Villanova Football Hands Their Lehigh First Patriot League Loss in Fourth Quarter Thriller

Villanova Football picked up a critical win on Saturday, Oct. 24, handing No. 12 Lehigh their first loss in Patriot League play, 24-18 at Villanova stadium. The Wildcats (4-4, 3-2 Patriot League) needed a last-second sack from Garrett Rogan to survive; the Mountain Hawks faced third-and-goal from the 2-yard line, and an extra point would’ve put them in front.

The second half continued to plague Villanova as Lehigh chipped away at a 21-point halftime lead built with a trio of rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Pat McQuaide got the party started with a 7-yard run in the first quarter, capping a 16-play, eight minute drive that running back Ja’briel Mace helped keep alive with a three-yard rush up the middle on fourth-and-1.

Mace helped flip the field with a 31-yard carry in the second, moving the Wildcats near midfield after a Lehigh punt pinned them in the shadow of their own goal line. He then broke off a 42-yard carry, moving Villanova into the red zone, but it was his backfield mate Isaiah Ragland who found pay dirt with a 14-yard score.

Rogan forced a turnover on downs in Lehigh territory on the following drive, giving the Wildcats a short field; Mace still had to defy the odds to record his first touchdown of the day, as a play where he was originally ruled as having crossed the goal line was overturned on review. A one-yard dive up the middle on the next play gave him his first touchdown of the afternoon, but the Wildcats didn’t add to their lead until late in the fourth quarter.

‘Cats Avoid Disaster

Lehigh started the second half with a touchdown drive courtesy of star tailback Luke Yoder. Villanova went three-and-out, then Josh Oluremi continued the Wildcats’ success on critical downs with a sack that held the Mountain Hawks to a field goal. Lehigh closed within a field goal with touchdown and two-point conversion runs from backup quarterback Derek Morgan and receiver Anthony Morgan, respectively, but Villanova’s offense woke up in time to engineer a five-minute field goal drive that helped them eke out a win.

Up next, Villanova will travel to face Lafayette at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31.