“The Battle of the Blue,” the annual end-of-season rivalry game between Villanova and Delaware, has been lopsided in recent memory. The ‘Cats are 15-2 in the last 17 meetings between the two teams. However, earning a share of the CAA championship is sure to provide some extra motivation for both squads entering Saturday.
No. 10 Villanova enters the final week of the regular season needing a win for a share of the CAA title, while also retaining an outside chance at the outright title. The ‘Cats sit at 8-2 overall and 6-1 in conference play after their win against Towson on Saturday. They’ll face No. 7 Delaware in the “Battle of the Blue” in Newark on Nov. 18.
The Wildcats are also still alive in the fight for the CAA’s automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, though the tiebreaker scenarios for the four-team tie atop the bloated 15-team association are downright dizzying. The important thing for the ‘Cats to do if they’d like a share of the title is to win. All scenarios for the ‘Cats to receive the CAA’s automatic bid involve a win on Saturday and a Monmouth upset of UAlbany.
The Blue Hens have been excellent this year. They were ranked fifth in the FCS playoff committee’s initial top-10 reveal, though that was before they lost to Elon. They’re also still alive for the CAA’s automatic bid, but need a win against Villanova and some help from William & Mary to claim it.
On offense, the Blue Hens favor the passing game. They average 274.4 passing yards, as opposed to 160.2 rushing yards. They’re led by junior quarterback Ryan O’Connor, who has thrown for more than 300 yards in four of the eight games he’s played in. O’Connor did not appear in the Blue Hens’ games against Hampton or Towson.
O’Connor spreads the ball around on offense, with five Blue Hens having at least 20 receptions on the season. His favorite target is graduate receiver Jourdan Townsend, who has accumulated 550 yards on 36 catches this season. The bigger end zone threat is graduate receiver Joshua Youngblood, who has caught six touchdown passes over the team’s 10 games.
As for the Blue Hens’ ground game, senior running back Marcus Yarns leads the way. He averages 7.5 yards per carry and has scored 14 rushing touchdowns this season.
The Blue Hens have a stellar defense, as they possess the highest defensive efficiency against the pass in the CAA. They have the Association’s lowest completion percentage at 51.7% and have picked off opposing quarterbacks 12 times. Graduate defensive back Khalil Dawsey has three interceptions on the season, including a 100-yard pick-six last week against Campbell.
The game will be won or lost in the battle between Villanova’s passing offense and Delaware’s passing defense. Villanova has the most efficient passing offense in the association, averaging 10.2 yards per attempt. Graduate quarterback Connor Watkins leads the FCS in yards per completion at 18.04, and graduate receiver Rayjoun Pringle leads the FCS in yards per reception at 27.88. Sophomore receiver Jaylan Sanchez is right behind Pringle in yards per reception at 24.46.
The ‘Cats have likely done enough to earn an FCS playoff bid regardless of Saturday’s outcome. However, a win could mean that the ‘Cats get to play host to their first opponent in the playoff, while a loss would likely mean that the ‘Cats would have to go on the road. The ‘Cats cannot travel further than 400 miles on the ground for their first round game. Villanova could see a fellow CAA team in its first round game, so long as it did not face that team in the regular season.
The ‘Cats will look to secure their third-straight win against the Blue Hens. How everything else in the playoff picture plays out is yet to be seen.
