From the Other Side: Villanova to Face 3-3-5 Defense Against Towson

Fresh off their bye week, Villanova Football will begin the final run of the regular season at Towson on Saturday, Nov. 8. Nursing a five game winning streak, the No. 10 Wildcats sits half a game behind both Monmouth (who holds the head-to-head advantage) and Rhode Island in pursuit of a CAA Championship.

While head coach Mark Ferrante always emphasizes the difficulty of playing any CAA opponent, the Tigers have struggled this season, playing to a 4-5 record (2-3 CAA). Speaking at their weekly media sessions, both Ferrante and Towson head coach Pete Shinnick emphasized the similarities between the way the Wildcats and the Tigers play defense. They both run a 3-3-5 scheme that allows them to confuse opposing quarterbacks with unorthodox blitz packages.

Ferrante also broke some tough injury news, saying that starting center Jake Picard, a preseason All-CAA pick, is done for the season as a result of an injury, as is linebacker J.R. Strauss.

3-3-5 Template a Major Key

Shinnick praised his linebackers for their ability to swarm the quarterback during their 62-9 blowout of North Carolina A&T last week. The Tigers finished with five tackles for loss and two sacks, and although quarterback Kevin White managed to get the ball out fast in the face of pressure, he threw a pair of interceptions as a result of that pass rush. Villanova quarterback Pat McQuade, a senior with 31 starts over the course of his college career, could provide a massive boost to the Wildcats on the strength of his experience.

Another storyline to watch for out of the bye is how the Tigers’ quarterbacks respond against Villanova’s defense. True freshman Andrew Indorf has played in all nine of Towson’s games this season, but Shinnick benched him in favor of senior Nathan Kent during the Tigers’ Week 10 loss to Stony Brook. Indorf received a vote of confidence ahead of the North Carolina A&T game, as Shinnick went back to the younger quarterback and made it clear he wasn’t on a short leash: Indorf responded with his best game of the season.

Just as McQuaide’s experience could prove critical for the Wildcats against a sneaky front, how Indorf continues to develop in his first season of college football could become an x-factor against Villanova’s disciplined defense.