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Old Dominion upsets FIU, 37-30 to keep bowl game hopes alive

Posted at 11:08 PM, Nov 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-11 23:08:16-05

Head coach Bobby Wilder speaks to safety Rob Thompson. (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images)

MIAMI, Fla. (ODUSports.com)– Steven Williams passed for a career-high 240-yards and two touchdowns while Ray Lawry rushed for 168-yards and scored three times as Old Dominion University Football defeated FIU 37-30 Saturday night in Miami. The victory moves the Monarchs to 4-and-6 overall with two games remaining in the regular season. ODU must reach six wins in order to be bowl-eligible.

An Alex Gardner touchdown run and FIU safety cut the ODU lead to one at 24-23, but Lawry punched in his third score of the game from a yard out to put ODU on top 31-23.

A pair of Nice Rice field goals put the score at 37-23 before a Tony Gaiter IV touchdown with 20 seconds left. FIU recovered the onsides kick but the final Hail Mary pass fell incomplete.

FIU got on the board first with a Napoleon Maxwell three-yard touchdown run, but the Monarchs came back to tie the score with a nine-yard pass from Steven Williams to Melvin Vaughn. A 65-yard pass from Williams to Isaiah Harper set up the score.

After a defensive stop, Williams hit Harper again, this time for 39-yards to set up Ray Lawry’s 40-yard touchdown run to put the Monarchs on top, 14-7.

ODU football Bobby Wilder, Stevie Williams

FIU came back with an 11 play, 75-yard drive to tie the score at 14 with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Alex McGough to Shermar Thornton.

Nick Rice gave ODU a 17-14 lead with a 41-yard field goal to cap an eight play, 52-yard drive.

The Monarchs got another defensive stop and got the ball back with just over a minute to go, and drove 85-yards in seven plays capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Lawry to give ODU a 24-14 halftime lead.

Williams was 17-of-24 for 240-yards and two score, while Lawry rushed 19 times for 168-yards and two rushing TD’s, and caught three passes for 14 yards and a score.

Jordan Young led the defense with nine tackles.