DALLAS (FWAA) - Junior QB Blake LaRussa came off the bench and threw for 495 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Old Dominion Monarchs to a banner offensive day and a 49-35 upset of No. 10 Virginia Tech before a Foreman Field record crowd of 20,532. For knocking off a Power 5 conference foe for the first time since restarting the program in 2009 and earning the school’s first win over a ranked opponent, Old Dominion has earned the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week for the weekend of Sept. 22.
This is the first time for Old Dominion to earn this honor, which dates back to the 2002 season. The announcement came on "Off Campus with Mark Packer" on ESPNU Radio on SiriusXM. Each Monday during the season, the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week will be unveiled during the program, which airs weekdays from 4-7 p.m. ET. The FWAA's All-America Committee selects the weekly winner and all Division I FBS and FCS schools are eligible to be selected.
LaRussa, a junior from Virginia Beach, Va., entered the game on ODU's second possession and kick-started an offense that also included Jeremy Cox's 130 rushing yards and 100-yard receiving games from Jonathan Duhart (130) and Travis Fulgham (188). LaRussa was 30-of-49 passing and accounted for 501 total yards, the fifth-highest mark in the FBS this season, and he also ran for a touchdown. The Monarchs' 632 total yards are the most allowed by a Virginia Tech defense since 2002.
ODU took its final lead with five minutes left on a 29-yard touchdown fade pattern from LaRussa to Duhart to break a 35-35 tie. The Hokies drove to the ODU 21 on the ensuing possession but stopped there, failing to complete a fourth-down pass. The Monarchs iced the game with 1:34 left on Cox's 40-yard touchdown run.
"At night when you dream about this game, this is what you picture," Fulgham said, referring to the ODU fans rushing the field at the end of the game.
The Monarchs win marks the first time a Conference USA team has knocked off a top 10 opponent since 2009, and this is first Team of the Week recognition for a C-USA team since UAB earned it in the final week of the 2014 season.
The Football Writers Association of America has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. Members of the 12-person FWAA All-America Committee – plus one fan vote from Twitter – decide the weekly honor.
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Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,400 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at
tiger@fwaa.com.
2018 National Teams of the Week
• Weekend of Sept. 1: Maryland Terrapins
• Weekend of Sept. 8: Kentucky Wildcats
• Weekend of Sept. 15: BYU Cougars
• Weekend of Sept. 22: Old Dominion Monarchs