After an overtime victory over Stony Brook this past weekend, No. 7 Villanova football will host nonconference opponent Sacred Heart (8-3) to wrap up the regular season.
The Wildcats will face a Sacred Heart program preparing to join the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) for its 2026 campaign. Villanova, which will move to the Patriot League next season, played its final regular-season CAA game last weekend.
The Wildcats extended their home win streak to 21 games, the longest active streak in Division I football, last weekend in the 30-27 win over Stony Brook. As Villanova (8-2, 7-1 CAA) looks to continue this home-field success, it also hopes to secure its eighth-straight win this season and earn a top spot in the FCS playoffs. It will learn of its FCS playoff status on Selection Sunday on Nov. 23.
The ‘Cats are in second place in the CAA, only half a game behind undefeated Rhode Island. If the Rams lose to Hampton on Saturday, Villanova will earn a share of the conference title.
The Pioneers are currently in a conference transition period as they have no conference affiliation this season. The Pioneers are coming off a high-scoring battle against Merrimack College that resulted in a 42-37 victory.
Sacred Heart showed off its dominant run game in this one, tallying 424 total rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Josh Snyder led the team with a career-high 163 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Snyder has 562 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns this season.
Sacred Heart freshman running back Mitchell Summers totaled 147 rushing yards against Merrimack, giving him 404 yards on the season, along with seven touchdowns. In Saturday’s contest, the Villanova defense will have to force the Pioneers to pass the ball and limit the two rushing threats of Snyder and Summers.
The Wildcat offense has been elite as of late, and it all stems from graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide. McQuaide threw for a season-high 280 yards last weekend with four passing touchdowns. McQuaide has now eclipsed the 2000-yard mark this season, with 16 passing touchdowns and only two interceptions. He averages the third-most passing yards in the CAA, with 212.7 per game.
Villanova also continued its running success last weekend, despite the absence of leading rusher, David Avit, who was out due to a knee injury. The Wildcats totaled 160 rushingyards, largely fueled by the sophomore running back duo of Isaiah Ragland and Ja’briel Mace. Ragland led the team with 97 rushing yards.
Mace, who was coming off a record-breaking game, had a team-high 19 carries and 68 rushing yards. Without Avit in the lineup, those two made the most of their opportunities.
Saturday will mark Villanova and Sacred Heart’s first-ever matchup. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (FloSports) as the best home team in the FCS closes out the regular season in its own stadium.
