NORFOLK, VA — App State had plenty of fourth-down magic, but Old Dominion’s late fourth-down conversion set up the winning touchdown in the final minute of a 28-21 conference victory over the visiting Mountaineers. .
App State’s last four games and five of its last six have all been decided in the closing minutes.
Mountaineers (3-4, 1-2 Sun Belt) after completing 19 yards on fourth-and-10 from the App State 40 setup for a winning 16-yard touchdown run for ODU with 48 seconds left. advanced from their own position. 21 to 23 thanks to the Monarchs Joey Aguilar’s After completing 13 yards Eli Wilsonup to 20 yards kadin robinson (up to ODU 44, 15 yards of defensive targeting flag flipped), 21 yards to slide christian horn.
A spike with 11 seconds left at the 23-yard line gave App State two touchdown shots – the Monarchs (4-3, 2-1) turned a 21-20 deficit into a seven-point lead with the touchdown and completion. Ta. 2 point conversion. ODU defensive back Keandre Harris was credited with consecutive breakups on high, deep passes to the 6-foot-4 receiver. Dalton Stroman in the end zone.
App State head coach “heartbreaking loss” Sean Clark Said. “It hurt for the players, it hurt for the team. Our kids played their best tonight, and we were just one play short.”
Aguilar (22-of-31 passing, 252 yards) contributed three fourth-down touchdowns on a night when App State went 4-for-4 on fourth down, including a TD pass to a tight end. He recorded one touchdown run against a QB keeper. david larkins and wide receiver kadin robinson, finished with 103 yards on seven catches.Started in place of injured hip Nate Noelwas one of the nation’s top rushers before getting injured in the previous game. kanye roberts He had 109 yards on 26 carries, marking the first 100-yard game of his career.
Nate Johnson He led the defense with a season-high two sacks and increased his season total to five with two first-half takedowns. santana hopper He added 1.5 sacks, including a big sack in the final six minutes that helped force a punt situation in a one-point game.Hopper also joined hands. Derrell Farrar With a sack in the first half.
App State, leading 21-20, got the ball back at its own 34 with 4:50 left and faced a second-and-1 scenario, but before the fumble the Mountaineers recovered from the loss. The third down was incomplete. ODU took over from its 31 with 3:46 left and moved to the App State 33 for a third-and-3 play. An offensive holding penalty nullified the long run, and the short QB keeper on third down set up a 4-and-10 play from the App State 40 with 1:08 left.
Grant Wilson scrambled to complete a 19-yard pass to Javon Harvey to bring the Monarchs within short field goal range, and Keshawn Wicks rushed for a 16-yard touchdown that at least put the Mountaineers at 48. It gave you seconds to react. .
All three of App State’s touchdowns came on fourth-down runs, as Aguilar hit the fourth-and-goalie near the right side from the first corner in the first quarter and threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Larkins on fourth-and-2. was. 4:14 left before halftime.
Leading 14-7 and scoring its first touchdown on a 12-play, 87-yard drive, ODU had runs of 19, 36, and 20 yards (touchdown from Wicks) to score 92 in five plays. He gained yards and tied the game. The Monarchs then forced a quick three-and-out punt and continued with a 16-yard run to the App State 30 for a 47-yard field goal at the end of the second half.
ODU added a 46-yard field goal to start the third quarter, but App State had two fourth-down conversions late in a winning touchdown drive on its next possession. Aguilar gained 2 yards from the ODU 25 against a keeper on a fourth-and-2 and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Robinson in the back of the end zone on a fourth-and-5 delivery.
App State returns to action next Saturday with a homecoming game against Southern Mississippi. The game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium.