Four Ja’briel Mace Touchdowns Power Villanova Football Past Towson

Villanova Football won their sixth game in a row on Saturday, Nov. 8, taking down the Towson Tigers 28-10 as third string running back Ja’briel Mace picked up four rushing touchdowns and 291 yards on 28 carries. That broke the Wildcats’ all-time record for rushing yards in a game, set by Brian Westbrook in 2001.

The No. 8/No. 10 Wildcats’ offense struggled mightily in the first half, a problem exacerbated as running backs David Avit and Isaiah Ragland exited with injuries. Mace, who has shown a knack for big plays all season, filled that void with gusto, scoring at the end of the first half to tie the game before exploding for three more touchdowns in the final 30 minutes.

Villanova (7-2, 6-1 CAA) elected to receive the opening kickoff and promptly went three-and-out. They began their next drive in Towson territory after a 20-yard punt return from Braden Reed, then turned the ball over on downs at the Tigers’ 25-yard line as linebacker Alfred Thomas stonewalled Avit on fourth-and-2.

A Tigers’ muffed punt put Villanova in plus territory once again, but the Wildcats went three-and-out again, then committed a special teams blunder of their own on the following drive when Treyvon Adams blocked Jack Barnum’s 44-yard field goal try, the first of three misses on the day for the senior kicker. Towson broke the ice two plays later on a 45-yard tote from John Dunmore.

The Ja’briel Mace Game

Another Wildcats’ fourth down attempt failed before they finally broke through on Mace’s first touchdown of the game. Barnum executed an onside kick to begin the third quarter, stealing an extra possession, then Mace broke through with a 39-yard touchdown that put Villanova in front.

The Tigers responded with a drive into Villanova territory, but redshirt freshman defensive lineman AJ Koukou ended the threat, stripping the ball away from Kahseim Phillips. Obinna Nwobodo fell on the loose ball, but another blocked field goal prevented the Wildcats from adding to their lead on the ensuing drive.

Towson cut the lead to 14-10 late in the third quarter, and another missed kick from Barnum gave the Tigers the ball with a chance to take the lead with 6:47 left to play. Nwobodo and Turner Inge hurried Tigers’ freshman quarterback Andrew Indorf on third down to force an incompletion and get the ball back, but Towson’s punt pinned the Wildcats at their own 18.

That didn’t matter to Ja’briel Mace — or Villanova’s offensive line — as he burst through a massive hole on the right side and raced 82 yards to the house, extending the lead to 21-10.

Penalties backed Towson into the shadow of their own goal line, setting up another short field for the Wildcats, and Mace added his fourth touchdown of the afternoon, a 22-yard tote, as Villanova worked to bleed out the clock.

Up next, Villanova Football will return home to play their final CAA game of the regular season, hosting Stony Brook at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15.