ODU FOOTBALL TURNS THE BALL OVER FOUR TIMES AND FALLS AT APPALACHIAN STATE, 28-20

BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State took advantage of four Old Dominion turnovers, controled the clock in the fourth quarter and held off the Monarch football team, 28-20, Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium. 

Offensively, the Monarchs outgained the Mountaineers, 496 yards to 396. But quarterback Colton Joseph was was sacked five times and fumbled three times.

ODU trailed, 21-20, at the end of the third quarter, but was driving in App State territory when the Monarchs committed perhaps the most costly turnover of the game.

On first down at the App State 36, ODU Joseph was hit hard on the blind side by Shawn Collins and fumbled. 

Shawn David recovered with 7:35 left, and the Mountaineers then drove 61 yards for a touchdown.

App State quarterback Joey Aguilar passed 11 yards to Max Drag for the touchdown and a 28-21 lead.

Almost as importantly, App State milked five minutes off the clock, scoring with 2:35 left.

ODU then drove into App territory, but on fourth down at the 43, Joseph was intercepted by Zyeir Gamble to end Monarch hopes of a comeback.

After losing its first three games, ODU (4-5, 3-2 Sun Belt) had won four of its last five and moved into first place in the Sun Belt East last week with a 47-19 victory over Georgia Southern.

App State (4-4, 2-3) is likely out of the Sun Belt race, but still has hopes of going to a bowl game. 

ODU had outstanding offensive stats.

Joseph completed 27 of 38 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 42 more.

Wide receiver Isiah Paige caught 13 passes for 205 yards, both career highs, and a touchdown.

And tailback Aaron Young, the senior transfer from Rutgers, had his second 100-yard game of his career, and his first at ODU, rushing for 110 yards on 14 carries.

But ODU managed to score just three points in the final 35 minutes.

"We just made too many critical mistakes to win," said Ricky Rahne, ODU's head coach. "Including me," he added in referring to a decision to go for the first down at midfield in the second half. 

"I can't go for it on fourth down in that situation."

ODU, which led 17-14 at the half, got off to a good start in the second half when Rasheed Reason intercepted a pass from Aguilar at the ODU 20.

Then came the decision to go for it on fourth down, something that the Monarchs have almost always been successful on this season. But this time, on fourth and one at the 49, Joseph was stacked up at the line and the ball turned over to App State.

The Mountaineers took advantage to then take the lead, driving 51 yards with Aguilar passing five yards to Kanea Hamlett for the touchdown and a 21-17 App State lead.

ODU then drove deep into App State territory. But on third and three at the five, Joseph was sacked at the eight and the Monarchs settled for a 25-yard Ethan Sanchez field goal with 55 seconds left in the third quarter that narrowed the margin to 21-20.

ODU did not score again.

Rahne was effusive in his praise of Paige, the fifth-year senior from Richmond.

"He did such a great job," Rahne said. "All he wanted to talk about after the game was how he should have come down with that last pass.

"I mean, that's just the type of kid he is. It says so much about him as a young man, as a Monarch. When you look back on this age of college football, and look at what this kid as done for Old Dominion, it's pretty remarkable."

The game opened with a first quarter that featured huge offensive gains for both teams but little scoring. ODU and App State combined for 322 points but just 10 points.

ODU took the ball 69 yards on the opening driving, including a 61-yard pass from Joseph to Paige on the game’s first play.

But on third down and two at the six, Joseph attempted to hand off to Young and the ball dribbled away from both of them. App State recovered, and Aguilar passed 46 yards to Kaedin Robinson on the first play to put the Mountaineers in ODU territory.

On third down and 12, Aguilar found Robinson in the end zone for a 23-yard TD pass five minutes into the first quarter.

Young rushed seven times for 65 yards on ODU’s next drive, which stalled inside the 10. Sanchez kicked a 25-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 7-3.

Joseph then got his arm unlimbered, completing four passes for 61 yards on a touchdown drive, including a 14-yard TD pass to Diane Vines on the second play of the second quarter to give ODU a 10-3 lead.

Three plays later, Paige caught a 28-yard touchdown pass and ODU led, 17-7, with 4:35 left in the first half, and the Monarchs appeared to be rolling.

Paige said "we just didn't play our game."

"We didn't play fast, hard and physical the way we usually play. I thought we came out sluggish.

"But we've got no excuses. We've got to go back to practice and keep fighting and just keep attacking every day."

ODU is off next week and hosts James Madison on Saturday, November 16, at S.B. Ballard Stadium. It is a White Out game and is sold out. 

Notes
Colton Joseph’s 61-yard completion to Isiah Page on the first play of the game was the longest pass of Joseph’s career and second longest of Paige’s … It’s Paige’s second reception of 60+ yards this season … Bryce Duke’s 26-yard catch in the first quarter was his longest career reception … Diante Vines’ 14-yard second quarter touchdown grab was his second of the season … Paige scored his third touchdown of the season, a career-high … Rasheed Reason notched his first interception of the season and second of his career in the opening drive of the third quarter … Paige finished with career-best 13 catches for 205 yards and a touchdown. The 13 catches are tied for the second most in school history with Ali Jennings, who had 13 against WKU in 2021. The 205 receiving yards are the sixth most in school history … Aaron Young had a career-high 110 yards on 14 carries … Jahron Manning recorded his second double-digit tackle game with 11 tackles and a TFL … Joseph completed a career-high 27 passes for a career-high 332 yards. He also carried 17 times for 42 yards.