YPSILANTI, Mich. – Ray Lawry scored on a 45-yard run, his fourth of the game, with 1:57 left in the fourth quarter to lift Old Dominion University football over Eastern Michigan 38-34 Saturday evening at Eastern Michigan.
With just under nine minutes left in the game, EMU kicker Dylan Mulder connected on a 52-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 34-31 lead.
With 3:02 to play in the game the Monarchs got the ball back after a defensive stop. Shuler Bentley hit Nick England in the seam for 30 yards and three plays Lawry burst through the middle to give the Monarchs their first lead of the game at 38-34.
In the ensuing possession, EMU drove to the ODU 40 but on fourth and six Tim Ward intercepted Brogan Roback to clinch the victory.
The Eagles held a 17-10 halftime lead and pushed the lead to 24-10 on the opening drive of the second half as Reginald Bell hit Dustin Creel for a 10-yard touchdown pass.
On the first play of ODU’s first drive of the second half, Lawry ripped off a 54-yard touchdown run to cut the lead back to seven.
The Monarch defense came up big as Malique Johnson sacked Bell on the following EMU drive and forced a fumble that Oshane Ximines recovered.
ODU drove 27 yards on five plays as Lawry crashed in from two yards to tie the score at 24.
After a kick return to the ODU side of the field, the Eagles retook the lead as Bell once again hit Creel, this time for an eight-yard touchdown toss.
Old Dominion struck back quickly as Lawry powered in from five yards out to cap a 12 play, 75-yard drive to end the third quarter tied at 31.
EMU got on the board first with a 4 play, 68-yard drive capped off with a 36-yard touchdown run by Darius Jackson.
The Eagles took a 14-0 lead as Jackson carried in from 10 yards out.
The Monarchs got on the board for the first time in 2015 with a Bentley to David Washington 14-yard touchdown toss. The Monarchs drove 67 yards in seven plays Ray Lawry rushed three times for 30 yards on the drive.
ODU put together a 13 play, 79 yard drive to end the first half that ended with a 20-yard Satchel Ziffer field goal. The big play of the drive was a 31-yard strike from Bentley to Jonathan Duhart on third and 12. The kick made the halftime score 17-10 EMU.
Notes – Game captains were Shuler Bentley, Kohl Adams-Hurd, Connor Mewbourne and Oshane Ximines … Players seeing their first action for the Monarchs today were: Jeremy Cox, Shadow Williams, Reed Buce, Nick Clarke, Oshane Ximines, Tim Ward, Andre Bernhard, Shuler Bentley, Miles Fox, Brandon Tyson, Kesean Strong, Isaiah Harper, Marvin Branch, Justin Noye … Shuler Bentley threw the first touchdown pass of his career to David Washington with 1:31 left in the first quarter … Junior Aaron Young intercepted the first pass of his career late in the first quarter … Malique Johnson recorded the second sack of his career in the third quarter … Oshane Ximines recovered the first fumble of his career … Lawry’s 28 carries were a career-high as were his 223 rushing yards … Lawry’s four touchdowns tied his own school record that he also shares with Thomas DeMarco … TJ Ricks tied his career-high with 14 tackles … With eight tackles, Fellonte Misher is now fourth on the career tackles list … ODU punters Jarrett Cervi and Satchel Ziffer combined to put four punts inside the 20 … First time starters were: Shuler Bentley, Jonathan Duhart, Oshane Ximines, Shadow Williams and Brandon Addison.