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ODU VS. RICHMOND POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE:
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NORFOLK, Va. - The No. 12 Old Dominion Football Monarchs improved to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association with Saturday's 42-28 win over Richmond Saturday at Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium in the Monarchs' regular season home finale.
For the second straight contest ODU struck on a Taylor Heinicke-Larry Pinkard combo to open up scoring. Heinicke, the reigning CAA Rookie of the Week Taylor, targeted Pinkard with a 14-yard touchdown throw and Thomas DeMarco then helped to put the Monarchs up 8-0 by diving into the end zone for the two-point conversion.
On their next drive, ODU took a 11-0 lead as Jarod Brown hit a 37-yard field goal.
The Spiders got onto the scoreboard before the quarter ended though needing just three plays. Aaron Corp found Kevin Finney for a 17-yard score with 1:01 left and Sam Roller made the two-point conversion on a pass from John Laub as the Monarchs led 11-8 at the end of one quarter of play.
Second quarter action saw scoring go back and forth between the two squads.
The Monarchs continued its drive to open the second quarter and moved downfield 83-yards over the course of nine to extend its lead. ODU leading rusher Angus Harper tallied his sixth touchdown of the year for the 18-8 Monarch lead.
Richmond responded with its next possession though and cut the ODU lead to three with 8:50 remaining until the half. The Spiders got out of trouble at third and 10 on the ODU 48 with a 25-yard reception by Tre Grey. Capping the drive was Ben Edwards on a five-yard touchdown reception for the 18-15 score.
Old Dominion punched right back on its next opportunity. Prentice Gill, who was one of the eight seniors honored prior to the game, gave his ODU squad a 25-15 edge on a 29-yard pass from Heinicke.
The Spiders had another attempt to cut their deficit before the intermission. Corp was sacked by Devon Simmons in the closing moments and after fumbling the ball, the Spiders were faced with second and 21 with time running out. The Spiders' Will Kamin attempted a 41-yard field goal, but it went wide right for the Monarchs to hold on to a 25-15 halftime lead.
ODU took a 28-15 advantage midway through the third quarter. A 30-yard catch by Reid Evans, who tried to his best to keep his momentum from going out of bounds, got the Monarchs into the red zone and then saw Brown sail a 23-yard field goal thru the uprights for his second field goal of the afternoon.
On the ensuing possession, the Spiders were unable to move the ball past their own 45. On the punt, Jakwail Bailey blocked his second punt of the season and the fifth punt block by the Monarchs in 2011. Starting at the Spider 46, the Monarchs got to within striking distance thanks to a 19-yard run by Antonio Vaughan and a 12-yard catch by Evans. Heinicke just missed finding Pinkard for the second time in the end zone. On the next play, the Monarchs fumble and Doug Howell recovered the ball to run it back 96-yard for a Spider touchdown. With 5:14 left in the third, the Monarchs still led 28-22.
On their next time down the field, Brown's field goal attempt wide left for ODU, while the Spiders Stephen Barnette one handed a catch in the end zone to tie the game at 28-28. The extra point after Barnette's touchdown would have given Richmond its first lead of the game, but the ball hit the right upright and the two teams were tied at 28 all in the final quarter of action.
The Monarchs regained the lead immediately and even added on. Eleven plays after the Spiders tied the score, ODU took a 25-28 lead capped by an Antonio Vaughan touchdown reception. On the next Richmond drive, a Paul Morant interception put the Monarchs back on offense and Colby Goodwyn cap a six-play, 70-drive to give ODU the 42-28 edge with just over five minutes remaining in the game.
Junior redshirt wide receiver Reid Evans posted a career-high 149 receiving yards and a school record 12 catches in the Monarchs' regular season finale. Goodwyn led the ground attack with 83 yards on 18 carries. Heinicke finished the game completing 34 of his 47 passes for a season-high 373 yards.
Richmond, who dropped its sixth straight, fell to 3-6 overall and 0-6 in CAA play. Corp passed for 256 yards and three touchdowns in the loss completing 24 of his 43 passes with on interception. Kendall Gaskins ran the ball 15 times of 63 yards, while Edward led the receiving corps with six catches for 68 yards. Leading receiver Tre Gray made six hauls for 61 yards.
The ODU Football Monarchs wrap up the regular season next weekend at William & Mary. Kickoff is at noon and the game will be televised by Cox.
MONARCH MOMENTS:
HOW FAST CAN YOU SCORE:
Larry Pinkard's opening touchdown was the fastest score for the Monarchs this season and the fifth fastest touchdown in ODU history with 12:47 on the clock. The fastest the Monarchs have lit up the scoreboard was against Savannah State last season scoring at the 13:53 mark.
UPDATING THE NUMBERS - POST-RICHMOND:
Larry Pinkard with his eighth touchdown...It was also the second straight game a Heinicke to Pinkard pass has opened up scoring for the Monarchs ...Angus Harper posted his sixth touchdown of the year...Prentice Gill captured his third touchdown of the year and seventh of his career...Antonio Vaughan had his fifth touchdown of the 2011 campaign...Colby Goodwyn captured his third touchdown of the year and first since game three with Hampton. Goodwyn had missed three games in mid-season and had been hampered a high-ankle sprain.
BLOCK THAT KICK:
It was another block for the Monarchs on Saturday. Old Dominion blocked its fifth punt of the season and it was Jakwail Bailey's second blocked punt of the year. In total, the Monarchs have made 19 blocks and seven in the 2011 season.
I'LL CATCH IT IF I CAN:
Reid Evans 12 receptions on Saturday were the most in school history surpassing the nine catches by former Monarch Monty Smalley in last year's game against Georgia State as the ODU benchmark.
Reid Evans became the second Monarchs with over 100 yards receiving in a game with a career-high 149 against the Spiders. Evans' previous career-high was 111 yards on eight catches in last year's season finale at N.C. Central. Nick Mayers has ODU's only other 100+ yard receiving game this season with 166 against Towson.
E-Z PASS:
Taylor Heinicke's 373 yards were a season-high for the Monarchs and the third 300+ passing game for ODU this season. Thomas DeMarco had 310 yards in the season opener at Campbell, while Henickie had 360 yards against Towson in week seven.
LIKE TOTALLY:
The Monarchs' 587 yards of total offense against Richmond is another ODU record set in Saturday's win over the Spiders. It resets the previous high of 518 captured against then-#20 UMass in the week five win over the Minutemen. ODU has had one other game of over 500 yards of total offense with 506 against Campbell in the season opener.