NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- It wasn't always pretty, but Old Dominion found the win column again after two straight losses.
Colton Joseph threw for three touchdowns and the Monarchs held off a late Appalachian State charge to top the Mountaineers, 24-21, at S.B. Ballard Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The victory improved ODU's record to 5-3, 2-2 in Sun Belt play.
"We did not play a perfect game like any stretch of the imagination, but anytime you can win a league game, you're excited," head coach Ricky Rahne said. "We led from beginning to end so that was good. We just left some things out there and it didn't need to be that exciting."
Old Dominion got on the scoreboard first in the first quarter. After Ryan Ramey came up with an interception, Joseph connected with Ke'Travion Hargrove on a jump pass and a 70-yard touchdown to give the Monarchs a 7-0 lead. They would add a field goal in the second quarter to widen the gap to 10-0.
App State got on the board late in the first half. J.J Kohn found Jaden Barnes for a 16-yard score and the Mountaineers cut the advantage to 10-7 at halftime.
ODU added some cushion in the third quarter with two more Joseph touchdown passes. He found Na'eem Abdul-Raheem Gladding for a 16-yard TD to cap off the silver and blue's first possession of the second half and completed a catch-and-run 24-yard scoring play to Ja'Cory Thomas with 26 seconds remaining in the frame.
The Mountaineers would battle back, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but Old Dominion recovered an onside kick to seal the victory and pull to within one win of bowl eligibility.
Joseph finished the day 21-of-35 for 310 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, while also serving as the Monarchs' leading rusher with 61 yards on the ground. Gladding pulled in eight catches for 105 yards and the score.
Ramey and Jerome Carter both came away with interceptions for Old Dominion with Zion Frink leading the way with 13 tackles.
Rahne's team bounced back from last weekend's poor second half with a 459 yard output of total offense.
Old Dominion hits the road next Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Louisiana-Monroe.
