The number 14 Villanova Wildcats traveled to North Carolina this week to face the Elon Phoenix. The Wildcats overwhelmed the Phoenix in a 42-7 rout. Sophomore quarterback, Zach Bednarczyk, was able to get his offense moving again, accounting for 329 yards of total offense. In the past three weeks, Bednarczyk has been able to put up over 200 yards with three touchdowns, twice. He will need to continue this success if the Wildcats are to beat the Rhode Island Owls this upcoming week. Here is the LWOS Analysis of the Villanova win.
Breaking Down the Villanova Win Against Elon
Zach Bednarczyk
Bednarczyk was the highlight of today’s game. With 270 passing yards on only 21 attempts, he was finally able to move the ball consistently down the field. This included three touchdowns with only one interception. Bednarczyk was also efficient on the ground, rushing for 59 yards on 13 carries with a rushing touchdown. This type of performance is exactly what head coach Andy Talley is looking for. If Bednarczyk can continue to play like this, there is no reason that Villanova cannot find themselves inside the FCS Top 10.
Villanova Front Seven
As long as Villanova continues to win, their front seven will be one of the main reasons for this. Senior defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon recorded his fifth sack of the year and his fourth consecutive week with a sack. The Wildcat’s front seven was also able to stop rushers in the backfield three times against Elon. On top of this, the Wildcats held Elon under 5 yards per carry 13 times of the 21 times they attempted to rush. Right now, the Villanova front seven looks impenetrable and will need to stay this way in they wish to find themselves deep in the FCS Playoffs.
Aaron Forbes
As of late, sophomore Aaron Forbes has been stealing the show from the Villanova backfield. In five games this season, Forbes has accounted for four rushing touchdowns and 300 rushing yards on only 36 attempts. Against Elon, Forbes found the endzone twice on 13 carries. It is difficult to determine whether Forbes or Javon White should start at running back, but with either option, Talley has been able to find success this season.
Overall
Once again, the Wildcats found a way to win. During this four game win streak, Villanova has been able to show that they can win tight games, and blow out under-matched opponents. With Bednarczyk looking to start gaining momentum, the Wildcats are a team to watch out for. Next week, the Wildcats will face Rhode Island at home in what should be another easy win.
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