Virginia Tech vs. Old Dominion score: Monarchs pick off Hokies QB Grant Wells four times in stunning upset
Fri, Sep 2, 2022
NCAAF News (AP)
Old Dominion went over 59 minutes without an offensive touchdown but got one when it mattered most to upset Virginia Tech 20-17 in a wild in-state showdown on Friday night. Running back Blake Watson surged across the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown with 33 seconds left to cap a 74-yard go-ahead drive following Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Wells' third of four interceptions on the night.
The stunning victory marks just the second win over a Power Five program for the Monarchs -- both over the Hokies. Old Dominion previously topped Virginia Tech 49-35 in 2018.'
Turnovers plagued the Hokies in Brent Pry's first game as head coach. Most notably, a botched snap on a field goal attempt with 1:26 left in the second quarter led to a scoop-and-score touchdown from ODU's Robert Kennedy. That 10-point swing sent the Monarchs into halftime with a 10-7 lead.
SCOOP AND SCORE ?? pic.twitter.com/9GfrGutEMu
- SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 3, 2022
Still, it looked like Virginia Tech's defense was positioned to carry it to a Week 1 victory until OId Dominion's offense found life with the game on the line. After amassing fewer than 200 total yards for the entire game, the Monarchs put together the clutch drive capped by Watson.
Old Dominion was just a 6.5-point underdog after winning its final five regular-season games in 2021'to reach the Myrtle Beach Bowl. With the Hokies undergoing the transition to Pry from Justin Fuente, this was expected to be a rebuilding year. Friday night's outcome only underscored that reality.
PICKED ?? @ODUFootball pic.twitter.com/EiWOWUUDfn
- ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 3, 2022
Though its defense was stout, Virginia Tech's offense struggled with offensive execution throughout the night. Wells, a Marshall transfer, completed 21 of 36 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. His four interceptions were particularly costly, however, and it was fitting that Virginia Tech's last-gasp offensive possession was a Wells heave intercepted by the Monarchs.
