Head Coach Andy Talley will have at least one more game before his retirement as the Villanova Wildcats defeated Saint Francis 31-21. The Wildcats got out strong with a 31-7 lead at halftime before giving up two fourth quarter touchdowns. Despite the hiccup in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats had an overall great game. Sophomore Zach Bednarczyk threw for 254 yards, completing 18 of 27 passes, and scoring three times. Senior Tanoh Kpassagnon led the Wildcats with three sacks, but the team was able to get a total of seven on the day. Here is the LWOS Analysis of the Villanova win.
Breaking Down the Villanova Win Against Saint Francis
Villanova Defense
The Villanova defensive line and linebackers had an excellent day. They forced pressure on Zach Drayer all day and forced two interceptions and seven total sacks. Saint Francis was also held to only 27 rushing yards on 22 attempts all day. The only lapses in the Villanova defense all day were a 74-yard touchdown pass from Drayer to Kamron Lewis in the second quarter and a one-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth. The Villanova defense will need to be stout again next week in their match-up against South Dakota State.
Zach Bednarczyk
In recent weeks, Bednarczyk has proven time and time again that he can air it out when he needs to. He added another 254 yards to his resume today with an additional 50 yards on the ground. The only mistake Bednarczyk made all day was a 78-yard pick six in the fourth quarter to Jalen Wells. Talley should not be upset as his young quarterback however, because he has still been able to string together a good stretch of games for the first time in his two year career as of late. Bednarczyk should not have a huge problem continuing this success, as he will face a South Dakota State defense that gave up over 230 passing yards per game and 17 passing touchdowns to 14 interceptions.
Villanova Rushing Offense
The Villanova rushing offense’s success has determined games throughout the season, and helped do so again today. Villanova rushed for 241 yards on 49 carries to average just under five yards per touch. Sophomore Aaron Forbes scored another touchdown this week to add to the other seven he scored in the regular season. Matt Gudzak led Villanova in carries with 14 and also in yards with 62. Five players had seven or more carries, and the same seven all had over 40 yards on the day. Very few teams can have this much success on the ground, which makes Villanova that much harder to stop.
Overall
Talley’s coaching career will last at least one more week now but Villanova will definitely be challenged. Next week, the Wildcats will travel to South Dakota to face the Jack Rabbits. South Dakota State should not be taken lightly, as they are the only team to knock off North Dakota State this season, who have won the past five FCS Championships. The Jack Rabbits also proved their offensive prowess against TCU this season in a 59-41 loss.
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