NORFOLK, Va. – In front of a record crowd of 20,532, Old Dominion University football stunned No. 10/13 Virginia Tech 49-35 Saturday evening in Norfolk. Junior quarterback Blake LaRussa entered the game in ODU’s second offensive series and threw for 495-yards, four touchdowns and rushed for one.
The win is ODU's first over a power-five opponent since restarting football in 2009.
After Virginia Tech tied the score at 35, the Monarchs retook the lead on a 29-yard touchdown pass from LaRussa to Jonathan Duhart to give ODU a 42-35 lead with five minutes remaining.
The Hokies drove to the ODU 21 but a fourth down pass from Willis fell incomplete. The Monarchs iced the game with a 40-yard touchdown run from Jeremy Cox for a 49-35 final.
Chamarri Conner got the scoring started for Tech with an 87-yard touchdown run one play after an ODU punt to put the Hokies up 7-0.
ODU tied the score on its following drive, going 75-yards in six plays capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass from LaRussa to Duhart. The big play on the drive was a 20-yard scramble by LaRussa and a 37-yard completion from LaRussa to Hasaan Patterson.
The Hokies took the lead with a Josh Jackson to Sean Savoy touchdown 28-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter.
The Monarchs made it a 14-14 game at halftime with a four-yard score from LaRussa to Duhart.
Steven Peoples helped Tech to a 21-14 lead with a one-yard score early in the third quarter, but the Monarchs came right back with a 65-yard drive capped by a one-yard run from LaRussa to tie the score at 21.
Damon Hazleton took Tech’s first play of their following drive for a 72-yard touchdown catch, but once again ODU hung around with a 25-yard strike from LaRussa to Fulgham to once again knot the score at 28.
ODU forced Virginia Tech into a three and out, ODU took its first lead of the night on a 15-yard run from Cox. LaRussa to Duhart for 27-yards set up the touchdown run.ODU's win marks the first time a Conference USA team has knocked off a ranked opponent since Houston defeated No. 22 Penn State in 2012.
Notes: Virginia Tech became the third ACC team to Play Old Dominion in Norfolk, joining NC State and North Carolina … It was Tech’s first visit in a series that will last through 2031, with VT coming to Norfolk a total of six times … Travis Fulgham and Jonathan Duhart were game captains along with Oshane Ximines and Isaiah Harper … Geronda Hall made his first career start at cornerback … Hasaan Patterson’s 37-yard first quarter catch was a career long … Marcus Haynes notched his first two career sacks … Geronda Hall intercepted the first pass of his career late in the second quarter … Travis Fulgham had his second career 100-yard receiving game, both against ACC teams, the first against North Carolina … Fulgham had career-highs with nine catches for 188-yards … Blake LaRussa had a career-high 495 passing yards and four touchdowns … Bailey Cate’s 62-yard punt was his longest of the season … The first time since 2015 against UTSA ODU had two 100-yard receivers, as Fulgham and Duhart both had 100+ receiving yards … The 495 passing yards is the second most against Virginia Tech, only to Scott Milanovich of Maryland in 1993 … The 623 total yards by ODU is the most allowed by a Tech defense since 604 yards against Syracuse in 2002 … Jeremy Cox recorded his fifth career 100-yard rushing game … For the fifth time in his career, Duhart had three touchdowns in one game.