When Bobby Wilder was hired to guide Old Dominion's football program eight years ago, his to-do list was a bit more extensive than most coaches.

"I had to find a notepad, a pen, an office," he said. "We didn't have anything."

From that humble start, the Monarchs progressed to the point where they now boast a bowl victory.

Behind three touchdown passes from David Washington and 133 rushing yards from Ray Lawry, Old Dominion won its first-ever bowl game, subduing Eastern Michigan 24-20 Friday in the Bahamas Bowl at Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas.

Washington hit Jonathan Duhart on a back-shoulder touchdown throw from 5 yards out with 12:56 left in the game to snap a 17-17 tie, while Lawry sealed the win with a 7-yard run to the Eagles' 30 for a first down in the final minute.

But Wilder said the Monarchs' defense might have been the key. They forced Eastern Michigan (7-6) to settle for a 19-yard field goal by Paul Fricano with 9:08 remaining after the Eagles had first-and-goal at the 5, then forced a punt after Eastern Michigan reached their 48 with 5:21 left in the game.

"This is how far our defense has come," Wilder said. "We not only got one stop when we needed it, we got two. What a way to end our season."

The Eagles, playing their first bowl game in 29 years, never saw the ball again. Old Dominion melted the remaining time away with a 60-yard drive that saw Lawry, named the Offensive Player of the Game, rush five times for 30 yards.

Brad Davis' 34-yard field goal with 7:43 left in the first quarter opened the scoring. The Monarchs (10-3) traveled 58 yards in 16 plays, keeping the drive alive when Jeremy Cox rushed 3 yards on a fake punt on fourth-and-2 from their 46.

Surprisingly, there was just one other score in the first half, Washington's 47-yard touchdown pass to Zach Pascal with 7:59 remaining in the second quarter. A game expected to wear the scoreboard operator to a frazzle made it to halftime with just 10 points on the board -- all by Old Dominion.

Eastern Michigan changed that in a hurry in the third quarter. Quarterback Brogan Roback cranked up the passing game, finding Sergio Bailey on a 5-yard scoring strike less than three minutes into the period to finish off a 76-yard drive.

Washington found Travis Fulgham several yards behind any defender on a run-pass option play down the right sideline for a 31-yard touchdown and a 17-7 lead at the 9:50 mark of the quarter. But the Eagles responded when Roback threw his second 5-yard touchdown pass, this one to Johnnie Niupalau, with 7:04 remaining.

Fricano's 24-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in the quarter pulled Eastern Michigan even at 17, setting the stage for a historic fourth quarter for the Monarchs.

"We're still learning, still growing," Wilder said. "To be eight years old, we're basically in second grade. We got 10 wins. This is one of the best days of my life."

Roback completed 26 of 46 passes for 300 yards and an interception. Freshman receiver Dieuly Aristilde grabbed seven passes for 80 yards before leaving in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury deemed severe enough that ESPN didn't show the replay.

Eastern Michigan lost despite outgaining Old Dominion 470-394, owning a five-minute advantage in time of possession and converting 13 of 20 third downs.

"We played really good football at times, but it wasn't quite good enough to win," Eagles coach Chris Creighton said. "It's a really heartbroken locker room right now. We thought we would be able to take them to the fourth quarter and wear them out."

NOTES: Prior to Friday, Eastern Michigan's only bowl experience occurred in 1987, when it posted a 30-27 win over San Jose State in the California Bowl. ... Old Dominion's last postseason experience took place in 2012, when it reached the FCS quarterfinals and lost to Georgia Southern. ... The Eagles and Monarchs actually played a home-and-home series the previous two years, with ODU winning 17-3 in 2014 and 38-34 in 2015.