OLD DOMINION 10, TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE 9 ODU escapes upset Interception on 2-point conversion in final seconds helps Monarchs hold off FCS team
NORFOLK — There was no extreme, offense-hampering weather in the wake of Tropical Storm Ophelia on Saturday at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
Two disparately equipped teams just played like there was.
Jack Shields came off the bench to pass for 258 yards and a touchdown, and Old Dominion needed a gutsy goal-line play in the final seconds to hold on for a 10-9 non-conference win over FCS program Texas A&M University-Commerce.
The Monarchs (2-2) gave up a touchdown pass with 28 seconds left to account for the final margin. Commerce (0-3) decided to go for two, but LaMareon James intercepted Josh Magana’s rollout pass to the right.
After a tense, overcast afternoon, ODU could exhale.
“We won the game,” Monarchs coach Ricky Rahne said. “Obviously, there’s an abundance of things we need to correct, but we won the game.”
Kelby Williams caught eight passes for 197 yards on a day when points were at a premium.
The Monarchs put up 343 total yards while holding Commerce to 250.
FBS programs like ODU can carry as many as 85 scholarship players. FCS programs are limited to 63. FBS programs typically have much bigger athletic budgets than those in FCS.
But none of that seemed to matter to the Lions, who racked up eight sacks and were a constant presence in ODU’s backfield.
With a game-time temperature of 78 degrees and no rain, the only nature-induced difficulty was a steady wind toward the stadium’s north end. The crowd was announced as 16,938, but many season ticket-holders were clearly scared away by the possibility of
Old Dominion wide receiver Reymello Murphy leaps into the air for a catch over Texas A&M-Commerce defender Daryion Taylor on Saturday at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
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