From the Other Side: Villanova Needs to Avoid Trap Game vs Athletic Hampton

Hampton Football head coach Trenton Boykin held his weekly media session on Monday, Oct. 13, dissecting his team’s 38-21 loss to Campbell and looking ahead to the Pirates’ matchup with No. 15 Villanova Football on Saturday, Oct. 18.

The Pirates are 2-5 (0-3 CAA) in their second year under Boykin, who gave insight into what’s gone wrong for them so far. Boykin attributed Hampton’s struggles to three key failings. First, they haven’t managed to win on first downs, putting them in second-and-long situations that limit their potential play calls and force them away from the running game. Not helping those second-and-long situations is a tendency to commit penalties, beating themselves as they have to work from behind the chains.

Last but certainly not least, Boykin said that other teams, like Campbell last week, have managed to blow Hampton’s offensive linemen off the ball from the beginning of plays, creating heavy pressure for quarterback Braden Davis and shutting down run plays. Davis completed 11 of 17 passes for 131 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against the Fighting Camels, and 64 of those yards came on a single play.

Boykin credited receiver Maxwell Moss, who hauled in four passes for 80 yards and a touchdown last week, as one of Hampton’s best playmakers, but noted that with only four catches, Hampton wasn’t able to put him in a position to succeed.

Special Teams X-Factor

Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante, meanwhile, said during his Oct. 13 media availability that he hadn’t had a chance to watch much film of Hampton’s offense and defense to that point. However, he had seen film of the Pirates’ special teams unit, and praised them for their speed and athleticism, expecting those traits to trickle down to the rest of the roster.

That could make Hampton something of a trap game if they’re able to get out of their own way… and with Wildcats return man Ja’briel Mace scoring game-winning kickoff touchdowns in two of the past three weeks, Hampton’s ability to shut down return lanes could become a critical X-factor.

Villanova had to p, noting that the Phoenix sold out to stop the Wildcats’ three-headed backfield monster of David Avit, Isaiah Ragland and Mace. However, Ferrante said that quarterback Pat McQuaide’s ability to take what the defense gave him and find open receivers against a stacked box allowed the Wildcats’ offense to come around.

Ferrante also credited receiver Luke Colella for continuing to build chemistry with McQuaide, noting that Colella didn’t join the Wildcats until after the spring practice period had ended. Colella, who pulled in ten passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns last week, his second game in a row crossing the century mark, could turn into a legitimate matchup nightmare if he’s able to continue his recent play.