NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion overcame a 28-0 first-half deficit to defeat North Texas, 34-31, on Saturday at Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
Lala Davis punched in a 1-yard touchdown rush with 15 seconds remaining for the game-winning score. Old Dominion (3-7, 2-5 C-USA) outscored North Texas (7-3, 3-3 C-USA), 24-3, in the second half and ended the game with 17 unanswered points.
Davis' TD was set up by a 36-yard reception by Jonathan Duhart on a 4th-and-6. Duhart finished the game with six receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. Travis Fulgham also had a big day receiving, hauling in eight passes for 155 yards and a score. Fulgham set an ODU record with a touchdown in seven consecutive games.
A 35-yard field goal by Cole Hedlund pushed the North Texas lead to 31-17 late in the third quarter but ODU ended the quarter with a four-yard Blake LaRussa to Jonathan Duhart to make the score 31-24.
A 37-yard Nick Rice field goal made the NT lead 31-27 and lead into Davis' game-winning score.
North Texas took over after a Kemon Hall interception and drove 56-yards in nine plays and took a 7-0 lead on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Mason Fine to Rico Bussey.
The Mean Green made it 14-0 on their second possession with a 37-yard touchdown run from DeAndre Torrey.
NT stopped ODU on fourth down near midfield and pushed the lead to 21-0 with a seven-yard touchdown run from Torrey.
The Mean Green increased the lead to 28-0 with a second Fine to Bussey touchdown, this one a 26-yard strike on fourth down.
The Monarchs struck right back with a one-yard touchdown run from Lala Davis. The big play of the drive was a 61-yard completion from Blake LaRussa to Travis Fulgham.
A 12-yard run on a fake punt by Derek Wilder and a personal foul set up Nick Rice for a 48-yard field goal to end the first half to cut the deficit to 28-10.
Blake LaRussa completed 21-of-43 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns and an interception. On the ground, Davis had 50 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
Defensively, Oshane Ximines had nine tackles and 1.5 sacks and Lawrence Garner recorded a team-high 11 tackles to go along with a forced fumble and an interception.
Up next, the Monarchs host VMI next Saturday at 2 p.m. ET for the final game at the current Foreman Field.
Notes: Jonathan Duhart and Travis Fulgham were game captains along with Isaiah Harper and Oshane Ximines … Blake Watson saw his first action of the season … Oshane Ximines recorded 1.5 sacks to break his single-season record he set last year. He has 10 on the year … Duhart caught a pass for a 38th-straight game … Travis Fulgham’s 100-yard receiving game was his fourth in the last five games and his third straight … Lala Davis scored his third and fourth touchdowns of the year … Lawrence Garner recorded his first career interception in the second quarter … Nick Rice tied his career long with a 48-yard field goal to end the first half … Travis Fulgham set a school record with a touchdown reception in his seventh-straight game … Blake LaRussa has now thrown a TD pass in eight-straight games … Oshane Ximines had a career-best nine tackles in the game …The comeback is the largest in ODU history ... Nick Rice has made nine-straight field goals after starting the year 3-for-7 ...