Villanova Football Dominates Sacred Heart 34-10, Win Streak Hits 8

VILLANOVA, Pa. — Villanova Football closed their regular season with their eighth straight win on Saturday, Nov. 22, knocking off the Sacred Heart Pioneers 34-10 at Villanova Stadium.

The No. 9/No. 7 Wildcats (9-2, 7-1 CAA) will almost certainly earn an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs. They needed a loss from Rhode Island in order to secure a share of the CAA Championship and a tournament auto-bid, but the Rams held a three touchdown lead over Hampton early in the fourth quarter upon completion of the Wildcats’ game.

Villanova running back Ja’briel Mace, who won the CAA and FCS Offensive Player of the Week awards two weeks ago, led the scoring push with another masterful performance. After fumbling on the first play of the game, setting up a short field that gave the Pioneers a 3-0 lead, Mace picked up three first half touchdowns and 186 offensive yards on just 11 touches.

The Wildcats then went three-and-out, setting up a Sacred Heart drive that approached the red zone, but Richie Kimmel and Jason Hall sacked Pioneers’ quarterback Jack Snyder on consecutive plays to push them out of field goal range.

Villanova Heats Up

Mace put Villanova ahead on their next offensive play, taking a carry 80 yards around the left end. The Wildcats raced downfield on four plays to begin the second quarter, a 57-yard heave from Pat McQuaide to Chris Colby setting up a 19-yard touchdown run from Mace, then pushed their lead to 21-3 late in the third quarter when McQuaide found Mace for a 10-yard score.

Turner Inge nearly began the third quarter with a scoop-and-score touchdown, but a personal foul during the return wiped the scoring play away. Instead, Villanova tacked on a pair of field goals in the frame as Sacred Heart’s defense tightened up in the red zone.

Running back Isaiah Ragland broke free for a 49-yard gain late in the third but was pushed out of bounds upon entering the red zone. He found pay dirt midway through the fourth, catching an 11-yard touchdown pass as a third down safety valve for McQuaide.

Kaleb Moody picked off a pass in the end zone with 5:08 to play, keeping the Pioneers off the board as they began to pick up chunk plays with the game out of hand.

Up next, Villanova awaits their first round matchup in the FCS playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 29: they’ll learn who they’ll face in the selection show, which begins at 12 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23.