NORFOLK, VA (WTKR) — A tale of two halves saw Old Dominion stall during the first two quarters. Maybe they were saving it all for after halftime.
Old Dominion forced two big turnovers and scored all of its 29 points in the second half, nipping Arkansas State, 29-26, in its Sun Belt Conference opener on Saturday night at S.B. Ballard Stadium. The victory came in the program's first ever Sun Belt league contest.
The Monarchs were staring at a 12-0 deficit at halftime and trailed 19-7 early in the third quarter, but that's when the tide turned. Hayden Wolff's 77-yard touchdown pass to Ali Jennings trimmed the lead to 19-14, getting the crowd back into a game that needed a jumpstart.
With 2:13 left in the third quarter, Deeve Harris returned an interception 16 yards for a touchdown, giving Old Dominion the 21-19 lead. It was Harris's third career defensive touchdown, breaking a program record.
The Red Wolves' A.J. Mayer would rush for a 23 yard score early in the fourth quarter to put Arkansas State back on top and the visitors would get the ball back, but that's when the defense would step up yet again. With 7:52 to play, Terry Jones sacked James Blackman, forcing the ball loose. The Monarchs recovered the fumble, setting them up with excellent field position at the ASU 29-yard line.
The offense capitalized, as Wolff ended the drive by connecting with Zack Kuntz on a 7-yard score. Arkansas State could not get its offense going following the final Monarch touchdown.
Wolff passed for 279 yards and two touchdowns, while Jennings led the receiving corps with 140 yards and the TD. Keshawn Wicks was the Monarchs' top rusher in Blake Watson's absence, who was sidelined with an undisclosed injury. He ran for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Jason Henderson was a monster on defense, setting a Monarch record with 21 tackles on Saturday night. That also ranks fifth-most among Sun Belt games all-time and is the most by an FBS player this season.
Old Dominion improves to 2-2, 1-0 in the Sun Belt, and closes out its non-conference schedule next Saturday when the Monarchs host Liberty.
