Villanova Football Preview: ‘Cats Battle Crusaders in Patriot League Standings

Villanova Football will try to continue making up lost ground in the Patriot League standings when they travel to face Holy Cross at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14. The Wildcats (6-4, 5-2 Patriot League) have won four games in a row and currently hold the No. 2 spot in the conference; they’re tied with the Crusaders, who are on a five game winning streak in conference play after starting the season 0-4.

Villanova is listed as a -380 favorite on FOX Sports despite playing on the road in Massachusetts, but that number could be misleading: FOX reports that 96 percent of the money wagered is on the Wildcats, potentially swinging the line. If the Wildcats win and Lehigh loses at Richmond, they’ll move into first place in the conference on the strength of their head-to-head win over the Mountain Hawks back in October. Should Villanova lose, however, they’ll need a miracle to make the postseason.

Here’s what to watch for in this matchup on ESPN+.

Scouting Villanova

The Wildcats passing offense has started to gel in recent weeks, with quarterback Pat McQuaide completing 11 of 17 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout win over Richmond; he threw for 293 yards against Lafayette a week prior and has posted 14 touchdowns to six interceptions this season, none of those picks coming during the ongoing winning streak.

Villanova doesn’t need McQuaide to be a star because of the backfield tandem of Ja’briel Mace (132 carries for 724 yards and seven touchdowns) and Isaiah Ragland (118 carries for 619 yards and nine scores), who combine for nearly as many carries as McQuaide has attempts. When the Wildcats are at their best, they’re pounding the football and opening up opportunistic shots to receivers like Braden Reed (45 catches for 578 yards and five touchdowns) and deep threat Brandon Binkowski (34 catches for 533 yards and three touchdowns). Mace (14 catches for 218 yards and four scores) is a major threat in space as well.

Villanova’s defense has 60 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, eight interceptions and two fumble recoveries this season. They’re playing much better than they did to start the year, much like the Wildcats’ passing attack, but they’ve struggled to get off the field at times. 

Holy Cross has had a feast-or-famine offense, scoring ten or less points four times and thirty or more points four times, so the version of the Crusaders Villanova gets could go a long way to deciding this matchup.

Scouting the Crusaders

5-foot-7 running back Joseph Williams (149 carries for 901 yards and eight scores) gets the majority of the touches in the Crusaders’ offense. Quarterback David Lynch (160-of-289 for 1,740 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions) has struggled with turnovers this season and averages just over six yards per pass, so Wildcats’ playmakers like defensive back Jamie Tyson will have a chance to get their hands on the football.

Lynch’s top receivers are Ty Curran (45 catches for 477 yards and seven touchdowns) and Lincoln Fisher (22 catches for 366 yards and five touchdowns), who combine for almost all of the Crusaders’ receiving touchdowns. Rushing defense is their saving grace, as they’re allowing just 3.8 yards per carry on the season; opposing quarterbacks are averaging 8.72 yards per attempt, so McQuaide’s ability to take care of the football against a defense that has created 15 turnovers should play a crucial role in deciding this game.

Holy Cross’ defense is averaging five tackles for loss, 1.7 sacks and 3.8 pass breakups per game, performing at a similar rate to Villanova in terms of splash plays.