ODU football fell to North Carolina 80-20 in the season finale Saturday afternoon at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill.
ODU (8-4) trailed 14-13 after the first quarter, but UNC (6-5) followed by scoring 42 straight points to build a 56-14 lead before Marquel Thomas received a two-yard touchdown pass from Taylor Heinicke early in the third quarter.
Gerard Johnson rushed for a career-high 143 yards while Colby Goodwyn had 57-yards and a TD. Heinicke was 14-of-31 for 130 yards and a touchdown. Larry Pinkard and Thomas had three catches apiece.
Marquise Williams was 20-of-27 for 409 yards and six touchdown passes for UNC who broke their school record with the 80 points.
T.J. Logan led UNC with 137 yards rushing and three rushing scores and also returned a kickoff 99-yards for a touchdown. Ryan Switzer caught five passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns and tied an ACC record with his fourth punt return touchdown of the season.
UNC got on the board first as Williams hit Quinshad Davis for a 56-yard touchdown for the 7-0 Tar Heels lead.
The Monarchs followed with a 37-yard field goal by Jarod Brown to cut the lead to 7-3. The drive was 10 plays, 53-yards, as all 53-yards were on the ground. Gerard Johnson produced most of the drive, grinding out 41-yards, including a 29-yard run. Heinicke also had 12 rushing yards on the drive.
The ODU defense produced a stop on the next North Carolina possession, the UNC defense forced a Heinicke punt, but the Tar Heels muffed the punt giving ODU the ball at the UNC 31. Heinicke connected for 27-yards to Blair Roberts and Goodwyn ran in from four-yards out to give ODU a 10-7 lead.
UNC retook the lead at 14-10 on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Williams to T.J. Thorpe.
The Monarchs countered with a seven-play, 50-yard drive as Brown knocked through a 40-yard field goal to make the score 14-13 UNC.
Following the Brown field goal, North Carolina scored 35-straight points in the second quarter to take a 49-13 lead at the break.
Williams connected with Ryan Switzer for two TD passes and another to Kendrick Singleton, while T.J. Logan ran for two, one-yard scores.
Notes: D.J. Simon started his first career game at linebacker … Aaron Evans started his first game of the year as nickel defensive back for ODU … Larry Pinkard recovered an onsides kick in the first quarter for ODU, the fourth one the Monarchs have recovered this year … Colby Goodwyn scored his 12th rushing TD of the year, the second most in a single-season in school history … The two field goals marks the third two field goal game of the year for Jarod Brown … Gerard Johnson’s 81-yard run in the third quarter is the longest in school history … It surpasses Cam Boyd’s 70-yard TD run against Rhode Island … Johnson’s 143 rushing yards was the most by an ODU running back this year … It is the second time he has rushed for more than 100-yards this year. He also did it against Norfolk State (101) … Heinicke’s TD pass to Thomas was his 33rd of the season and 102nd of his career … It was Thomas’ fourth TD of the year, all coming against FBS opponents.
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