No. 13 Villanova cruised past Towson on Senior Day, 33-10. The ‘Cats finish the season undefeated at home, and with the win, improve their record to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in conference play.
Last season, Villanova lost to Towson in November, 27-3. Sophomore linebacker Shane Hartzell said last year’s loss motivated the team in the game.
“I feel like we came in with a chip on our shoulder,” Hartzell said. “They embarrassed us last year, so we felt like we had to take it with a little extra emotion this week.”
The ‘Cats accumulated 555 offensive yards on the afternoon, their second-highest yardage output of the season behind the 556 tallied against Stony Brook. Graduate quarterback Connor Watkins finished with 299 yards and three touchdowns, while graduate receiver Rayjuon Pringle led receivers with 180 yards and two touchdowns, all of which came in the first half. Graduate running back Jalen Jackson led the ‘Cats’ rushing attack with 87 yards, with freshman running back Ja’briel Mace close behind at 83 yards. Hartzell led the defensive unit with seven total tackles.
The first half was highlighted by the ‘Cats defense. The Tigers struggled to get anything going against the ‘Cats’ staunch defensive unit. In the first quarter, the ‘Cats limited the Tigers to just 20 net yards of offensive production in 13 plays.
The Tigers picked up just four first downs in the first half. Despite possessing the ball for 11:10 of game time, Towson was limited to 68 net yards. 49 of those yards were gained on the ground.
“The defense did a great job getting off the field when they were out there,” head coach Mark Ferrante said. “… I didn’t realize the possession time was what it was.”
For the game, Villanova had possession for 41:02, while Towson had possession for just 18:58.
Sophomore defensive back Devon Marshall led the defense in the first half with four tackles. Graduate linebacker Jake Reichwein added a sack in the first half, while senior linebacker Brendan Bell added a tackle for loss.
The Villanova offense struggled on its first drive, as a penalty-filled drive culminated in an interception from Watkins to set up the Tigers with a short field. The Tigers could not capitalize on the field position, turning the ball over on downs at the Villanova 29. From there, the Wildcats picked up on the offensive end. The ‘Cats posted three touchdown drives in the first half, all of 70-plus yards. Pringle accounted for 79 yards on the first touchdown drive, as Watkins found him in the middle of the field for a lengthy touchdown pass.
The ‘Cats would set the tone in the second half with a lengthy 13-play, 78-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown from graduate running back TD Ayo-Durojaiye. The drive ate 8:12 of game time.
Towson did find the end zone on a 75-yard touchdown rush with 7:21 left in the fourth quarter to make it 33-10, but at that point it was nothing but a consolation.
The win sets the ‘Cats up for a “Battle of the Blue” against Delaware that will decide a share of the CAA championship. The ‘Cats currently sit with the Blue Hens tied for first in the CAA. However, the tie is a four-team tie, as Richmond and Albany also sit at 6-1 in conference play.
Unless it really struggles with the Blue Hens, Villanova should be worthy of one of the 14 at-large bids for the FCS playoff. However, the ‘Cats seeding in the playoff bracket, and consequently whether their first game is at home or away, could be affected by a win at Delaware.
The game against the 8-2 Blue Hens on Nov. 18 will kick off at 1 p.m. in Newark, Delaware.
