WEST LONG BRANCH,
N.J.- Backed by Thomas DeMarco's
career day, Old Dominion (2-2) defeated Monmouth University (0-3) by a score of
35-21 Saturday afternoon on Kessler Field.
DeMarco threw for a career-high 407 yards on 28-of-47
passing with four touchdowns. Junior
Prentice Gill was DeMarco's favorite target, hauling in six catches for 154
yards and a pair of scores. Monmouth had
a solid day from its own quarterback, Kyle Frazier (Gaithersburg, Md./Damascus)
who finished with 192 yards on 18-of-24 passing with a touchdown.
On the opening drive of the game, Old Dominion was forced
with third and six when Don Brooks III (Newark, Del./Caravel Academy) picked
off Thomas DeMarco's pass at the MU 40 yard line. It was the first career interception for
Brooks and Monmouth's first turnover of the season. MU
stopping the Monarchs on the opening drive was only the fifth time in ODU's 14
game history it has not scored on its first drive of a game.
On the ensuing drive, Bobby Giles (Burlington, N.J./Burlington) scampered
23-yards down the left side to the ODU 17 to set up the Hawks inside the
redzone for the first time on the day. Three
plays later, Frazier connected with Chris Hogan (Wykoff, N.J./Ramapo/Penn State)
over the middle for a 24 yard score and a 7-0 Hawks lead.
On the next series, ODU got a kick of return of 39 yards by
Colby Goodwyn to the Monarchs 44 yard line.
The Monarchs drove 54 yards on six plays and Jarod Brown's 23 yard field
got on the scoreboard and cut the Hawks lead to 7-3.
Disaster struck on the next MU drive as Carvin Powell
stripped Hogan after a completion which led to ODU's second field goal. Old Dominion then reeled off 21 more points
to take a 27-7 lead into halftime.
During ODU's 24 point second quarter outburst, DeMarco threw for 241
yards and a trio of touchdowns.
The third quarter belonged to the Hawks as ODU ran just seven offensive plays
for four yards. On the final play of the
third quarter, Frazier scooted into the endzone from 10 yards out for his
second career TD run. The score cut the
Old Dominion lead to 27-14 going into the final frame.
Two drives later DeMarco needed just five plays to regain a three score lead,
hitting Gill for a 48 yard touchdown pass with just over seven minutes to
play. The Hawks would score on the
ensuing drive with a big 53 yard pass from Andrew Mandeville (Hazlet,
N.J./Raritan) to Giles setting up MU on the Monarch 16. Mandeville's next pass attempt would find
Nick Romeo (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) wide open in the endzone, slicing the lead
to 35-21 with 4:44 showing on the clock.
The game ended with the Hawks knocking on the door again, but time ran
out on the home squad with a second and goal from the ODU two yardline.
Giles finished with 18 carries for 66 yards with a 53 yard reception in the
fourth quarter. Frazier finished
18-of-24 passing for 192 yards while Mandeville was 3-of-7 for 64 yards and one
touchdown. Romeo led the receivers with
four catches for 37 yards while freshman Mitchell Pollard (Silver Spring,
Md./Spring Brook) had a career-high 60 yards receiving with a long of 46. Safety Kendall Haley (Olney, Md./Good Counsel),
defensive end Dave Ogden (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) and linebacker Joe Valenti (Bayonne,
N.J./St. Peter's Prep) each had seven tackles for the Hawks. Ogden had 1.5 sacks on the day to go along
with his seven takedowns.
Monmouth shut down the ODU rushing attack, with the Monarchs finishing with 65
yards on 28 carries (2.3 yards per carry).
Old Dominion had 27 first downs, compared to Monmouth's 19. The Hawks led in time of possession for the
first time all year (31:33-28:27).
The Hawks are back on the field next weekend when they face
Duquesne at 1 p.m. in Pittsburgh.
