points and after UMASS took a 26-25 lead, scored 23-straight to take command and beat No. 20 UMass 48-33 Saturday night at S.B. Ballard Stadium.

The ODU Football Monarchs captured not only their first CAA Football victory, but also its first win over a ranked team. They improve to 4-1 on the year and 1-1 in the CAA.

UMass, coming off a loss at FBS Boston College last weekend, falls to 2-2 overall. The Minutemen are in their final year of competition with the CAA as they elevate to FBS status and join the MAC next season.

Old Dominion established a quick 3-0 lead off a 43-yard field goal by Jarod Brown on its first drive of the night and would go on to rattle off 25 unanswered points and keep the Minutemen scoreless until the final two minutes of the second quarter.

Nick Mayers, who did not have a touchdown last season for the Monnarchs, captured two during the Monarchs' 25-0 run, which included a 17-yard and 35-yard pass from Thomas DeMarco. Also getting into the scoring was Larry Pinkard posting his first career touchdown.

Masschusetts scored late in the second quarter for the 25-12 halftime margin.

Kellen Page connected with tight end Emil Igwengau to cap a 14-play, 80-yard drive for the Minutemen. Although UMass missed the extra point, on ODU's next drive, Demarco threw an interception to return possession to the Minutemen. Five plays later, UMass's Julian Talley was in the endzone.

The Monarchs would have to look to a new signal caller in the second half when DeMarco was sidelined with a leg injury. True freshman Taylor Heinicke was inserted into the offense and the Georgia Old Spice Player of the Year would shine in his debut. Heinicke would finish the game connecting on eight of his 11 attempts for 119 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The second half of action between the Monarchs and Minutement proved to be a battle. The Minutemen racked up 149 yards of total offense in the third quarter alone including a pair of touchdowns to take the lead. Julien Julmiste had a 20-yard touchdown reception and Jonathan Hernandez added an eight-yard carry over the endline to give UMass a 26-25 edge with 5:30 in the third quarter.

However after UMass's 26 unanswered points, the Monarchs punched back with by blocking a punt and registering a safety and three touchdowns to regain the lead and the victory.

The Monarchs finally stopped the Minutemen scoring barrage blocking their fourth punt of the season. Jakwail Bailey was the member of the "All-Star Team" making the block in the endzone and capturing the safety to return the lead to Old Dominion, 27-26, and return momentum back to the Monarchs' side.

The fourth quarter then started with Heinicke connecting with Pinkard for an 38-yard touchdown reception. It was Pinkard's second touchdown of the night.

Then at the midway point, Reid Evans posted a 56-yard touchdown catch, the longest in school history to put ODU up 41-26.

True freshman Tyree Lee also got into the mix with his first career touchdown with three minutes remaining in the game on a 13-yard run.

The Minutemen scored in the game's final minute, but the contest was already out of reach.

Hernadez, the CAA's leading rusher, ended the night with 131 yards on 25 carries for the Minutemen. Quarterback Kellen Pagel threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns before leaving the game with an injury.

For the Monarchs, Colby Goodwyn had 45 yards on 11 carries before getting hurt and missing fourth quarter action. Lee also had 38 yards on 11 carries in the win. Mayers caught the ball six times for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Prentice Gill made four catches for a team-leading 88 yards.

Defensively, ODU was led by Alex Arain with a career-high 12 stops (8 solo, 4 assisted). Devon Simmon and Craig Wilkins also had nine tackles apiece.

The ODU Football Monarchs hit the road next weekend traveling to Rhode Island for another CAA showdown. Game time is 1:00 p.m.

MONARCH MOMENTS:

WITH THE WIN:
The Old Dominion Football Monarchs win their first ever CAA contest and first ever game against a nationally-ranked opponent after four tries. The win improved ODU to 13-4 all-time at Foreman Field and 3-0 this season at home.

UPDATING THE NUMBERS:
Nick Mayer's scored his eighth and ninth career touchdowns. All seven of his previous touchdowns came in 2009. Mayers becomes the first Monarch with ore than one TD reception in a game this season. Larry Pinkard scored his first two career touchdowns in the second quarter that gave ODU an 11-0 lead and then gave the Monarchs a 34-26 edge to open fourth quarter scoring. Reid Evans scored his second touchdown of the season and his 11th of his career. Tyree Lee also scored his first career touchdown on the Monarchs' final scoring of the night.

OPENING WITH A BANG:
Old Dominion has scored twice on opening drive this season. The first was a 51-yard field goal, a school record, by Jarod Brown against Georgia State and the second was tonight's Brown 43-yard field goal. In the last three years, ODU has scored on its opening drive 15 times in their 27-game history.

ON-SIDE KICK:
ODU's on-side kick following its opening field goal was the eighth time in ODU's history the team has attempted and kept possession on an on-side kick. The Monarchs were 5-for-5 last season and 2-for-2 in 2009.

MORE NEWBIES:
Making his first appearance for the Monarchs was true freshman running back Tyree Lee and quarterback Taylor Heinicke. Heinicke started the entire second half of the game. ODU has had a number of true freshmen taking the field this season, which also includes offensive lineman Josh Mann, running back Lorenzo Smith, wide receiver Blair Roberts, as well as Jakwail Bailey, Mitch Castlebery, James Faircloth, and Neal Anthony Hale on special teams.

YOU MAKE SOME, YOU MISS SOME:
Brown had made seven straight field goals this season and eight consecutive dating back to last season until missing a 51-yard attempt in the third quarter. He is now 19-of-24 all-time in field goals, including 7-of-8 this season. Brown did connect on all five PAT kicks and ran in a two-point conversion following Nick Mayers' first touchdown. He is now 22-of-23 on extra point this season.

BLOCK THAT KICK:
Another game, another block by the "All-Star Team". Jakwail Bailey blocked the Minutemen's punt in the third quarter giving ODU its fourth blocked punt of the season and 17th block since the program began in 2009. Entering tonight's game, the Monarchs had four blocks on the season, which was just one behind North Dakota's five in an unofficial poll of FCS programs. Bailey's blocked punt resulted in a safety for the Monarchs which returned the lead to ODU, 27-26, in the program's first ever safety.

MORE SCHOOL RECORDS:
Taylor Heinicke's 56-yard pass to Reid Evans midway through the fourth quarter was the longest in school history and the fourth 50+ passing touchdown in the Monarchs' young three year history. The previous high was a 55-yard TD pass from Thomas DeMarco to Nick Mayers in a loss to Monmouth back in 2009. Chris Lovitt had a 50-yard TD pass thrown to him from DeMarco against Savannah State last season. Also the first ever ODU touchdown was a 50-yard pass...from Thomas DeMarco to Marquel Thomas in 2009.

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