On Saturday, Nov. 11, No. 18 Villanova hopes to earn its eighth win of the season against Towson. The ‘Cats will take on the Tigers at Villanova Stadium, with kickoff set for 1 p.m.
This will be the ‘Cats’ seventh conference game. They hold a record of 5-1 in the CAA after their win against New Hampshire. Villanova is 7-2 overall.
Villanova is in the midst of a five-way tie for first place in the CAA. Delaware, Elon, Richmond and UAlbany are all in contention for the association’s championship. The Great Danes gave the ‘Cats their only conference loss of the season.
The matchup against Towson will be Villanova’s penultimate game of the regular season. It will be a crucial matchup for the ‘Cats, as they hope to remain at the top of the CAA.
The Tigers currently sit in a six-way tie for sixth in the CAA with a 3-3 conference record. Though the Tigers sit with an overall record of 4-5, Villanova should be careful not to underestimate them, as Towson has delivered two ranked upsets this season. The Tigers beat then-No. 14 New Hampshire in overtime, and delivered a loss to then-No. 13 William & Mary.
The Tigers are coming off a victory against North Carolina A&T in what was an offensive battle. The final score was 42-32, marking the Tigers’ second-highest point total on the season. The Tigers posted 263 passing yards and 179 rushing yards, and had two passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns.
Villanova is coming off a high-scoring victory, as well. It defeated New Hampshire, 45-33, in what was also its second-highest scoring total on the season, only behind the Stony Brook game, when it scored 48 points.
The Wildcats stayed with their dominant running game against New Hampshire, as they put up 248 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Graduate quarterback Connor Watkins had a great day under center, as well, posting 188 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Despite the comfortable win, this was the second-most points that the Villanova defense has allowed this season, only trailing the loss at UCF. The Wildcats need to make sure to maintain a strong defensive presence going into this matchup with Towson.
The Wildcats are favorites to win this matchup. While Towson dominated the Wildcats last season in a 27-3 victory, Villanova is a much better team this season. The Wildcats are scoring 32.2 points per game while allowing only 19.7 points per game.
The key to a Wildcat victory in this matchup is heavy usage of the run game. The ‘Cats average 219 rushing yards, while Towson allows 190 rushing yards per game. The Tigers also utilize the ground game, but not as efficiently as Villanova, as the Tigers post 156 rushing yards per game.
The Wildcats’ strong defense against the run will prove to be a game changer, as well, if they can force the Tigers to pass more often.
Villanova has four players who consistently carry the ball. The ‘Cats’ top three running backs (Jalen Jackson, Deewil Barlee and TD Ayo-Durojaiye) are all graduates who provide experience and leadership to the team. They each have over 70 rushing attempts this year and have accounted for 1,472 yards and 16 touchdowns.
It also helps that the team’s next highest rusher is their quarterback, Watkins, who has proven he can get it done in the air and through the ground game. Watkins has 270 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns this season.
