ODU scored a late touchdown to take its first lead of the day with 1:01 left, but Brennan Armstrong drove UVA into field-goal range, and Brendan Farrell, who’d missed a 36-yarder earlier in the fourth quarter that could have put the game away, connected from 26 on the final play to lift the ‘Hoos to a 16-14 win on Saturday.
That one was as uneasy as you would want to endure if you’re a Virginia fan. The Cavaliers (2-1) dominated statistically, outgaining the Monarchs 513-324, but two fumbles inside the ODU 10 and another one in plus territory kept the door open.
UVA could have easily gone into the half up 20-0 or 24-0, but the second fumble, by Armstrong on a scramble at the ODU 36 with 51 seconds left in the second quarter, led to a quick-strike Monarchs scoring drive, converted on a 29-yard TD pass from Hayden Wolff to Ali Jennings, that made it 10-7 going to the locker room.
Virginia was on the verge of getting some breathing room on its first drive of the third quarter, getting a first-and-goal at the ODU 4 after Armstrong connected with tight end Grant Misch on a 16-yard pass play, Armstrong was strip-sacked by Ryan Henry, and the Shawn Asbury recovery ended that threat.
A punt contest ensued into the middle of the fourth quarter, when a Virginia drive got inside the Monarchs 20, but a holding call on Derek Devine negated what would have been a first-down run by Xavier Brown, and the drive stalled from there, forcing a 30-yard Farrell field-goal try that made it 13-7 UVA with 8:37 to go.
Another red-zone incursion by the Cavaliers stalled at the ODU 18 with 3:07 to go, and this time, Farrell was wide left from 36 yards.
ODU was able to convert two fourth-down plays on its next drive, one a fourth-and-8 from the ODU 22, another on a pass-interference penalty that set the Monarchs up with a first down at the UVA 18.
Wolff connected with Zack Kuntz, who had a 22-yard catch on the fourth-down play in ODU territory to extend the game, on an 18-yarder down the left sideline, beating Langston Long in coverage, to put the Monarchs up 14-13 with a minute and a tick left.
A big kickoff return from Derrick Starling set up UVA at the ODU 37. After an incomplete pass on first down, Armstrong hit Lavel Davis Jr. for 30 yards to the Monarch 33, then gained another 13 on a scramble to get the ball in the red zone.
A pass-interference penalty on a target for Dontayvion Wicks got Virginia a first-and-goal at the 5 with 16 seconds left.
Armstrong was incomplete on another fade to Wicks on first down, then ran to the middle to center the ball on second down to set up the kick on the final play.
UVA fans might say this wasn’t a pretty win, but ODU did defeat Virginia Tech, 20-17, back in Week 1, in a game that played out very much like this one, with the Monarchs forcing five Hokies turnovers, and getting the win on a touchdown with 33 seconds left.
Inside the Numbers
Armstrong was 20-of-37 passing for 284 yards and a 118.5 passer rating. It was the second straight game without a passing TD for Armstrong, who had his streak of 18 straight games with a passing touchdown snapped in last week’s 24-3 loss at Illinois.
Virginia ran for 229 yards, with true freshman Xavier Brown leading the way, gaining 88 yards on nine attempts. Starting tailback Perris Jones had 54 yards on 11 carries.
Keytaon Thompson had a monster day at wideout, hauling in nine balls on 14 targets for 118 yards.
Wicks had four catches on 14 targets for 85 yards.
Wolff was 23-of-37 passing for 235 yards, two TDs and a 133.4 passer rating.
ODU ran for 89 yards, with Blake Watson leading the way, gaining 70 yards on 21 attempts.
Jennings had seven catches on 10 targets for 97 yards and a TD for ODU, and Kuntz had six catches on 10 targets for 83 yards and a TD.
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Chris Graham
