Old Dominion players celebrate after defeating Virginia Tech 45-26 at Lane Stadium, handing the Hokies their first 0-3 start since 1987.
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Old Dominion steamrolled Virginia Tech on its own field, 45-26, making history at the Hokies’ expense.
The Monarchs came in as underdogs, but by night’s end had flipped the script — controlling the pace, shutting down Tech’s quarterback and earning their first-ever road win over a Power Four opponent.
For Virginia Tech, the loss dropped the Hokies to 0-3 — their first such start since 1987.
Quarterback Colton Joseph wasted no time setting the tone. He finished 16-of-22 for 276 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while adding 63 yards and another score on the ground. Virginia Tech had a chance early after defensive end Ben Bell pounced on a Devin Roche fumble near midfield, but the Hokies went three-and-out and never regained momentum.
From there, Old Dominion tightened its grip. Joseph found Ja’Cory Thomas for a one-handed 38-yard grab to spark the first touchdown drive, then capped another series himself after Trequan Jones ripped off a 39-yard run. Joseph later hit Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding for 44 yards to flip the field, and Maurki James powered in from short range three plays later. Kyron Drones’ two first-half fumbles both turned into Monarch points — the first on a goal-line stand where Jeremy Mack Jr. knocked the ball loose and Chris Forbes fell on it at the ODU 3-yard line.
Each misstep — pass interference, face mask penalties — felt like giving ODU a fresh set of downs. The Monarchs took a 28-0 shutout into halftime, and Lane Stadium was booing louder than the band could play.
“Yeah, I get it. I’m frustrated too. The expectations at this place are to win… We let them down,” Hokies head coach Brent Pry said.
Tech finally broke the shutout in the third quarter when Ayden Greene’s 67-yard catch set up a 10-yard touchdown from Drones to Donavon Greene. But Old Dominion answered right away with its longest march of the night, capped by an 11-yard touchdown run from Jones. Together, Joseph’s arm and Jones’ legs gave the Monarchs a balance Virginia Tech couldn’t match.
When Virginia Tech tried bringing more pressure after halftime, the Monarchs never flinched. Joseph stayed aggressive downfield, forcing the Hokies to defend every blade of grass, while Jones’ steady bursts punished them for overcommitting.
Virginia Tech has been strongest in the first half of its previous games, but Old Dominion shut that down with steady pressure on Drones. The Hokies were thrown off early — and they aren’t a good closing team in the first place.
Drones added two late touchdowns — a 23-yard strike to Donavon Greene and a short toss to Tyler Mason — but by then, the outcome was decided. The Hokies finished with 12 penalties for 113 yards, their mistakes undoing any chance at a comeback. ODU wasn’t perfect either, flagged eight times for 85 yards, but over performed when it mattered.
Old Dominion finished with 526 total yards to Virginia Tech’s 433. By the final whistle, Old Dominion’s grit outlasted Virginia Tech’s mistakes, the Monarchs walking away with a 45-26 win.
The Monarchs (2-1) will play at home in Norfolk, VA next Saturday to take on the Liberty Flames.
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