ATLANTA — Colton Joseph demonstrated his prowess on the field, amassing 239 yards of total offense, and his 9-yard touchdown connection with Demariyon Houston early in the fourth quarter propelled Old Dominion to a 21-14 victory against Georgia State. This marks Old Dominion’s inaugural win in the Sun Belt Conference for the season.

The Monarchs (2-4, 1-1) initially took the lead with a 4-yard touchdown run by Devin Roche, but Georgia State (2-3, 0-2) responded with a 20-yard touchdown reception from Christian Veilleux to Ted Hurst at the start of the second quarter.

Later in the game, Tariq Sims restored Old Dominion’s lead with a 6-yard touchdown run, concluding a 10-play, 59-yard offensive drive with just 2:38 remaining in the third quarter. Following that, Joseph’s touchdown pass to Houston extended Old Dominion’s advantage to 21-7 early in the fourth quarter.

In a last-ditch effort, Zach Gibson connected with Freddie Brock on a 24-yard touchdown pass to narrow the scoring gap to 21-14 with only 2:19 left in the contest, securing the final score of the game.

Leading the Monarchs’ offense, Joseph completed 14 of his 23 passing attempts, achieving 141 yards along with one interception. He also rushed for 98 yards on 11 carries. Meanwhile, Pat Conroy was a significant target, making seven receptions for 61 yards.

On the opposing side, Veilleux completed 22 of 40 passes for 191 yards, alongside a touchdown pass and one interception for the Panthers. Gibson contributed by completing all six of his attempts for 49 yards and a touchdown. Notably, Michel Dukes was a key player, recording six catches for 73 yards.