ODU's Blue Team Wins Spring Game 21-20

Blake Larussa throws a pass for the White team. Larussa
got chased around all afternoon and finished the day
completing 13 of 23 passes for 85 yards and a TD
(photo by Joe Barnes/Recruit757)

http://www.recruit757.com/old-dominion-bluewhite-game-finishes-21-20-thriller/

Under a flawless blue sky, the Blue and White teams of Old Dominion battled in their annual Spring Game, with the Blue team squeezing out a 21-20 victory at S.B. Ballard Stadium at Foreman Field.

Earlier in the week, the 12 members of the Monarchs’ Unity Council engaged in what Coach Wilder called a “spirited draft” to break their 86-man spring roster into two equal teams of 43.

Before the game, Wilder said that it was the first time in the team’s nine-year history that they were able to field two full teams.

“We’re happy to not have to use some players on both sides,” added a somewhat relieved Wilder.

The game format was designed somewhat differently. The teams were scheduled to play four, eight-minute quarters with a running clock except for the final two minutes of each quarter. After each touchdown, Coach Wilder reserved the right to move the ball anywhere he wanted for the next possession. With the running clock, the movement was quick, and it only took 28 minutes to reach halftime.

The Blue team took the ball first from the 30-yard line. On the game’s second play, sophomore defensive end Oshane Ximines dropped quarterback Shuler Bentley for a seven-yard loss.

Blake Larussa, a redshirt freshman from Bishop Sullivan drew the start for the White team and started his first drive from the 19 after the Blue Team’s drive stalled. Their first drive only lasted three plays, and the Blue took over from their 45. The first quarter was scoreless.

Working from the white 38, Bentley found Travis Fulgham with a short pass, and the sophomore receiver pulled a fake move and turned a four-yard gain into 25, putting the ball at the 13. After an eight-yard run and no gainer, Ray Lawry, last year’s leading Conference USA rusher, bulled up the middle for a five-yard touchdown. Chris Kirtley’s uncontested extra point was good, giving the Blue squad an early 7-0 lead.

But the White team rushed back, and Jeremy Cox busted through a seam on the left side, escaping at least six defenders for a 24-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left in the half. Brad Davis’ extra point evened the score at seven.

The Blue team struck back quickly, with freshman quarterback Drayton Arnold finding Jonathan Duhart on a post pattern route, and the junior from Manchester High ran untouched for a 40-yard score, putting the Blue team up 14-7 entering halftime.

Wilder changed the script for the second half, turning off the running clock.

A sack of Blue’s Drayton Arnold by linebacker Shadow Williams on fourth down gave the White team excellent field position, at the Blue 39. Malik Fuller gained 11 yards on the first play with a run up the middle. Larussa found tight end Melvin Vaughan for five more yards. Two plays later, Larussa found Vaughn again, and the 253-pounder from Oscar Smith walked a tightrope down the left sideline for 13 more. From there, receiver Kesean Strong took care of business, grabbing Larussa’s pass and diving into the end zone, knotting the game once again, this time at 14.

A sack of Arnold by the White’s Ryan Londree backed the Blue team all the way to their 2, and they were forced to punt, once again giving the White contingent strong field position at the Blue 40. However, the Blue defense held up well, and the White offense could only get as far as the 7, where they failed to convert on fourth down.

Soon after came the play of the game. Dropping back into his end zone to pass, Arnold heaved a pass, which Isaiah Harper hauled in at midfield. With a step on his defender, the sophomore redshirt from Grassfield High sprinted the rest of the way to the end zone, for a 94-yard touchdown, by far the longest play of the game. The touchdown and extra point also put the blue team back on top 21-14 with 3:32 remaining in the game.

The White were forced into a fourth-and-11 situation and Larussa was called for intentional grounding as he avoided a charging Blue defense, effectively giving the ball back to the Blue at their 41 with 1:48 to go. But the White used their timeouts well, and the Blue failed to convert a first down, giving the ball right back to the White team with only 21 seconds elapsed.

From the Blue 36 with 1:27 remaining, Larussa went to work, finding Strong up the right sideline for 11 yards and a first down. A crucial holding call cost the offense ten yards, but Malik Fuller was able to grind the first down, with a one-yard gain on third-and-one at the 23.

Down to the last minute, Larussa scrambled for a four-yard gain, putting the ball at the 19 with 42 ticks left on the clock. His floater to Vaughn down the right sideline found one of the receiver’s hands but fell incomplete. Facing fourth-and-six, a run by Brandon Simmons fell short, as did the final rally.

Or did it? The White “managed” to get the ball again at the Blue 20 with 10 seconds left. Given new life, Larussa found Vaughn for 16 yards down the sideline. On the game’s final play, from the 4, Larussa threw a dart into the end zone, which Vaughn leapt and caught for a touchdown.

Down 21-20, the White team elected to go for two points. With the added penalty for roughing the passer on the previous play, the ball was placed just inside the three. But Larussa was chased backwards and his floater toward the end zone fell two yards short of its target, giving Blue the win.

“We put our defense in difficult spots on purpose,” said Wilder after the game, s speaking about the ball placement during the game, “Last year, we were 5-1 in games that were decided in the last five minutes.”

Overall, Wilder was pleased with the defense, especially the defensive line and linebackers. He was also pleased with the progress of his young quarterback Larussa.

“”Blake did a good job under pressure,” said Wilder. “The defense chased him around a lot, but he made good decisions especially with throwing the ball out of bounds when he had to. You like to see your young quarterbacks develop and make progress.”

The Monarchs will conclude their spring practices with three sessions next week.