The Old Dominion Monarchs took down an in-state power in Virginia Tech Hokies on Friday, pulling ahead in the final minute for a 20-17 home victory. Getting the ball down to the goal line, running back Blake Watson punched in the go-ahead score with 33 seconds left on the clock.
The halftime wasn't without controversy, as Virginia Tech's assistant coaches were locked in an elevator on the way back to the press box from the locker room, and the game was delayed for several minutes as they were rescued and resumed their normal positions. It would be journalistic malpractice for us to suggest that this was a nefarious plot cooked up by ODU to throw the Hokie staff off kilter. But this is college football, and we've seen weirder things happen.
With the game tied at 10 in the third quarter, Va. Tech reached into its “Beamer Ball” bag of tricks and recovered a fumble in the shadow of the end zone. Four plays later, Grant Wells hit Keshawn King for a touchdown to take the lead. ODU would tack on a field goal in the fourth to cut into the deficit and after coming away with an interception of their own, they drove down the field to set up the winning score.
This marked Old Dominion's second victory over a Power Five opponent, the first coming against…Virginia Tech. Oh, and this is the first game of a 10-year series, so good luck with that Hokies.