ODU Football Rolls to 376 Rushing Yards and a 45-10 Victory Over Georgia Southern

STATESBORO, Ga. – Old Dominion’s red hot football team played perhaps its most complete game of the season, as the Monarchs racked up 376 rushing yards, the second-most in school history, and rolled to a 45-10 victory over Georgia Southern Saturday afternoon at Allen E. Paulson Stadium.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Colton Joseph had a dominant game as he rushed 20 times for a career-high 189 yards and a touchdown and completed 12 of 18 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown before heading to the bench for good late in the third quarter.

The victory was the fourth in a row for the Monarchs (8-3 overall, 5-2 Sun Belt Conference), who moved into second place in tie with Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt East. ODU had not won eight games since 2016.

"To have 376 yards rushing and to allow only 49 yards rushing, that was massive," said Ricky Rahne, ODU's head coach. "I'm told this is their biggest home loss ever here and that's in a place that's hard to play.

"We controlled the line of scrimmage. We came in here and did some really good things."

It was the third time this season that ODU rushed for 300 or more yards and the Monarchs outgained the Eagles, 551-249. 

“Our offensive line just keep moving the defensive line back,” Joseph said. “I was just following my big guys up front.

"That was our game plan and it just kept working and so we just kept doing it and didn't let up.”

Asked about winning eight games for the first time in nine seasons, Joseph said that he knew during spring practice that this team had the potential to do great things.

“I knew in the spring that this was a special group,” he said. “We all get along well. We enjoy playing with each other. I knew we had brought in some talented new guys and that we had a lot of potential.

"And we’ve still got a lot of football left to play.”

ODU concludes the regular season next Saturday against Georgia State at 2 p.m. at S.B. Ballard Stadium, then the Monarchs will learn on Dec. 7 where they will play in a bowl game.

ODU’s defense stood tall for the fourth game in a row.

Georgia Southern’s offense has been potent and averaged 30 points and 403 yards per game in its first 10 games. But the Ealges did not cross the 50 yard line in the first half and tallied a field goal only after a 52-yard pass reception gave Georgia Southern a first and goal.

A late turnover set up Georgia Southern’s only touchdown. The Eagles were limited to 249 offensive yards, including 92 yards in the fourth quarter when substitutes were playing long after the outcome had been decided. 

The Monarchs have allowed just 37 points in the last four games, including a 24-21 victory at home over App State, a 33-6 win at ULM and 33-0 win last weekend at home against Troy. ODU held the Trojans to just 138 yards last week, a school record.

The Eagles (5-6, 3-4) entered the game with momentum. They had won two in a row, and three out of four, including a 45-40 upset victory over Coastal Carolina last week.

But things went awry from the first Georgia Southern possession. On the second play from scrimmage, ODU’s Jerome Carter picked off a J.C. French IV pass at the Georgia Southern 45 and returned it 28 yards. Two plays later, Devin Roche took an inside handoff and slashed 17 yards to the one.

Ke’Travion Hargrove then raced for a one-yard TD rush, the first of three touchdowns on the day for the senior, and ODU led, 7-0, less than two minutes into the game.

Roche then capped a 66-yard drive with a 21-yard TD run in which he broke several tackles, and ODU led, 14-0, midway through the first quarter.

With its offense generating little yardage, the Eagles gambled on their next possession, going for it on fourth and two at the Georgia Southern 46. But Weston Bryan was stacked up in the middle by Carter and Chris Forbes, turning the ball over the ODU.

Nathaniel Eichner then booted ODU to a 17-0 lead with a 28-yard field goal.

After holding the Eagles three and out, ODU then mounted a 70-yard TD drive.

Joseph was under some pressure, but saw Jailen Butler alone, 20 yards behind the safeties in the end zone, and lofted a high, soft pass which Butler tucked in from 16 yards. It was the first career touchdown for Butler, a junior tight end from Chicago.

Minutes later, Hargrove capped an 80-yard drive with another two-yard touchdown run and ODU led, 31-0.

Hargrove made it 38-0 with a 12-yard touchdown rush five minutes into the second half.

Georgia Southern placekicker Tripp Bryant finally got the Eagles on the scoreboard midway through the third quarter with a 26-yard field goal.

Joseph then capped a 75-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown run, in which he bowled over a couple of defenders at the goal line, with two minutes left in the third quarter to make it 45-3.

Rahne then emptied his bench.

Rahne said that ODU's senior game next weekend "will obviously be emotional."

"We've got some seniors who've been here a long time and have changed things for us and been through a lot of ups and downs. Obviously, they've meant a lot to our program."

Notes – Jerome Carter intercepted his fourth pass of the season on Georgia Southern’s second play of the game … Bull Hargrove had three rushing touchdowns after coming into the game with one. He joins Trequan Jones and Colton Joseph with three rushing touchown games this season … Devin Roche scored his second touchdown of the season and first since the win over Virginia Tech … For the fourth straight game, the defense did not allow any first quarter points … Jailen Butler caught his first career touchdown pass, a 16-yarder from Colton Joseph … The 31-0 halftime lead was ODU’s second 30+ point halftime lead this season, as ODU led Coastal Carolina 34-0 at the break … ODU rushed for more than 200 yards for the seventh time this season and 300 yards for the third time, with a season high 376 yards on the ground … Following ODU’s shutout against Troy, they shut out Georgia Southern for the first two and a half quarters before a field goal with 6:53 left in the third … Colton Joseph rushed for a career high 189 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown. He now has 899 rushing yards on the year, a school record for a quarterback, passing Thomas DeMarco who had 892 yards in 2009. He also moved into fifth in ODU’s career rushing charts, passing DeMarco with 1,546 yards … ODU had a season high 21 big plays (plays of 15+ passing, 12+ rushing).