Eastern Michigan vs. Old Dominion: Score and Reaction for 2016 Bahamas Bowl

Old Dominion held off Eastern Michigan to score a 24-20 victory Friday afternoon in the 2016 Bahamas Bowl at Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas. 

Quarterback David Washington led the way for the Monarchs with 188 yards and three touchdowns through the air on just 20 attempts. Ray Lawry added 133 yards on the ground to help ODU finish the 2016 season with a 10-3 overall record.

Brogan Roback threw 46 passes for the Eagles, who spent most of the contest in comeback mode after Old Dominion built a first-half led. He put up 300 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn't enough as EMU ends the year with a 7-6 mark.

Here's a look at the quarter-by-quarter scoring recap for the third annual Bahamas Bowl:

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
Eagles	0	0	17	3	20
Monarchs	3	7	7	7	24

Old Dominion head coach Bobby Wilder knew playing in the program's first bowl game represented an opportunity to carry some momentum into 2017, according to the program's official website. That said, he also didn't want to lose sight of what this year's team had accomplished:

"

Well, number one it's history, the fact that we're here, so it would get us to 1-0 in bowl games. It would get us to 10 wins, which would be a major accomplishment when you think about the fact that this is just our second season in FBS football in terms of being eligible to go to a bowl game. That would be a really remarkable accomplishment.

"

The Monarchs defense set the tone by shutting down Eastern Michigan early. The unit held the Eagles scoreless in the first half. The key play came early in the second quarter when Denzel Williams intercepted a Roback pass in the end zone.

Old Dominion immediately responded by scoring the only touchdown of the opening 30 minutes on the ensuing drive. It covered 80 yards in six plays and just over two minutes to make it 10-0 following an earlier Brad Davis field goal.

After five consecutive runs, Washington connected on a play-action deep ball to Zach Pascal for the 47-yard score. The quarterback escaped intense pressure in the pocket before delivering a strike to the senior wideout, who had gotten behind the Eagles secondary.

Jeff Risdon of FanRag Sports pinpointed the duo as the key combination before the contest:

DraftAnalyst.com grades the ODU receiver as a late-round pick in the NFL draft:

Both offenses came alive to start the second half.

Eastern Michigan put together a pair of touchdown drives as the tandem of Roback and Sergio Bailey II started to find a rhythm. They combined on three receptions for 43 yards and one TD, and Bailey was also the intended target on a key defensive pass interference call on the first scoring drive.

Hustle Belt summed up the revitalized EMU attack:

John Niupalau scored the Eagles' other touchdown during the quick-striking third quarter.

In between the two Eastern Michigan scores, Travis Fulgham caught a 31-yard touchdown for Old Dominion. Once again, four straight runs by the Monarchs set the stage for a play-action pass that worked to perfection for ODU to maintain its lead.

Harry Minium of the Virginian-Pilot noted the successful impact of establishing the run game:

The pace slowed after that flurry of scores, but Paul Fricano managed to send the game into the fourth quarter tied with a 24-yard field goal for the Eagles.

Old Dominion regained the lead with a hard-nosed 72-yard drive early in the fourth. Washington capped it with a well-lofted throw to Jonathan Duhart, who high-pointed the football and managed to get a foot down inbounds for the five-yard touchdown.

Mitch Brown of WTKR noted that's a common sight for ODU fans:

Eastern Michigan could never get back even again. Fricano added his second field goal of the day, but the Monarchs defense stepped up from there to close out the narrow win.

ODU Football celebrated the triumph:

Looking ahead, Old Dominion is a program on the rise in Conference USA. The amount of progress the Monarchs have made in just four years at the FBS level is impressive. Friday's victory should help on the recruiting trail as they seek to build off this year's success.

The outlook is also rapidly improving for Eastern Michigan despite the loss. The Eagles had won just seven games over the previous four years combined. Getting seven wins and their first bowl appearance in 29 years should put them on track to become more competitive in the Mid-American Conference.

Postgame Reaction

ESPN passed along comments from Wilder after the win:

The outlet also provided a look at the trophy ceremony:

Ultimately, Wilder summed up the entire experience with a simple phrase, per RedditCFB.

"It's a dream come true," the ODU coach said.