SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 29, 2014
Old Dominion 31, Florida Atlantic 28: Satchel Ziffer booted a 28-yard field goal on the game's final play to lift the visiting Monarchs to the Conference USA win.
Taylor Heinicke threw three first-half touchdown passes for Old Dominion (6-6, 4-6 C-USA). Heinicke finished 32-for-50 for 282 yards while Ray Lawry rushed for 213 yards and a score on 25 carries.
The Owls (3-9, 2-6) got 133 yards passing from Jaquez Johnson, who completed 9-of-19 attempts. Tony Moore rushed for 83 yards and a score while Johnson ran for 70 yards and another score as FAU lost its fifth straight.
Heinicke connected with Antonio Vaughan, Melvin Vaughn and Zach Pascal for scoring passes in the first half, the last of which tied the game at 21 at the break. Moore and Jay Warren had short scoring runs sandwiched around a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown by Lucky Whitehead for the Owls.
Lawry broke the tie by ripping off a 68-yard run for a score with 11:58 to play but the Owls answered with an 11-yard scoring run by Johnson with 5:14 to play. Old Dominion is in its second transition season to the FBS and is only eligible to go to a bowl game if not enough teams qualify.