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NORFOLK, Va. — Jarod Brown kicked a 24-yard field goal on the last play of the game to lift visiting Old Dominion to a 27-24 win over cross-town foe Norfolk State on Saturday afternoon at Dick Price Stadium.
The Monarchs (5-3) withstood a resilient effort from NSU (2-6), scoring the final 10 points of the game to earn the victory in the teams' second-ever meeting and first since they clashed in the first round of the Division I FCS playoffs two years ago.
Sparked by backup quarterback Malik Stokes, the upset-minded Spartans rallied from a 17-3 second-quarter deficit by scoring 21 unanswered points. Stokes' 2-yard TD run on a 4th-and-1 play gave the Spartans a 24-17 lead with 14:11 remaining in the game.
ODU responded with an 11-play, 72-yard drive and tied the game on Taylor Heinicke's 2-yard touchdown pass to Larry Pinkard, their second scoring hookup of the day, with 7:10 left in the fourth.
The Spartans drove right back down the field thanks to runs of 14 and 20 yards by Rolandan Finch and a 12-yard keeper by Stokes. But the ODU defense stiffened, holding NSU to a 41-yard field goal attempt by Cameron Marouf. Marouf's low kick was tipped by ODU's Andrew Everett, keeping the score knotted.
Heinicke and running back Gerard Johnson marched the Monarchs back down the field on the game's decisive drive. The Monarchs' 12-play, 70-yard drive used all 3:01 that remained in the game and was capped by Brown's game-winning boot.
The Spartans held a short-lived lead in the first quarter. After receiving the opening kick, NSU drove 68 yards in 13 plays, settling for Marouf's 24-yard field goal. It marked the first points NSU has scored in the first quarter this season.
The Monarchs, who are in the midst of transitioning from the FCS to FBS level this year, scored the game's next 17 points. Heinicke threw a 20-yard TD pass to Antonio Vaughan and a 22-yarder to Pinkard, sandwiched around a 30-yard Brown field goal, to take a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter.
But Stokes – the third Spartan quarterback to play – helped NSU rally. Starting signal-caller Omari Timmons left with a shoulder injury sustained on the fourth play of the game and was replaced by Tyler Clark. After the Spartan offense bogged down in the second, Stokes relieved Clark and made an immediate impact. Stokes tossed a 23-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Sangster to cap his first drive under center. Sangster's first career TD reception cut the ODU advantage to 17-10 with 4:34 left before the half.
The Spartans seized momentum early in the third quarter. On ODU's first possession of the stanza, Heinicke tried to catch NSU off-guard, lining up in the shotgun formation as if the Monarchs were going to go for it on 4th-and-16 from the Spartans' 40. NSU wasn't fooled, and when Heinicke tried a quick pooch punt, NSU safety Keenan Lambert snared it at the NSU 17 and returned it 62 yards to the ODU 21. Two plays later, Finch darted in from 10 yards out, tying the game with 11:42 left in the third.
The Monarchs drove back down the field and tried to regain the lead with a 27-yard field goal try from Brown, but NSU linebacker Abdul Kamara blocked the kick. That's when the Spartans put together their most impressive drive of the day, marching 80 yards in 19 plays and taking 8:42 off the clock. Stokes was 4-of-8 for 58 yards through the air on that possession and also ran for a key first down on 3rd-and-10 from the ODU 22 before capping the drive with his first career TD run. The possession was the longest scoring drive by NSU this year in terms of both plays and yards.
ODU outgained the Spartans 465-315. Heinicke was 26-of-44 for 325 yards with three scores and one interception. Johnson ran 17 times for 101 yards for ODU.
Finch paced the Spartans' offense with 18 carries for 97 yards, and he added five receptions for 36 yards. Joseph Hawkins also had five catches for 24 yards, and Sangster had 65 yards on three receptions. Stokes finished 7-of-14 for 87 yards and also rushed for 38 more.
Marcell Coke led the NSU defense with 11 tackles, including two for loss, and one pass breakup. Brent Singleton and Lynden Trail added nine and eight tackles, respectively, and each had a sack. Deon King registered a team-best three tackles for loss among his five total tackles.
The Spartans play the last of their three straight home games next Saturday when they welcome Florida A&M to Dick Price Stadium for homecoming. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.
