After making it to the second round, Villanova’s run in the NCAA FCS Championships was cut short by Incarnate Word, with a final score of 13-6. 

Going into the game as the No. 11 seed, the Wildcats were outplayed by the No. 6 Cardinals on offense and unable to make it to the end zone. By the end of the game, Incarnate Word had accrued 451 total yards (182 passing and 269 rushing) compared to 138 claimed by Villanova (103 passing and 35 rushing). 

Leading the ‘Cats in rushing was freshman running back David Avit, who picked up 35 rushing yards out of ten carries on the day. 

Graduate quarterback Connor Watkins had 103 passing yards, finding junior wide receiver Jaylan Sanchez the most. Sanchez finished the day with six receptions for a total of 54 yards. Graduate wide receivers Lucas Kopecky and Devin Smith collected 23 yards and 19 yards, respectively. 

The game was evenly matched throughout the first half, as neither team was able to gain the edge on one another. Scoring only began in the second quarter, when about halfway through, Incarnate Wood made a 23-yard field goal attempt to get on the board. 

While its offense was not producing many looks in scoring a touchdown, the team turned to graduate kicker Ethan Gettman to help them stay in the game, converting a 49-yard field goal toward the end of the half to tie the game up going into the locker room.

At the time, this was the longest field goal of Gettman’s career, until toward the end of the third quarter, when he was tasked with a 52-yard attempt. After making the second field goal, Gettman put the Wildcats in the lead going into the fourth quarter with a slim margin of 6-3. Gettman’s kick set the record for the second-longest field goal in program history.

However, Villanova was unable to keep this advantage for long, as Immaculate Word was able to end the game’s touchdown drought. The Cardinals scored within the fourth quarter from a 17-yard catch and run touchdown pass from quarterback Zach Calzada to wide receiver Roy Alexander. 

Throughout the rest of the game the Cardinals denied Villanova of every opportunity to score. With less than four minutes left, Incarnate Wood had extended its lead again with a field goal from Brack Peacock. 

By the next drive from Villanova, when the Cardinals intercepted Watkins on the first play, there was little the Wildcats could do.