NORFOLK — Old Dominion didn’t exactly get back to its old way of doing things Saturday.

On the bright side for the Monarchs, they stayed far away from returning to the more recent.

Colton Joseph passed for 305 yards and three touchdowns and turnover-prone ODU finally turned in a mostly clean effort in a 24-21 Sun Belt Conference win over Appalachian State at S.B. Ballard Stadium.

The Monarchs (5-3, 2-2 Sun Belt), who entered the game leading the nation with 18 turnovers, committed just one while snapping a crippling two-game losing streak.

They are one win away from bowl eligibility with four games left in the regular season.

Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding caught eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown for ODU, which outgained the Mountaineers (4-4, 1-3) 459-374 in total offense.

Trying to complete a frantic comeback, App State pulled to within the final margin on backup AJ Swann’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Davion Dozier with 1:35 left.

The subsequent onside kick was corralled by ODU, and the Monarchs were four kneel-downs away from their first victory in three weeks.

The Mountaineers pulled to within 24-14 on Kanen Hamlett’s 35-yard touchdown reception from Swann with 9:26 to go in the game.

After a 4-1 start to the season that included blowout wins over North Carolina Central, Virginia Tech and Coastal Carolina, the Monarchs fell at Marshall and first-place James Madison by a combined score of 111-51 to dash any outside hopes of reaching their first College Football Playoff.

Eight turnovers came in the losses to Marshall and JMU.

Joseph hit Ja’Cory Thomas with a 24-yard touchdown strike to give the Monarchs a 24-7 lead in the closing seconds of the third quarter.

Joseph’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Gladding gave ODU a 17-7 lead with 10:02 left in the third quarter.

Riley Callaghan missed a 50-yard field goal try as time expired in the first half, holding the Monarchs’ lead at 10-7.

The first half, thanks to penalties, injuries and a number of lengthy replay reviews, lasted two hours.

JJ Kohl’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Barnes cut App’s deficit to 10-7 with 30 seconds left in the first half. It finished off a 12-play, 75-drive that consumed less than two minutes.

Callaghan’s 33-yard field goal gave ODU a 10-0 lead with 2:10 remaining in the second quarter.

A first-quarter Mountaineers drive was extended by a successful fake punt from the ODU 47. App State then threw what would’ve been a game-tying touchdown pass, but the play was nullified by an interference call.

ODU took a 7-0 lead with 8:24 left in the first quarter when Joseph hit Ke’Travion Hargrove with a 70-yard dump pass over the middle.

The score came one play after a Joseph pass was tipped and intercepted, but the play was overturned when App’s Myles Farmer was ejected for targeting.

David Hall, david.hall@pilotonline.com.

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/10/25/odu-holds-off-app-state-to-snap-two-game-slide/