PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Old Dominion University football is 4-2 this season and coming off the bye week following a 21-17 come-from-behind victory over Liberty. The Monarchs take on 3-2 Pittsburgh from the ACC. The Panthers fell at Virginia Tech last week, 19-9.
• Old Dominion University football takes on their third FBS opponent of the season as they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers today at Heinz Field.
• ODU is 4-1 all-time coming off of a Bye. In 2011, ODU's bye was the last week of the regular season and they followed with a first round FCS playoff win over Norfolk State. Last season, ODU lost to Villanova following the Bye but earned a Bye in the postseason and defeated Coastal Carolina in the second round of the FCS playoffs.
• The Monarchs defeated Liberty 21-17 on Oct. 5 to move their winning streak to four-straight heading into the bye. The 21 points scored is the second lowest ODU has ever scored in a victory. ODU defeated Gardner-Webb 14-7 in 2010, the lowest point total in a win.
• Aaron Evans gave ODU the biggest spark of the night. After the Monarch defense forced the seventh Liberty punt, Evans returned it 64-yards for a touchdown. The punt return was just the second ever returned by Evans. His previous punt return went for no gain. It was the second return touchdown in his career, as he returned a kickoff 92-yards for a score as a freshman in 2010 vs. Savannah State.
• For the fourth-straight game and fifth out of sixth, the ODU offense recorded 450 plus yards, churning out 550 yards of total offense.
• However, the ODU defense was the star of the night, holding Liberty to just 17 points, the second lowest total of the season. The Monarchs forced seven punts and also created a turnover on a John Darr forced fumble that Fellonte Misher recovered.
• Misher recorded his second career double-digit tackle game, notching 11 tackles and batting away the Hail Mary attempt on the final play of the game by Liberty.
• Cornerback Eriq Lewis came up with a big sack to force a punt, it was the junior corner's team leading 2.5 sack of the year.
• The ODU offense was able to move the ball against Liberty gaining 550 yards of offense, but was just 1-of-6 in the red zone. ODU was stopped short on 4th and one three times, twice inside the Liberty five and was intercepted twice in the end zone.
• Taylor Heinicke was 39-of-52 passing for a season-high 450 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 12 times for 32 yards.
• Blair Roberts led ODU with seven receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns, including the 27-yard game-winner with 28 seconds left in the game.
• The 10-point fourth quarter comeback was ODU's second largest fourth quarter come-from-behind victory. ODU came back from 16 down in the final quarter to drop New Hampshire 64-61 last season.
• Despite scoring just 21 points in the win over Liberty and 14 of those coming from the offense, ODU still averages 45 points per game.
• The 64-yard punt return by Aaron Evans was ODU's first special teams touchdown since Antonio Vaughan returned a punt 70-yards for a touchdown in last year's 41-31 victory over William and Mary on Nov. 10.
• With his 450-yard performance against Liberty, Taylor Heinicke is now 451 yards away from 10,000 career passing yards.
• John Darr recorded six tackles in the win over Liberty, becoming ODU's second all-time leading tackler, surpassing Chris Burnette.
• Colby Goodwyn scored a career-high three rushing touchdowns in the win over Albany. The three scores gives Goodwyn 20 rushing touchdowns in his career.
• ODU is 42-12 under head coach Bobby Wilder, appearing in the FCS playoffs the only two years they were eligible for a postseason bid.