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NORFOLK, Va. - Georgia Southern scored 28 fourth quarter points with Dominique Swope scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 2:36 to go in the game before adding another score late to defeat Old Dominion 49-35 Saturday afternoon at Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium in the FCS quarterfinals.
Old Dominion quarterback Taylor Heinicke passed for 421 yards and broke Steve McNair's record for passing yards in a single-season with 5,076 to become the first FCS player to throw for over 5,000 yards. McNair threw for 4,863 yards for Alcorn State in 1994.
The Monarchs took a 35-21 lead with just under three minutes to play in the third quarter when Heinicke hit Mayers from eight yards out. Georgia Southern followed with a Jerick McKinnon four-yard run to close the gap to 35-28.
ODU (11-2) had a third and seven on the Georgia Southern 13 when Heinicke was sacked by Dion Dubose and fumbled with the Eagles' Patrick Flowe recovering.
GSU (10-3) took advantage driving 79 yards in 12 plays as McKinnon ran in from two yards out to tie the score at 35.
On the next possession, facing a fourth and six at their own 39, ODU went for it and Heinicke's pass intended for Tyree Lee fell incomplete. Heinicke was hurried on the play by John Stevenson.
Georgia Southern used three plays to take the lead on Swope's run from 12-yards out. The Monarchs got the ball back with 2:36 remaining in the game but on the first play of the drive, Heinicke was intercepted for the first time in his postseason career by J.J. Wilcox.
Old Dominion took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards in 12 plays as Heinicke carried in off the left side for a two-yard touchdown to put the Monarchs on top 7-0.
Georgia Southern came right back, driving 75-yards in 11 plays as McKinnon capped off the drive with a one yard run.
After the Eagles stopped ODU on fourth and one, GSU drove 81 yards as Swope finished off the drive with a five-yard score for a 14-7 GSU lead.
Georgia Southern forced a punt and drove to ODU's 26 but Alex Hanks missed a 43-yard field goal wide left and ODU struck back on the first play of the next drive as Heinicke hit Antonio Vaughan for 74 yards on a deep ball to tie the score at 14.
The Monarchs forced a Georgia Southern punt on the next possession and the Monarchs took their second lead of the game as Heinicke hit Mayers for a five-yard TD pass to complete a 75 yard drive.
Luke Cherry missed a 30-yard field goal as time expired and the Monarchs took a 21-14 lead into the break.
Heinicke finished the day 31-of-44 passing for 421 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 48 yards and a score.
Goodwyn had 41 yards on the ground and a TD while Lee had 24 yards on five carries.
Mayers led ODU with 10 receptions for 150 yards and two touchdowns while Larry Pinkard had seven grabs for 83 yards. Vaughan had six catches for 146 yards.
Caleb Taylor led ODU with 14 tackles while Preston Smith finished with 10.
Swope had 186 yards on the ground and two TD's while McKinnon ran for 171 yards and four scores.
Game Notes -
Nick Mayers caught two touchdown passes to up his season total to 16. He is tied for second in receiving TD's in the FCS with Quentin Sims of Tennessee-Martin. Elon's Aaron Mellette leads the nation with 18.
Mayers set new ODU records with 79 catches for 1,233 yards and 16 touchdowns.He finishes his career with 190 catches for 2,688 yards and 30 touchdowns. All ODU career bests.
ODU had four receivers finish with 55 or more catches: Mayers 79, Antonio Vaughan 60, Blair Roberts 56 and Larry Pinkard 55.
Vaughan finished second with 885 yards, Pinkard third with 830 and Roberts fourth with 707. Vaughan, Pinkard and Roberts had seven touchdowns apiece.
Sophomore Tyree Lee finished with 864 rushing yards on the year, second most only to the 892 Thomas DeMarco had in 2009. Lee finished the year with eight rushing TD's and 35 catches for 343 yards and a TD.
Senior linebacker Craig Wilkins graduates as ODU's all-time leading tackler with 335.
Caleb Taylor's 14 tackles was a season-high for an ODU defender
With his 40-yard completion to Nick Mayers in the third quarter, Heinicke broke Steve McNair's FCS single-season passing yardage record. McNair set the record for Alcorn State in 1994.
Taylor Heinicke Records
Passing Yards
Old - 4,863 - Steve McNair - Alcorn State - 1994
New - 5,076 - Taylor Heinicke - ODU - 2012
Completions
Old: - 385 - Brett Gordon - Villanova - 2002
New: 398 - Taylor Heinicke - ODU - 2012
Most Games 200 Yards Passing or More
Tie - 13
Jeremy Moses - Stephen F. Austin - 2009
Chris Lum - Lehigh - 2011
Total Offense
Most Plays in a Season
Old: 680 - Bruce Eugene - Grambling - 2002
New: 705 - Taylor Heinicke - ODU - 2012
Near the Top
Passing Yards Per Game
1.Willie Totten - Miss. Valley St. - 455.7 - 1984
2.Steve McNair - Alcorn State - 442.1 - 1994
3.Taylor Heinicke - ODU - 390.5 - 2012
Touchdown Passes
1.Willie Totten - MVSU - 56 - 1984
Bruce Eugene - Grambling - 56 - 2005
2.Taylor Heinicke - ODU - 44 - 2012
Steve McNair - Alcorn St. - 44 - 1994
Total Touchdowns
1.Willie Totten - MVSU - 61 - 1984
2.Bruce Eugene - Grambling - 59 - 2005
3.Taylor Heinicke - ODU - 55 - 2012
Passing Attempts
1.Jeremy Moses - Stephen F. Austin - 598 - 2008
2.Taylor Heinicke - ODU - 579 - 2012
Total Offense
1.Steve McNair - Alcorn State - 5,799 - 1994
2.Taylor Heinicke - ODU - 5,546 - 2012 - Heinicke - ODU - 5,546 - 2012