Villanova Football Wins McQuaide Eligibility Battle, Drops Patriot League Opener

Villanova, Pa. — Villanova Football held a ten point lead with 54 seconds to play on Friday, Aug. 28 in their Patriot League debut against William & Mary. An onside kick and quarterback Pat McQuaide’s third interception of the night led to an epic meltdown and a 35-32 loss capped with Max Lipinski’s 45-yard field goal.

McQuaide, who dealt with an eligibility dispute all offseason, was announced as the starter less than half an hour before the opening kickoff: while he and the Wildcats won that war, they lost the battle. The graduate quarterback linked up with junior transfer Jake Hilton for four passes, 132 yards and a two-point conversion pass, while running back Isaiah Ragland found pay dirt twice.

The Wildcats chewed 7:08 off the clock on their opening drive, finding the end zone on a five-yard touchdown trot from Ragland. While Villanova’s pass rush harassed quarterback Winston Watkins consistently, amassing 12 tackles for loss and three sacks, the junior signal caller managed to make them pay with his legs.

Omari Bursey led the way with 15 tackles (eight solo), four tackles for loss and a sack; Ratu Delano Roti had a hand in 1.5 sacks. When he stayed upright, Watkins took shots downfield, cashing in with a 68-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Carson Jenkins on the Tribe’s opening drive.

Villanova’s offense stagnated, meanwhile, falling prey to penalties on one drive and stalling just short of field goal range on the next. William & Mary pulled ahead on a field goal after the Wildcats’ defense stood tall inside the five-yard line; a promising answer from Villanova ended in a tipped interception.

The Wildcats found their rhythm again via the two-minute drill, Ja’briel Mace fighting through contact for an 11-yard touchdown. They then needed just three plays and 18 seconds to storm into field goal range after a three-and-out, pushing the score to 17-10 on a 41-yard kick from Dominic LeBlanc as the half ended.

Tribe Takeover

The Tribe dominated the third quarter, holding the ball for more than nine minutes on the way to a pair of scoring drives. Watkins found the end zone on a one-yard keeper that put William & Mary in front. Villanova turned the ball over three times, failing to convert a fourth down direct snap to Ragland before a Mace fumble and a McQuaide interception.

Jamie Tyson intercepted a third down pass that gave the Wildcats life, and McQuaide scrambled around until he found Brandon Binkowski for an eight-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion throw to Jake Hilton succeeded, putting Villanova in front 25-22 inside the four minute mark. Ugo Nwotite brought Watkins down short of the line to gain on fourth-and-7, and Ragland immediately rumbled for a 37-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to double digits.

It evaporated almost as fast. William & Mary pulled back within a score with a 40-yard field goal, then recovered an onside kick with less than a minute to play. After two short pass attempts went nowhere, Watkins found Kai Austin for a wide-open 37-yard touchdown that tied the game. McQuaide then threw an interception over the middle to Cade Ellis, who returned the ball to the Wildcats’ 28 and set up the game-winning kick.

The Wildcats will continue Patriot League play on the road against Bucknell at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5.