Villanova Football, Antonio Johnson Walk Off Stony Brook in Overtime 30-27

VILLANOVA, Pa.— The No. 7/No. 10 Villanova Wildcats survived a fourth quarter rally from the Stony Brook Seawolves on Saturday, Nov. 15, winning 30-27 in overtime on a walk-off touchdown from Pat McQuaide to tight end Antonio Johnson at Villanova Stadium. The win marks the seventh in a row for Villanova (8-2, 7-1 CAA) in their final game in the CAA, and the 100th game of head coach Mark Ferrante’s career.

The Wildcats’ hopes dwindled when they failed to convert on fourth down near midfield with just under six minutes to play, but safety Christian Sapp forced and recovered a fumble on the next play to keep their chances alive. McQuaide took a third down sack, then stepped up in the pocket to move the sticks, delivering a 22-yard laser to receiver Lucas Kopecky.

McQuaide, who picked up 280 yards and four touchdowns on 18-of-30 passing, then chucked up a jump ball in the right corner of the end zone, and Luke Colella hauled it in for the go-ahead score.

Late Game Heroics

Wildcats’ cornerback Zahmir Dawud broke up two third down passes to Stony Brook’s leading receiver, Jayce Freeman, on the ensuing drive, but Freeman — who finished his day with six catches for 175 yards and a touchdown — fooled Dawud on a fourth down cutback, then caught a 35-yard heave over a well-positioned Sapp to set the Seawolves up in the red zone. Dawud’s second pass breakup, this time in the end zone, held Stony Brook to a field goal.

A 54-yard kick return from Ja’briel Mace set Villanova up on Stony Brook’s side of the field with 32 seconds to play, but the Wildcats went four-and-out to send the game to overtime.

Shadowing Freeman in overtime, Dawud forced another field goal with a third down pass breakup. A dropped snap set the Wildcats back 11 yards to begin their drive, but McQuaide found Kopecky for a toe-dragging 15-yard completion on third down, then hit Johnson for the game winner.

Villanova and Stony Brook traded long touchdowns to open the game, a 37-yard connection from McQuaide to Braden Reed and a 64-yard catch-and-run from Quinn Boyd to Freeman.

Offensive Miscues

Jack Barnum added a field goal late in the first, but Villanova’s offense bogged down in the second quarter. Barnum missed a 40-yard kick, then Mace appeared to fumble near midfield while attempting to hurdle a Stony Brook defender. 

A replay review overturned the call, giving the Wildcats another chance, and Mace broke loose for a 55-yard touchdown on the following play before a holding penalty called him back.

Shane Hartzell and Turner Inge helped kill three Seawolves drives. Inge picked up 1.5 sacks on the first two drives out of the half, while Hartzell finished his day with eight solo tackles, 0.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss.

The Seawolves broke through first, however, cashing in on a 2-yard touchdown run from Roland Dempster off a short field.

The Wildcats responded with a 12-play drive that burned nearly seven minutes off the clock. McQuaide appeared to throw an end zone interception late in the third quarter, but a defensive holding penalty gave Villanova new life. Mace fumbled on the next play, but Antonio Johnson fell on the loose ball to save the possession again.

McQuaide found Luke Colella on a slant route for a spinning 10-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Seawolves soon found themselves back in Wildcats’ territory after a 40-yard bomb from Boyd to Freeman, and Dempster scored on a fourth down toss to put Stony Brook in front 21-17.

Up next, Villanova will host Sacred Heart at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22 in their final regular season game. A loss from Rhode Island next week will give the Wildcats a share of the CAA crown, but they’ll need a few breaks in order to lock up an automatic bid and first round bye in the FCS playoffs.