Old Dominion University football finished its first year in Conference USA and FBS on a three-game winning streak to finish 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the league.
The Monarchs had several highlights throughout the season as running back Ray Lawry was named Conference USA Freshman of the Year while quarterback Taylor Heinicke pushed his way into the top-five all-time in Division I in passing yards, total offense and touchdown passes.
The season started with a 41-28 win over Hampton, a game where the offense tallied 469 yards while the defense had six sacks and forced four turnovers.
ODU traveled to NC State and led 21-10 early in the second quarter and trailed by nine entering the fourth before falling 46-34. Ray Lawry scored his first three career touchdowns while Antonio Vaughan and Zach Pascal combined for 17 catches. David Washington caught his first career touchdown pass against the Wolfpack.
The defense slammed the door against Eastern Michigan, allowing just a field goal in ODU’s 17-3 triumph over the Eagles. ODU allowed just 215 total yards while Lawry rushed for a 55-yard touchdown and Vaughan returned a punt 46-yards for a touchdown.
Once again the Monarchs created historic moments, defeating defending Conference Champion Rice, in Houston, in the conference opener 45-42. Heinicke passed for 430 yards and five touchdowns and ran for a sixth as Pascal had six receptions for 111 yards including a 45-yarder to set up the game-wining Ricky Segers 25-yard field goal with no time left.
ODU produced another first when the Monarchs hosted Middle Tennessee on Friday Night in front of a nationally televised audience on Fox Sports 1. The Blue Raiders jumped out to a 24-0 lead. ODU closed to within 10 twice, but MTSU won 41-28. Antonio Vaughan caught three touchdown passes, while true freshman Marques Little caught the first of his career.
The loss versus MTSU was the first of five-straight setbacks for the Monarchs. Four of the games, ODU was within 10 points entering the fourth quarter.
The streak came to an end against FIU, when ODU scored 10 points in the final 1:05 to beat the Panthers 38-35. A back and forth affair, ODU tied the score at 35 with 1:05 to play and Fellonte Misher intercepted a tipped ball with 23 seconds remaining in the game. Heinicke hit Pascal for 23-yards to set up Satchel Ziffer for a 28-yard field goal, the first of his career, to lift ODU to the win.
ODU followed with another thriller, this one a 30-27 overtime win over C-USA West leader, Louisiana Tech. The Monarchs trailed 24-14 at halftime, but held the Bulldogs scoreless in the second half, while a Satchell Ziffer career-long 46-yard field goal and a Cam Boyd touchdown tied the score to send the game into overtime. ODU held LA Tech to a field goal while Heinicke connected with David Washington for an eight-yard touchdown to set off a wild celebration in the end zone.
The Monarchs ended the year with a three-game winning streak with a 31-28 win at FAU in the season finale. Ray Lawry ran for 213 yards and a 68-yard touchdown while Ziffer kicked a 27-yard field goal to send ODU out a winner.
Heinicke finished the year completing 289-of-457 for 3,476 yards and 30 touchdowns while rushing for 139 yards and two scores. He is the first quarterback in the state of Virginia to have three-straight 3,000-yard seasons and 30 plus touchdown passes. He ranks 11 in the FBS in passing yards and tied for ninth in TD passes.
Lawry finished ninth in the country among freshman with 947 rushing yards, 792 of that came in the last six games of the year. He led all freshman averaging 7.1 yards per carry and was tied for third with Oregon’s Royce Freeman with 16 touchdowns.
Wide receiver Antonio Vaughan earned First-Team All-Conference USA honors after leading the league with 12 touchdowns and 1,019 receiving yards, including a season-best 220 receiving yards at WKU. Vaughan is tied for fourth in the country in touchdown receptions.
Senior center Josh Mann earned First-Team All-Conference honors while left guard Tyler Fisher earned honorable mention honors. The Monarch o-line led the way for six 100-yard rushers, including Lawry’s 213-yards in the season finale at FAU.
The Monarch defense showed improvement throughout the season, especially in the second half of the wins against Louisiana Tech and Florida Atlantic. Against LA Tech, a team that averages 37.5 points and 404 yards per game, the Monarchs shutout the Bulldogs in the second half and held them to just 43-yards.
Senior linebacker D.J. Simon led the team in tackles with 89 and earned honorable mention All-Conference while defensive tackle Bunmi Rotimi and safety Christian Byrum made the All-Freshman Team. Simon finished fifth in C-USA in tackles per game, while TJ Ricks and Fellonte Misher were 11th and 12th, respectively.
Old Dominion finished the year third in Conference USA in total offense with 442 yards per game and second in the league in passing offense. The Monarchs were first in the league and fourth in the country in penalties per game.
The Monarchs open the 2015 season on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Eastern Michigan before hosting three-straight home contests against Norfolk State, NC State and Appalachian State. ODU returns eight starters on offense, including C-USA Freshman of the Year in Lawry, Zach Pascal and four starters on the offensive line. The defense brings back six starters, including defensive ends Andrew Everett and Poncho Barnwell, as well as Martez Simpson, TJ Ricks and Fellonte Misher.
Records Set in 2014
Single-Season
Rushing Yards – Ray Lawry – 947 (Old Record – Thomas DeMarco – 892)
Avg. Yards Per Rush – Ray Lawry – 7.10 (Old Record – Gerard Johnson – 6.53)
Punting Average – Taylor Heinicke – 47.20 (Old Record – Jonathan Plisco – 46.12)
Forced Fumbles – TJ Ricks – 4 (Old Record – Four tied with 3)
Single-Game
Rushing Touchdowns – Ray Lawry – 4 (at WKU)
Yards Per reception – Antonio Vaughan – 36.7 (at WKU)
Touchdown Receptions – Antonio Vaughan – 3 (Middle Tennessee)
Fumble Return – Fellonte Misher – 25 yards (at WKU)
Punt Return Avg. – Antonio Vaughan – 35.0 (Eastern Michigan)
Interceptions – Christian Byrum – 2 (Marshall)
Pass Breakups – Eriq Lewis – 3 (Hampton)
Career
Rushing Attempts – Taylor Heinicke – 367
Pass Attempts – Taylor Heinicke – 1,829
Pass Completions - Taylor Heinicke – 1,238
Passing Yards - Taylor Heinicke – 14,959
TD Passes - Taylor Heinicke – 132
Passing Yards Per Game - Taylor Heinicke – 325.0
Receiving Yards – Antonio Vaughan – 3,267
Receptions – Antonio Vaughan – 230
TD Receptions – Antonio Vaughan - 33
Receptions Per Game – Antonio Vaughan - 4.60
Total Offense – Taylor Heinicke - 16,279
TD’s Responsible For – Taylor Heinicke - 154
Total Offense Per Game - Taylor Heinicke – 354.0
All-Purpose Yards – Antonio Vaughan – 4,469
Touchdowns Scored – Antonio Vaughan – 37
Consecutive Games with a Catch - Antonio Vaughan - 35
Punt Return TD’s – Antonio Vaughan – 2
Fumble Return Yards – Fellonte Misher – 28
Pass Breakups – Eriq Lewis - 19