SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Jonathan Duhart caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from David Washington with 5:45 to play in the fourth quarter and the Monarch defense held UTSA out of the end zone twice in the final four minutes to hang on for a 36-31 victory over the Road Runners Saturday night at the Alamodome.
Daniel Portillo kicked a 44-yard field goal with 7:21 left in the fourth quarter but the Monarchs stormed back quickly as Washington hit Duhart for the game-winning score.
The Monarch defense came up with two-straight stops, including a goal line on 4th and one at the 13, forcing an incomplete pass by Dalton Sturm.
ODU took a 30-21 lead on Ray Lawry's second touchdown of the day, a four-yard rush to cap a 67-yard drive, but UTSA came back with a Sturm to Aaron Grubb 25-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 30-28.
The Monarchs started the scoring in the second half with a three-yard run from Lawry to make the score 23-14.
After ODU missed a field goal, UTSA drove 80 yards in 12 plays capped by a one-yard touchdown run from Tyrell Clay to go on top 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
The Monarchs cut the lead to 7-3 on their next drive as Chris Kirtley kicked a 38-yard field goal. The big play of the drive was a Washington to Pascal 42-yard pass.
UTSA made the score 14-3 with a six-yard touchdown pass from Dalton Sturm to Aaron Grubb to complete a nine play, 43-yard scoring drive.
Another Chris Kirtley field goal, this time a 32-yarder, made the score 14-6. The field goal capped an eight play, 60-yard drive with the big play a Washington 37-yard pass to Jonathan Duhart.
ODU added another Chris Kirtley field goal to make the score 14-9 midway through the first half. Jonathan Duhart made a pair of acrobatic catches on the drive.
The Monarchs took their first lead of the contest late in the first half on a David Washington to Jonathan Duhart eight yard touchdown pass. Ray Lawry had a 16-yard run on the drive and another five-yarder to give ODU a first and goal.
Washington passed for a career-best 378 yards and two touchdowns while Duhart caught a career-best eight passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns and Zach Pascal had 10 catches for 146 yards.
Lawry added 103 yards on 23 carries.
Sturm passed for 252 yards and rushed for 34. Grubb had six catches for 63 yards.
Notes: Game captains for ODU were Connor Mewbourne, Nick Clarke, Scott Wiggins and Rashaad Coward … Redshirt freshman right tackle Chad Hendricks started for the first time in his career … Safety Sean Carter started for the second-straight game … Offensive lineman Troy Butler started his first career game at left guard … Butler has started at center, right guard and right tackle in his career … Sean Carter’s first quarter fumble recovery was the second of his career … Fellonte Misher’s second quarter sack with TJ Ricks was the first of his career … Ray Lawry’s 16-yard second quarter run gave him 1,000 on the season and ODU’s first 1,000 yard rushing season … Ray Lawry scored his ninth rushing touchdown of the season … Jonathan Duhart scored his fourth of the season, and has three in the last two games … Jonathan Duhart recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game … It is Lawry’s first multiple touchdown game since the second game of the year against Norfolk State … Jonathan Duhart and Zach Pascal each had 100 yards receiving, the first time ODU had two 100-yard receivers since Pascal and Antonio Vaughan each had 100 last season against Middle Tennessee … David Washington had his second career 300-yard passing game … Duhart had a career-high in receptions and yards and also his second-straight two touchdown game … Lawry had his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season and 11th of his career … Lawry notched his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season and 11th of his career … It was the first 100-yard receiving game for Duhart … Martez Simpson tied his career-high with 11 tackles ... All six of ODU's C-USA wins have been by five points or less ... Second time in school history that ODU was not called for a penalty (first was earlier this season against NC State).