Welcome to the ODU Unfiltered Throwback Thursday Series!
As we push through the postseason and stare down the long wait of the offseason, we’re keeping the Monarch spirit alive. Every Thursday until football season kicks off, we’re opening the vault.
We’re talking about the gritty upsets, the milestones, and the unbelievable, unforgettable moments that define Old Dominion basketball and football. Whether you were in the stands losing your voice, pacing around your living room in the 757, or you’re a newer fan catching up on the history, this series is for you.
Backup quarterback Blake LaRussa orchestrates the greatest upset in program history, dropping 49 points on Bud Foster's legendary defense in front of a stunned national audience.
Let’s set the scene: September 22, 2018. Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
If you looked at the stat sheets and the betting lines before kickoff, this game was supposed to be a massacre. The #13 Virginia Tech Hokies were rolling into Norfolk with a 2-0 record and legitimate College Football Playoff aspirations. Old Dominion, on the other hand, was reeling. The Monarchs were 0-3, struggling to find any offensive identity, and entering the game as massive 28.5-point underdogs.
Nobody gave Old Dominion a chance. But games aren't played on paper.
The Quarterback Change that Changed Everything
The Monarchs started the game sluggishly, falling behind 14-7 in the first quarter. Searching for a spark, head coach Bobby Wilder made a decision that would alter the trajectory of the season: he benched starting quarterback Steven Williams and handed the offense over to former walk-on Blake LaRussa.
LaRussa didn't just provide a spark; he ignited a roaring inferno.
Playing with absolute fearlessness against Bud Foster’s vaunted "Lunch Pail" defense, LaRussa began dealing from the pocket. He showed incredible poise, hanging tough against the Hokies' pass rush to deliver perfectly placed deep balls. By the time the dust settled, LaRussa had thrown for an astonishing 495 yards and four touchdowns, completely dismantling one of the most respected defensive units in the country.
The Twin Towers Take Over
LaRussa’s historic performance wouldn't have been possible without his two outside receivers deciding to play like absolute superheroes. Travis Fulgham and Jonathan Duhart turned the Virginia Tech secondary into their own personal highlight reel.
The duo won virtually every 50/50 ball thrown their way, using their size and physicality to bully the Tech cornerbacks. Fulgham was a deep-threat nightmare, hauling in nine catches for 188 yards and a crucial touchdown. Duhart was equally unstoppable, securing nine catches for 142 yards and finding the end zone three separate times. Every time the Hokies threatened to pull away, LaRussa would heave the ball toward the sidelines, and Fulgham or Duhart would come down with a jaw-dropping catch to keep the chains moving.
Add in a punishing ground game led by Jeremy Cox, who rumbled for 130 rushing yards, and the ODU offense was an unstoppable, perfectly balanced machine that racked up 632 total yards.
The Fourth Quarter Avalanche
Despite ODU's offensive fireworks, Virginia Tech’s talent kept them in control for most of the game. Entering the fourth quarter, the Hokies held a 28-21 lead.
But Foreman Field had a distinct magic to it that afternoon. The crowd of 20,532 refused to let the energy die, and the Monarchs fed off it, unleashing a 28-point fourth-quarter avalanche.
LaRussa connected with Duhart for a pair of touchdowns to snatch the lead. After Tech tied it up at 35-35, ODU responded with a grueling, will-breaking 75-yard drive, capped off by a spectacular 29-yard touchdown grab by Fulgham with just 5:22 remaining.
Trailing 42-35, the Hokies desperately tried to mount a final drive. But the ODU defense, which had bent all afternoon, finally broke Tech. Defensive end Oshane Ximines, a future NFL draft pick, relentlessly pressured the pocket. With Tech backed up against their own end zone, the Monarchs forced a turnover on downs.
Jeremy Cox punched in a 40-yard touchdown run moments later to twist the knife, making it 49-35 and sending Foreman Field into absolute delirium. When the final seconds ticked away, the sea of Monarch fans poured out of the bleachers and swallowed the field.
It was the first time an FBS program from Conference USA had ever beaten a ranked ACC team. It was chaotic, it was beautiful, and it remains one of the crowning jewels of Old Dominion football.
Where were you when the clock hit zero and the fans rushed the field? Drop your memories of the 2018 miracle in the comments below!
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