Sports

Preview: Football Goes On the Road to Monmouth

Casey Healey, Staff Writer

September 17, 2025

Villanova (1-1) will be looking for its first-ever win over No. 18 Monmouth (2-1) to open conference play this Saturday.

This Saturday, Sept. 20, Villanova will travel to Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ, to begin conference play. The No. 12 Wildcats (1-1) are coming off a 52-6 loss to FBS No. 2 Penn State. Although No. 18 Monmouth (2-1) is not an FBS powerhouse, the Hawks are one of the toughest opponents in Villanova’s conference, the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).

Last weekend at Beaver Stadium, the Wildcats faced the highest-ranked opponent they have faced in the last 80 years, in front of the largest crowd in program history.

Villanova has fallen to Monmouth all three times it has played the Hawks in program history. The matchups span from 2011 to 2024, with Monmouth claiming victories both at Villanova and at home.

In their last contest in November of 2024, the Hawks handed the Wildcats one of their only two conference losses, 40-33, despite an attempted comeback, during which Villanova scored 16 points in the fourth quarter alone.

With only two games this season, Villanova has a small sample size of which it is capable. The Wildcat offense is averaging 297 yards of total offense per game. Against Colgate in the season opener, the Wildcats combined for 416 yards of total offense.

Graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide passed for 299 yards against Colgate but was held to 27 yards against Penn State. He went down with an ankle injury in the first half against the Nittany Lions, but returned to the game before being benched late in the game for junior quarterback Tanner Maddocks.

Senior linebacker Shane Hartzell leads the Wildcats with 15 total tackles (seven solo). In the young Wildcat secondary, multiple new names have stepped up in place of graduating veterans.

Redshirt freshman Anthony Hawkins leads the defensive backs with three pass breakups. Against Penn State, redshirt freshman defensive back Omari Bursey hauled in an interception, marking the Nittany Lions’ first turnover of the season.

Sophomore running back David Avit had rushed for 102 yards on 25 carries this season. He has led a running back room made up of redshirt sophomore Isaiah Ragland, redshirt sophomore Ja’Briel Mace and senior Isaiah Wright.

Last weekend, Monmouth fell to its FBS opponent, Charlotte, 42-35. Monmouth quarterback Derek Robertson threw for 410 yards and four touchdowns. Safety Deuce Lee led with 11 tackles.

Robertson was also named CAA Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for seven touchdowns against Fordham, setting a program record for both passing touchdowns and total scores. He leads the FCS division with 1,265 passing yards—the only 1,000-yard passer this season.

In their season opener against Colgate, the Hawks came back from a 24-point deficit in the second half to defeat the Raiders, 42-39. Robertson threw for 491 yards, the second-most in program history. The Hawks also set a record for the largest comeback in program history.

Monmouth currently sits at sixth in the CAA football standings. Villanova is ninth. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Kessler Stadium (FloSports).

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About the Contributors

Casey Healey, Co-Sports Editor

Casey Healey is a junior Co-Sports Editor, studying Communications with a minor in Writing & Rhetoric. As a Pennsylvania native, she is a longtime Philadelphia sports fan, and hopes to one day work in the sports industry. She is also passionate about advocating for the representation of women in sports. When she is not writing, Casey can be found running, getting coffee or playing with her miniature schnauzer, Winnie.

Erick Quezada, Photography Editor

Erick Quezada is currently serving his third semester as The Villanovan’s Photography Editor. Erick is a sophomore majoring in Electrical Engineering. He is a passionate student when it comes to the internal parts of electronic components and wants to find a way of combining photography and electronic robots. Erick’s passion for photography started during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he first used his parents’ old camera to create images of mini figures and miscellaneous things lying around his house. When not watching the latest camera gear, you can catch Erick either playing or capturing photos of sports. Erick is a very chill person to hang around with, but if you mention Manchester United, he can talk for days about how great the team is.