Villanova Preview: Can Wildcats Shut Down High-Powered Harvard?

Villanova Football will host the Harvard Crimson at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29 in the opening round of the FCS playoffs. The No. 9/No. 6 Wildcats (9-2), entering the tournament field as the 12 seed, have won eight games in a row. They’ll need to continue that winning streak to keep their season alive.

This marks the FCS playoff debut for the Crimson (No. 15/No. 19), as the Ivy League previously opted to stay out of the tournament field. Harvard began the season on a nine game winning streak, but lost to Yale in the final week of the regular season to concede the league’s automatic bid to the playoffs. Instead, they snuck into the postseason with an at-large bid.

Even though Villanova holds home field advantage, oddsmakers like FanDuel have the Wildcats as a slight underdog, listed at +114 on the money line. The point spread sits at -2.5 in Harvard’s favor, with an over/under of 56.5.

Subscription based streaming service ESPN+ holds the telecasting rights to this matchup. Here’s who to keep an eye on as the Wildcats try to keep their season alive.

Scouting the Crimson

Senior quarterback Jaden Craig leads the Crimson in passing in his second full season as the starter, completing 199 of 317 passes for 2,762 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions this season, an average of 8.71 yards per attempt. His leading target is six foot tall, 180 pound receiver Brady Blackburn, who has 38 catches for 732 yards and five touchdowns, while 6-foot-5 tight end Seamus Gilmartin has another five touchdowns as a lead in red zone target.

Averaging nearly 40 points and 400 yards per game, Harvard also has a prolific rushing offense. Xaviah Bascon (121 carries for 624 yards and seven touchdowns) leads the charge, but six other Crimson have at least one rushing touchdown, including Craig, who has three.

Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante spoke about his defense’s attempts to make their opponents one dimensional, stopping the run to force the pass, during his weekly press conference, but the Wildcats face a tall order stopping the Crimson in either phase. Yale did so in The Game, but now Villanova will need to face a team that’s ready for redemption.

The Crimson average just two sacks per game but also keep their own quarterback clean, so the pass rush (or lack thereof) could prove pivotal.

Scouting the Wildcats

Running behind an offensive line with two CAA First Team honorees, Villanova relies much more heavily on their ground game. David Avit (123 carries for 683 yards and eight touchdowns across nine games played) and splash play machine Ja’briel Mace (70 carries for 600 yards and eight touchdowns) are their most effective options. 

No. 2 running back Isaiah Ragland leads the team in carries with 128, but has just 501 yards and a touchdown to show for it as he specializes in short yardage scenarios. Avit missed much of the past three games after exiting with a knee injury against Hampton on Nov. 8, but Ferrante said after that game that he expects Avit won’t miss extended time, making him a potential option in this do-or-die game.

Quarterback Pat McQuaide leads the team in passing, completing 176 of 288 attempts on the season for 2,343 yards, 19 touchdowns and just two interceptions on the season. A graduate transfer, McQuaide took time to build chemistry with his new teammates but has hit his stride in recent weeks. Princeton transfer Luke Colella leads the team in receiving with 58 catches for 831 yards and seven touchdowns. Given his three seasons of experience in the Ivy League, Colella could prove even more valuable than usual to Villanova.

Thanks to players like cornerback Zahmir Dawud, the Wildcats’ passing defense is allowing just 179 yards per game over their past seven wins, so this matchup will hinge on two excellent units competing for any advantage they can get. Wildcats’ middle linebacker Shane Hartzell, a nominee for the FCS Defensive Player of the Year award, is another key contributor with 74 total tackles (41 solo), 13.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks