NORFOLK, Va. – Taylor Heinicke threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns as the Old Dominion University football Monarchs defeated Albany 66-10 Saturday night at Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
Heinicke was named the Oyster Bowl MVP for the third time in his career, as the junior quarterback completed 28-of-33 passes and ran for 30 yards and a touchdown.
Colby Goodwyn ran 12 times for 42 yards and a career-high three touchdowns as ODU ran for 224 yards. David Washington ran for a team-best 42 yards and a score while Gerard Johnson and Cam Boyd also ran for touchdowns.
Blair Roberts led ODU with six catches for 92 yards while Larry Pinkard added five for 80 and a TD.
Anthony Wilson totaled a career-high 11 tackles while D.J. Simon notched nine, also a career-best.
The Monarchs got the ball first and immediately drove 66-yards in 10 plays as Heinicke hit Pinkard for an eight-yard touchdown pass. On a key third and eight, Heinicke connected with Goodwyn for an eight-yard pass and followed with a 20-yard pass to Blair Roberts to set up the Pinkard touchdown.
Albany responded with an 82-yard scoring drive as Fiacchi hit Brian Parker for a 55-yard touchdown pass.
ODU answered with an eight play, 77-yard yard drive as Cam Boyd carried in from two-yards out to give the Monarchs a 14-7 lead.
After the Monarchs tried and could not convert an onsides kick, Albany tried a reverse flea flicker but it was deflected by Malique Johnson and intercepted by Fellonte Misher. Old Dominion capitalized on the turnover as Colby Goodwyn carried in from a yard out to make the score 21-7.
The ODU defense stopped Albany on a fourth down attempt and the Monarchs took over on the own 40 and needed just three plays to go 60 yards as Heinicke hit Zach Pascal for a 21-yard touchdown pass to make the score 28-7.
Goodwyn and Heinicke added rushing touchdowns to end the first half, as Goodwyn scored from five yards out and Heinicke from a yard out for a 42-7 ODU halftime advantage.
Albany took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove 55 yards in five minutes capped by a Tom O’Riordan 37-yard field goal.
Jarod Brown responded with a 37-yard field goal of his own to make the score 52-10 while Johnson and Washington ran for touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make the score 66-10.
Notes – True freshman Jude Brenya started at defensive end for ODU. It was Brenya’s first game played of the year … Brenya joins middle linebacker Richie Staton as true freshmen to have started this year on the defense … Fellonte Misher intercepted the first pass of his career in the first quarter … Taylor Heinicke passed for 365 yards to surpass 9,000 for his career. He needed 266 yards to surpass the milestone … ODU blocked two kicks in a game for the fourth time in school history and first since the FCS playoff game against Norfolk State in 2011 … Rashaad Coward blocked a 40-yard field goal attempt by O’Riordan in the first half, the first block of his career … Eriq Lewis blocked a punt in the first half as well … Colby Goodwyn scored a career-best three rushing touchdowns … He scored from a yard out, five yards and a yard out … True freshman Brenya, Daquin Moore and Aaron Young played for the first time this season … Redshirt freshman Andrew Maddox played for the first time in his career … With 42 rushing yards, Colby Goodwyn is 84 yards shy of passing Thomas DeMarco as ODU’s all-time leading rusher … With three TD’s tonight, Goodwyn now has 20 rushing scores in his career … With his two TD passes, Heinicke now has 81 passing touchdowns.