I Bleed Blue and White

Here’s the recap and box score for anyone who missed the game.

Brandyn Harvey had 7 catches for 77 yards and a TD.

Even with a steady rain putting a damper on the Homecoming festivities, the football team made it look easy en route to a 36-7 win over Rhode Island. It was the 200th career victory for Andy Talley, and he had to be proud of the way his team played.

Both the offense and defense put forth dominating performances. The defense held the Rams to just 30 yards rushing and 151 yards overall and the offense racked up over 500 yards of offense, including 376 on the ground (the 3rd time this year they’ve eclipsed the 300 mark).

Matt Szczur was again at the forefront of the ‘Nova attack as he ran it in from 1 yard on the team’s first possession of the game and then later threw a 3-yard pass to Mikey Reynolds as ‘Nova built a 21-0 halftime lead. Aaron Ball and Chris Whitney both ran the ball well, finishing with 99 yards and 124, respectively.

The rain seemed to have an effect as Villanova’s scoring slowed down as the rain picked up in the 2nd half, but their dominating rushing attack ensured that their was no comeback in the minds of the Rhode Island players.

It was a solid win, and they did what was expected against a weaker opponent. They now head into their bye week sitting at 7-1 overall, and 4-1 in the conference. In 2 weeks they travel to Richmond to face the #1 team in the country, and a team they’ll be looking to take revenge on after losing to them at home last year.

The Game: #5 Villanova (5-1, 1-1) at #16 James Madison (2-3, 0-2)

Location: Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, VA

Time: 3:30 p.m.

Broadcast: The Comcast Network

Brief Rundown: Villanova suffered its first setback of the season last weekend when they allowed a pair of 4th quarter FG’s and eventually lost to New Hampshire on the road. It was a sloppy game on the part of Villanova, with only WR Matt Szczur really sticking out as he nearly took over the game on offense. They’ll have to have a much better effort this week if they hope to escape JMU with a victory.

It has been a disappointing year for James Madison, a perenially solid FCS program. They lost to FBS Maryland to start the year (no shame there) but have lost both of their CAA affairs thus far, at Hofstra and home last weekend in a narrow loss to #1 Richmond. They aren’t nearly as bad as their 2-3 record indicates.

It’s now or never time for JMU. They have their backs solidly against the wall. One more loss and they can probably kiss their hopes of making the playoffs goodbye. They’ll be fired up for ‘Nova, who they beat twice last season.

3 Keys to Victory:

1. Bounce back - Devestating loss last week, especially after the comeback, but it is time to move on. Saturday brings a new game and one that Villanova needs to have with Richmond on the horizon. They can’t afford to drop two in a row.
2. Feed the hot hand – Aaron Ball may be the workhorse of the rushing attack, but Matt Szczur has been providing the flair both running and receiving. Get him as many touches as possible and let him break a few big ones.
3. Contain McCarter - JMU WR Rockeed McCarter had 5 catches for 133 yard and a TD against Villanova last year. He’s from Philadelphia, and loves to play ‘Nova. He’ll be amped to go out and make a statement. After getting shredded through the air last week, Villanova’s DB’s need to step up.

Links:

• Villanova Game Notes (PDF)
• Philadelphia Inquirer – Rockeed McCarter and Chris Johnson

The Game: #2 Villanova (5-0, 2-0) at #5 New Hampshire (4-0, 1-0)

Location: Cowell Stadium in Durham, New Hampshire

Time: 12:00 p.m.

Broadcast: 950-AM ESPN Radio

Brief Rundown: Villanova is coming off the 1st game of a brutal stretch, but they made it look relatively easy last week disposing of then #5 William & Mary at home. Villanova’s rushing attack didn’t live up to it’s season averages, but they made it count scoring 3 rushing touchdowns. Chris Whitney and the passing attack picked up the pace though, scoring on a long pass on the 1st offensive play of the game. ‘Nova’s defense continued it’s opportunistic ways, holding William & Mary under it’s season averages in points despite giving up huge chunks of yardage.

New Hampshire moves into the Top 5 after they remained undefeated last week by crushing Towson 57-7 on the road. New Hampshire hasn’t played the stiff competition that Villanova has thus far, but they are a solid program with a very good defense, which currently ranks 1st in all of FCS. Keep an eye on QB R.J. Toman, who is suffering from a bout with turf toe.

3 Keys to Victory:

1. May the best defense win - I’ve got a feeling this one isn’t going to be particularly high-scoring, despite both programs averaging over 30 points per game. New Hampshire has forced 18 turnovers on the year, and like Villanova, can get after the QB and force bad decisions. Whichever defense comes out and sets the tone for their team is probably going to be the difference in this game.
2. Stick with the run – It’s the strength of the team, with 5 guys capable of impacting the game with their legs (including both QB’s). It wasn’t the easiest time on the ground last week for Villanova, but that should only motivate the OL and RB’s to really bring it this week. Aaron Ball has been the main workhorse for ‘Nova.
3. Unity – This is the first conference road game of the year, and as Coach Andy Talley described it, a pseudo-playoff game. Rally around each other and scrape out a win. It isn’t supposed to be pretty on the road. Grind this one out and come home with a  win.

Links:

• Villanova Game Notes (PDF)
• New Hampshire Football Report
  

Game recap and box score for those who couldn’t see the game.

Ball had a big day despite being slowed by injury.

In their conference opener for the season, Villanova (4-0, 1-0) made short work of visiting Northeastern (0-4, 0-2) as they trounced the Huskies 56-7 behind one of the best rushing attacks in school history. Villanova amassed 410 yards on the ground and 6 different Wildcats scored touchdowns. The 410 yards they gained on the ground was the most since 1991, and the 3rd highest total in school history.

RB Aaron Ball had a magnificent day as he totaled over 100 yards on the ground and was resting an injury on the sideline after getting some work in. (WR Brandyn Harvey had 102 yards receiving to create a 100-100 tandem). Ball got things started with a 31-yard TD run on the 3rd play of the game.

All week the main story concerning ‘Nova was the dilemma at QB after Chris Whitney was replaced in favor of Antwon Young. In our pregame report we called for the use of both QB’s, and when given the chance, neither disappointed. Whitney ran for 98 yards and passed for 84 along with a touchdown while Young passed for 58 and ran for 35 while accumulating a touchdown both ways. It looks like the platoon system worked wonders, at least for one week.

The defense has been spectacular to open the season and once again, led by John Dempsey’s team-leading 7 tackles, they did not disappoint holding Northeastern to just 7 points and 239 yards of offense. The defense picked off the Huskies 3 times on the afternoon.

Most of all though, Villanova needed a game like this to open the conference slate. The next 3 weeks bring games against Top-10 teams (the CAA is just brutal this year) and they’ll need all the rest they can get as their season unofficially begins next week against William & Mary.

The Game: #2 Villanova (3-0, 0-0) vs. Northeastern (0-3, 0-1)

Location: Villanova Stadium in Villnova, PA

Time: 3:30 p.m.

Broadcast: The Comcast Network

Brief Rundown: Villanova is coming a a hard fought, but sloppily played 14-3 win over Penn last weekend. The Wildcat defense was superb again, sacking the Penn QB multiple times and forcing a couple of turnovers. There wasn’t much offense for ‘Nova, and QB Chris Whitney was replaced in the 3rd quarter by Antwon Young, who led the team to it’s only offensive touchdown of the night. Whitney will start, but Young will most likely see extended action this week.

Northeastern has started off the season 0-3, with their only competitive game being a 17-7 loss to Maine at home. They are averaging just 9.3 points per game while allowing over 36 per game, and their offensive averages in both rushing and passing are under 130 yards per outing.

Last year Villanova won the meeting 20-14. On paper, this should be a nice tune-up into the CAA season for Villanova, but as we saw last week, never overestimate an opponent.

Injury Report:

• RB Aaron Ball (hip pointer) – Probable
• NG Thomas Weaver (turf toe) – Probable
• OT Chidozie Ekweozor (high ankle sprain) – Questionable

3 Keys to Victory:

1. Defense sets the tone – Villanova’s defense is big, fast, and nasty. They’ve been adept at getting to the QB and causing turnovers, and must continue to do so against a woeful offensive opponent.
2. Use both Whitney/Young - Antwon Young has earned more playing time after he came to the rescue last week. He may not be starting, but he brings a new dimension to the offense with his running ability. Whitney must get hiss passing attack back on track after a dreadful outing against Penn.
3. Feed off the home crowd – It is Parents’ Weekend at ‘Nova, so the home crowd should be pretty full. Feed off the students and alumni and put this game away by the early 2nd half.

Links:

• Villanova Game Notes (PDF)
• Where has the rushing attack gone? (Philadelphia Inquirer)
  

The Game: #2 Villanova (2-0) at Penn (0-0)

Location: Franklin Field in Philadelphia, PA

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Broadcast: Comcast Network, ESPN 950-AM

Brief Rundown: Villanova travels in to famed Franklin Field after last week’s home-opening win over Lehigh where the Wildcats racked up over 300 yards on the ground. Villanova leads the all-time series 8-5, and is 7-0 since head coach Andy Talley took over the program. Last year, Villanova won the matchup 20-14 in overtime.

For Penn, WR Kyle Derham and RB Mike DiMaggio are the top returning players on the offensive side of the ball, while LB Jake Lewko is the top returning tackler and the leader of the defense. Coach Al Bagnoli ranks 2nd on the active coaches winning percentage list, and his Penn teams are usually amongst the best in the Ivy League.

3 Keys to Victory:

1. Stick with the ground game – As they say, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Villanova tore apart Lehigh on the ground last week, and will most likely attempt to do the same this weekend. Even if it’s not working early, expect a heavy dose of Aaron Ball and Angelo Babbaro.
2. Lean on Whitney – It seems like more and more the sophomore QB is getting the reigns of the Villanova offense. Quietly, he’s making a name for himself by efficiently running a vaunted Villanova attack. If this game is close down the stretch, don’t be afraid to give him the ball.
3. Crowd support – The first two weeks have gotten good reviews from the ‘Nova staff about the attendance levels, so hopefully the students and alumni make the short trip to inner-Philly in droves to support the ‘Cats. Those are the things that can help good teams out in tough road spots.

Links:

• Villanova Game Notes (PDF)

(Yep, we’re doing football pregame posts now. I’ve gotten a few emails asking for more coverage, and it was kind of stupid to not do it in the first place. So, here’s the inaugural post!)

The Game: #3 Villanova (1-0) vs.  Lehigh (0-1)

Location: Villanova Stadium in Villanova, PA

Time: Saturday, 7:00 p.m.

Broadcast: WFMZ and FCS Atlantic

Brief Rundown: The Wildcats are coming off a shocking comeback win over FBS rival Temple in the opening week of the season. That was one of 3 FCS-over-FBS wins in the 1st week (conference foes Richmond and William & Mary notched the others). Lehigh, on the other hand, took a tough loss to Central Connecticut State on the first weekend, a game where they were dominated in time of possession and total yardage.

Senior LB Al Pierce and senior DT Phil Winnet are both out for Lehigh this week, but they are hoping that senior LB’s Heath Brickner and Troy Taylor can return after catching knocks in last week’s game. Being down 3 senior LB’s is not ideal for a team coming in as heavy underdogs already.

3 Keys to Victory:

1. Control the ball - Lehigh got taken to school last week by CCSU (my mother’s alma matter in fact) when they let the Blue Devils hold the ball for nearly 43 minutes. That doesn’t bode well facing a Villanova team that has a lot of options to run the ball. Expect a heavy dose Aaron Ball and Angelo Babbaro.
2. Force turnovers – Judging by last week’s game, the Lehigh offense hasn’t gelled yet and they’ll make some mistakes. ‘Nova has a veteran, ball-hawking defense. Get after QB JB Clark and force some mistakes. Osayi Osunde, that means you.
3. Don’t look ahead – This may be the most important. I get nervous (especially in football) when one team is such a big favorite. Plus, Lehigh pulled off the upset in 2006 on our home opener too. Don’t underestimate them.

Links:

• Official Villanova Game Notes (PDF)
• Lehigh Football Nation (a very good Lehigh football blog)
• The Morning Call
• Philadelphia Daily News
  

LB Osayi Osunde

I’m getting bored waiting for basketball season. It’s a long time until October when things really start moving on that front. So I decided that from now on we’re going to at the very least update you on the other ‘Nova sports teams as their seasons progress. We won’t be going nearly as in-depth as we do for basketball, but being a graduate, I have come to realize that I’m going to end up pulling for more than just the basketball team.

So, we’ll do our best to get some more sports into the rotation. To start off, let’s talk about the football team, which just had their annual Media Day last week. Head Coach Andy Talley and several players were on hand to talk to the media about the upcoming season, which kicks off when the Wildcats play Temple at The Linc on September 3rd at 7:00 p.m.

Villanova is returning an obscene amount of talent on offense, headlined by a couple of juniors; RB Aaron Ball and WR/RB Matt Szczur. The Wildcats were picked as pre-season CAA co-champions with Richmond, and are expected to be among the best teams in the country.

Four players were selected as pre-season 1st team All-CAA; Szczur, LB Osayi Osunde, OT Ben Ijalana, and DE Tim Kukucka. Osunde was also given pre-season All-American honors by the FCS. Osunde has led the team in tackles for the last two seasons.

Lastly, check out this article by Mike Kern of the Philadelphia Daily News, in which he talks with Osunde and others about the bad taste that was left from last season.

…I’m really glad the football team has big aspirations…Villanova has been primarily known for the basketball team, but it’d be great if another team could consistently be on the national radar…who knows, maybe in a few years they’ll even make the jump to the FBS if the Big East looks to expand…