Villanova (3-0, 1-0 CAA) travels south to take on Maryland (2-1, 0-1 Big Ten) at SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland this Saturday, Sept. 21 at 12 p.m. The Wildcats are coming off a nail-biter of a victory in week 3 at home against Towson, which saw Towson kicker Keegan Vaughan miss two field goals in the final 1:13 of the contest.
Following the 14–13 edge over the Tigers, the ‘Cats stayed No. 5 in FCS rankings.
Villanova has found a winning formula, leaning on a stout defense that has allowed an average of just 11.0 points through the first three games.
The Wildcats’ offense is led by graduate quarterback Connor Watkins. Watkins has thrown for 453 yards and four touchdowns on the season and rushed for an additional 190. Perhaps most importantly, Watkins has protected the football, as he is yet to commit a turnover on the year.
The ‘Cats have often leaned on the ground game, with redshirt freshman Isaiah Ragland leading the team with 264 rushing yards on a staggering 7.3 yards per attempt, to go along with two rushing touchdowns.
The Wildcats have averaged 174 rushing yards as a team this season and will likely look to continue using this winning formula against their first FBS opponent of the season.
Maryland is coming off of a win at the University of Virginia last week, in which Terps quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. threw for 263 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns.
On the season, Edwards Jr. has thrown for 827 yards and six touchdowns with one interception, and a 71.2% completion percentage.
The Terps have created most of their offense through the air. Senior wideout Tai Felton has accounted for nearly half of the team’s receiving yards with 447 yards and four touchdowns.
On the ground, the Terps are paced by junior Roman Hemby and freshman Nolan Ray. The two running backs lead the team with 134 and 133 yards respectively through between the first three games.
This game will be a significant test for Villanova, putting its undefeated start on the line against a power five conference opponent. Despite the Terps’ 2-1 record, they will be heavily favored in this clash between FBS and FCS schools.
The two schools have faced off 11 times, with the most recent matchup occurring on Sept. 1, 2007. In that matchup, Maryland secured a 31-14 win in College Park. Overall, Maryland leads the series, 9-2.
The Wildcats will look to claw back into the all-time series on Saturday at noon in College Park.
