Villanova Football Preview: Can the Wildcats Start a Three-Game Win Streak?

Villanova Football will attempt to continue their climb toward the top of the Patriot League when they travel to face Lafayette (3-4, 2-2 Patriot League) at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31. The Wildcats (4-4, 3-2 Patriot League) dug themselves a major hole early on, going 2-4 over their first six games, but consecutive wins — including one over conference-leading Lehigh — have them in fourth place with a clear path toward the top of the standings.

Villanova enters as a heavy road favorite, listed at -319 on FOX: that suggests a chance of winning around 76 percent, but games haven’t gone as expected for the Wildcats this season. Here’s what to watch for as the Wildcats try to continue their turnaround on ESPN+.

Scouting the Leopards

Lafayette’s biggest strength this season is running back Jakyre Henley (90 carries for 567 yards and seven touchdowns). They have solid defensive playmaking, recording 36 tackles for loss and 31 pass breakups through eight games played, but given an average of 30 points and 430 yards allowed per game, the positive plays they make come with as many breaks in the opposite direction.

Quarterback Daniel Lipovski has struggled mightily, completing less than half his passes (70-of-148) for 780 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He’s a marginal threat to run, picking up roughly ten positive yards per game — perhaps a plucky third-and-long scramble at some point — but otherwise is averaging less than 100 yards despite playing the majority of the snaps in all eight of the Leopards’ games.

His top target is Mason Kuehner (39 catches for 509 yards and four touchdowns); after No. 2 receiver Carson Pershing (25 catches for 320 yards and two scores), Lafayette’s passing offense tables off sharply. 

Scouting Villanova

The Wildcats’ defense, meanwhile, has 50 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and five interceptions — three of them from sophomore defensive back Jamie Tyson — through their first eight games. They make more splash plays than Lafayette but still give up plenty of major gains: however, the Leopards average less than one play of 30 or more yards per game this season, so the Wildcats might be able to keep them bottled up.

Villanova’s biggest strength is their rushing offense. Shifty running back Ja’briel Mace (100 carries for 559 yards and six touchdowns; 12 catches for 197 yards and three scores) and traditional power back Isaiah Ragland (102 touches for 630 yards and eight touchdowns) are both capable of picking up chunk yardage and helping the Wildcats control the clock.
Quarterback Pat McQuaide (135-of-209 for 1,771 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions) has struggled with turnovers at inopportune times this season, leading Villanova to a trio of last-minute losses, but he also struggled in the early going of his first season on the Main Line before developing excellent chemistry with his receivers at just the right time.

McQuaide is an occasional threat to run, racking up 144 positive yards and two touchdowns, but his ability to keep the football out of harm’s way — especially in the second half, where the Wildcats have shown a nasty habit of falling flat — is the likely key to avoiding a road upset. His top targets are sophomore slot receiver Braden Reed (36 catches for 474 yards and three touchdowns), big-bodied deep threat Brandon Binkowski (28 catches for 391 yards and a score) and senior transfer Jake HIlton (18 catches for 283 yards), another big play threat down the seam.