Redshirt freshman quarterback Colton Joseph’s 111 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns propelled Old Dominion over Texas State 24-14 Saturday night at S.B Ballard Stadium in Norfolk, Virginia.
Joseph tacked on 130 passing yards and was responsible for 241 of the Monarch’s 322 total yards, which proved enough to hold off the Bobcats on the road.
The loss marks Texas State’s first Sun Belt Conference loss this season.
The Bobcats found themselves trailing at the end of the first quarter for the first time this season. The Monarchs jumped out to a 7-0 lead after Old Dominion redshirt junior safety Markus Knight picked off redshirt senior quarterback Jordan McCloud, setting up Old Dominion’s offense for Joseph’s first rushing touchdown.
Joseph’s 43 yards and two touchdowns on the ground gave Old Dominion the 14-0 lead to the end of the first half.
The Bobcats struggled on third down in the first half, going 1-7 on third down conversions. The Maroon and Gold came into Saturday’s game ranked second in third down conversion percentage, sitting at 46% on the season.
McCloud answered back in the second half, connecting with senior wide receiver Joey Hobert for a 40-yard completion, setting up the designed quarterback run on third down to bring the Bobcats within seven.
Texas State’s momentum continued on defense as senior safety Kaleb Culp forced a fumble recovered by redshirt senior defensive end Kalil Alexander at midfield.
Texas State drove down the field, leading to a missed 34-yard field goal by redshirt junior kicker Mason Shipley. Shipley went on to miss two field goals in the second half.
The Monarchs gained back control, putting together an early fourth-quarter drive setting up junior kicker Ethan Sanchez for the 32-yard field goal, extending the Monarch lead 17-7.
Junior running back Ismail Mahdi’s 139 yards on the ground brought the Bobcats within three of the Monarch’s lead after McCloud’s 24-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Beau Sparks with under six minutes in the fourth quarter.
The Monarchs’ offense iced the game after Joseph’s third rushing score of the day. The freshman ripped off a 28-yard score, sealing Old Dominion’s upset win.
With the loss, the Bobcats drop to 4-3 on the season and 2-1 in Sun Belt play and will look to bounce back against the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.
Kickoff between Texas State and Louisiana-Lafayette is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, at Jim Wacker Field at UFCU Stadium. The game will be available on ESPN+.
