NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion scored 28 first quarter points and never looked back, taking a 49-10 halftime lead and defeating Howard 76-19 Saturday night at Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
The 76 points for Old Dominion is a new school record, surpassing the 70 the Monarchs scored last season versus Campbell.
Taylor Heinicke passed for 406 yards and tossed four touchdown passes and ran for one. Colby Goodwyn ran for 79 yards while Zach Pascal caught a career-high nine passes for 124 yards.
The Monarch defense forced five turnovers, as D.J. Simond and Reggie Owens intercepted passes, and forced three fumbles.
Jarod Brown kicked a 25-yard field goal to give ODU a 52-10 lead while Zach Pascal and Kirk Spellman caught TD passes from David Washington.
The teams traded late field goals and Terrance Tusan capped the scoring with a two-yard run while Gerard Johnson put the finishing touches on the score with one-yard run for the final, 76-19.
The Monarchs received the ball first and took just five plays to cover 55 yards, as Heinicke hit Larry Pinkard for a 13-yard touchdown.
John Fleck got Howard on the board with a 30-yard field goal but ODU stormed right back as Heinicke connected with Pinkard for a 29-yard touchdown for a 14-3 Monarch lead.
After the ODU defense forced a punt, Heinicke hit Antonio Vaughan on the first play of the drive for a 76-yard deep ball for a 21-3 Old Dominion advantage.
Howard had a solid drive wiped out as Reggie Owens intercepted Greg McGhee in the end zone while the Monarchs cruised down the field and Colby Goodwyn capped a 10 play, 80-yard drive with a one-yard plunge to give ODU a 28-3 lead.
Anthony Philyaw scored on a six-yard run for Howard but the Monarchs countered as Blair Roberts caught a nine-yard pass from Heinicke to put ODU on top 35-10.
The Monarchs stopped the Bison on a fourth down play at the ODU six and Heinicke led the team on a 94-yard drive capped by Gerard Johnson’s first career TD on a six-yard run.
Heinicke capped the first half scoring with a 10-yard run to give ODU a 49-10 first half lead.
Notes: Larry Pinkard caught his first two touchdown passes of the season on the first two drives of the game. The touchdowns were 13 and 29 yards long … Taylor Heinicke’s 76-yard TD pass to Antonio Vaughan was the longest reception in Vaughan’s career, surpassing his 74-yard TD against Georgia Southern last season … Reggie Owens intercepted McGhee in the end zone to thwart a Howard drive, the INT was Owens’ first of the season and second of his career … Heinicke completed his first eight passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns … True freshman Gerard Johnson carried the ball for the first time in his career for the Monarchs, he ran 10 times for 35 yards … The true freshman from Richmond scored his first career touchdown in the second quarter … The fumble forced by Terrell Reid and recovered by Richie Staton was ODU’s first fumble recovery of the year … Heinicke passed for more than 400 yards for the sixth time in his career … D.J. Simon recorded his first career interception … David Washington hit Zach Pascal for a TD pass in the third quarter, the first career TD for each … Pascal recorded a game-high and career-best nine catches for 124 yards and a TD … Aaron Evans’ 76-yard kickoff return in the third quarter is the fourth longest in school history.