Behind Vasko and Wright, #CCU powers ODU 45-37 in Sun Belt Conference opener (AUDIO)

Cameron Wright caught four passes for 148 yards and a touchdown against ODU (CCU Athletics)

Conway, South Carolina, USA: A year ago, Ethan Vasko earned his first win as a Chanticleer with a 28-24 victory over Old Dominion in Norfolk. On Saturday night, Vasko continued hanging around his home state school.

The Chesapeake, Virginia native, who played high school football just fifteen miles from the ODU campus, torched the Monarchs for over 300 yards passing and 3 touchdowns as Coastal earned a 45-37 victory against Old Dominion in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams at Brooks Stadium.

Game History by Rixon Lane, CCU Media Relations: Playing in front of 18,522 fans for their annual “Whiteout” game, Coastal scored at least 40 points for the third time this season and racked up 515 yards of total offense while forcing three Monarch turnovers.

Vasko had a career night, throwing for 367 yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-26 passing. Cameron Wright led the receivers with four receptions for 148 yards and a touchdown, while Christian Washington rushed eight times for 92 yards. Braydon Bennett accounted for two rushing touchdowns and added a receiving touchdown, tying a career-high for total touchdowns in a game. Bennett also surpassed the 2,000-yard mark in career all-purpose yards.

Shane Bruce and Tobias Fletcher each made eight tackles in total to lead the Coast defence.

Coastal fell behind in the first half, tying the score at 7-7 with 45 seconds left in the first quarter on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Vasko to Cane Berrong. ODU scored the next 10 points to take a 17-7 lead in the final minutes of the second quarter.

CCU cut the deficit to 17-14 with 2:15 before halftime when Washington broke free for a 68-yard run to set up a 12-yard touchdown pass from Vasko to Wright.

Coastal’s defense put the Chants ahead on Monarch’s next play when Wyatt Gedeon’s sack and forced fumble bounced off the hands of Juan Powell, who scooped up the fumble and rambled 23 yards to make the score 21-17 . Gedeon ended ODU’s next drive with an interception to help the Chants take a four-point lead into the locker room.

Chanticleer’s momentum continued early in the third quarter when Bennett burst into the end zone on a nine-yard run. Barry Brown recovered a fumble at the Monarch 29-yard line on the next possession and Bennett capped Coastal’s 28-0 run at the 3:08 mark of the third quarter with a four-yard run to put CCU up 35- 17.

Old Dominion pulled within five points with 10:44 left in the fourth quarter, but Coastal responded when Vasko hit Bennett on a spin pass. The running back did the rest, going 37 yards for the touchdown to make the score 42-30 with 7:56 left.

Kade Hensley added a 46-yard field goal with 2:47 left in the game. ODU cut Chant’s lead to 45-37 with 29 seconds left, but CCU recovered the resulting onside kick to ice the game.

The Chanticleers travel to James Madison next Thursday to play the Dukes at 7:30 pm on ESPN2.