Villanova Football Stays in FCS Top 25 After Loss to Louisville

Villanova Football had a tough draw on the road against a ranked Louisville team on Friday, Sept. 11, losing 59-13 after a strong showing early.

The Wildcats (1-2, 1-1 Patriot League) are below .500 but remain ranked in both the Stats Perform (No. 22) and AFCA Coaches Poll (No. 23), falling one and five spots, respectively. Louisville, ranked No. 24 against the Wildcats after a Week 1 loss, surged up to No. 16 in the Associated Press FBS Poll, a testament to the caliber of team Villanova had to face.

The Wildcats faced a similar scenario after three weeks last season, dropping their CAA opener against Monmouth in a shootout that exposed their young secondary before enduring a road blowout against a Penn State team that entered the season with championship hopes. Villanova responded with an 11-game winning streak that carried them all the way to the National Semifinals. Through three games this year, the Wildcats’ defense has struggled to gel, conceding a series of long passing plays in critical moments against both William & Mary and Bucknell.

Their schedule should get easier from here, as they’ll travel to face Long Island at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19. Currently ranked fifth in the Patriot League, however, they’ll need to figure out their pass defense in order to put together another deep playoff run.