Old Dominion didn’t have an offensive touchdown in more than 59 minutes, but got one in the all-important 20-17 win over Virginia Tech on Friday night in a wild in-state matchup. Running back Blake Watson crossed the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown with 33 seconds left after Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Wells made the third of four interceptions on the night.
The stunning win marked the Monarchs’ second victory in the Power Five program – both times over the Hawkes. Old Dominion previously beat Virginia Tech 49-35 in 2018.
In Brent Pry’s first game as head coach, turnovers plagued the Hokies. Most notably, a missed shot attempt led to a touchdown by ODU’s Robert Kennedy with 1:26 left in the second quarter. The 10-point swing gave the Monarchs a 10-7 lead going into the half.
Nonetheless, Virginia Tech’s defense appears ready to carry it into a Week 1 victory until OId Dominion’s offense comes to life with a game. When they regained possession, the Monarchs amassed just 168 yards of play, which turned out to be a game-winning drive.
Old Dominion is just 6.5 points behind after winning the last five regular-season-2021 games to reach the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Friday night’s results only underscored the reality of Blacksburg’s rebuild as the Hawkes transitioned from Justin Fuente to Perry.
While the Virginia Tech defense was solid for most of the game, the Virginia Tech offense struggled with execution all night. Wells, a Marshall transfer, completed 21 of 36 passes for 197 yards and touchdowns. However, his four interceptions were particularly costly, and it was fitting that Virginia Tech’s last offensive possession ended with a Welles interception to seal the game.
Budding rivalry
Old Dominion has less than a decade at the divisional level of the Football Bowl, and Virginia Tech is well established in the sport Knowing who he is, it’s easy to mistake Friday night’s outcome for an unlikely fluke. But the two teams have now met four times over the past six seasons, suggesting that’s not the outlier. The Old Dominion had a home win over the Hawkes in 2018, while Virginia Tech won home games in the 2017 and 2019 series.
This team plans to play four games in each of the next nine seasons Given how competitive the series has been so far and its in-state nature, it looks like a real competition is brewing.
Weird delay
The start of the second half was delayed by a few minutes due to special reasons. Some Virginia Tech assistants were stuck in elevators at ODU’s SB Ballard Stadium as they tried to return to the coaching box in the second half. It’s an odd situation, perfect for a wacky game. However, the extra brainstorming time didn’t seem to benefit Hokies employees much.
