#6 Villanova places their 11-game home winning streak on the line tonight against LIU for Family Weekend

Villanova’s home winning streak is on the line tonight against Long Island University in the annual Family Weekend Game at Villanova Stadium. The Wildcats have won 11 consecutive games at home dating back to the 2022 season.

After an 18-point loss to Maryland last weekend, the Wildcats look to rebound tonight under the lights against Long Island University. Villanova has won three of their first four games of the season. They are ranked sixth nationally in the FCS, moving down one spot from last week after the loss to the Terrapins.

Villanova did not pull off the crazy upset in College Park, but the Wildcats battled for 60 minutes against a good Big 10 Maryland team. The Wildcats found success on both sides of the football in the second half, despite being outscored 24-0 in the first half. They also won the turnover battle against the best turnover margin team in the country. The Wildcats did not turn the ball over and excelled in ball security, which kept them in the game.

Villanova vs. Maryland in College Park last Saturday.

Wildcats’ QB Connor Watkins has completed just 50.5% of his passes in 2024. He has 559 passing yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for three touchdowns and 202 yards on the ground this season. Watkins has not been perfect in 2024, but he has done enough to lead Villanova to three victories and use his athleticism to beat teams, specifically when his passing game has been ineffective.

The Wildcats have won both games in their program history against Long Island. Both wins have come since 2019, including Villanova’s 38-21 win at LIU in 2022.

LIU’s Early Season Struggles: Restart Button?

Long Island would love to press the restart button on their 2024 season. They have lost all four games, but the Sharks have played a difficult schedule. LIU has played two good CAA teams in UAlbany and Rhode Island. They also played TCU, who is 2-2 in the Big 12. They were 23-point underdogs against UAlbany, according to ESPN, but Long Island lost by just six points on two late field goals in the fourth quarter. Their most recent loss was at home against Rhode Island by a final score of 28-21.

Stanzani’s Rediscovered Success

After missing some of last season due to injury, Sharks’ QB Luca Stanzani has rediscovered some of his success from 2022. In the first four games of the season, Stanzani has 575 passing yards and seven touchdowns. He threw two interceptions, one against TCU and one against Lehigh. He is mainly a passing threat for Villanova’s defense. Stanzani’s rushing attack this season has 32 carries for 106 yards and one touchdown. Stanzani can scramble for some yards, but he is not very successful in the running game.

The Sharks are averaging just 15 points per game. However, they average almost 300 yards of offense per game. Long Island has difficulty getting into the endzone.

Players to Watch for Long Island

The Sharks’ main running back is senior Ludovick Choquette. He played his last four seasons for Western Illinois before transferring to Long Island in the offseason. Choquette was not super successful at Western Illinois. He never had more than 64 carries in a season, and he only rushed for more than 200 yards in a season once. So far for Long Island, Choquette has 40 rushes for 217 yards. He is still looking for his first rushing touchdown. Choquette does have two receiving touchdowns and 52 yards this season. He is a solid receiving option for Stanzani. Although LIU’s rushing attack averages 143 yards per game, their running back room is one of their biggest weaknesses.

Long Island’s main receiver is Michael Love, a senior from Chicago, IL. Love missed most of last season with an injury. He has played his entire college career with the Sharks. His best season came in 2022 with 702 receiving yards over 51 receptions. Love has 22 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns in 2024. He is also one of the punt returners for Long Island.

The other two main wide receiver options for Stanzani are Cory Nichols and Aviyon Smith-Mack. Nichols, a freshman at Long Island University, had 46 yards against Rhode Island in the last game. He has 104 total receiving yards this season. Smith-Mack has just eight receptions in 2024, but he has accumulated 111 yards. Both players are looking for their first touchdowns of the season.

The Sharks have some solid offensive stats, but they have trouble getting into the endzone for seven points. They also do not have great defensive stats. They allowed 210 rushing yards against Rhode Island last week, and they have faced issues late in games in clutch defensive situations.

My Thoughts + Keys to the Game

Both teams are entering this game looking to rebound and are desperate for a victory. Villanova is desperate to prove their FCS ranking and play a complete 60-minute game with smooth offense and defense. Long Island is desperately looking for their first win of the season.

Besides last week against Maryland, Villanova had the talent advantage in all three of their first three games of the season. It is no different tonight against Long Island. The biggest advantage for Villanova is their defense. Long Island has allowed 30 points per game this season. Their opponents have thrown for 184 passing yards per game. They have yet to allow less than 20 points to an opponent this season. Villanova’s offense should score points against Long Island’s defense, and the Wildcats’ defense should be excellent, especially after having a big test last week against Maryland. Before the loss to the Terrapins, Villanova’s defense was ranked third in the FCS.

There is some rain in the forecast, so the running backs might have the most game action of all the players. Villanova has a clear advantage in the running back position with Isaiah Ragland, two-time CAA Rookie of the Week this season. Ragland has 283 yards in 2024 with two touchdowns. He is averaging almost seven yards per carry. I think the game plan for Villanova should be simple: Get the ball to Isaiah Ragland. This Long Island defense is susceptible to a good running attack. The main thing to watch will be Villanova’s offensive line and how much protection they can get for Ragland and Watkins to be effective.

In terms of Connor Watkins, Villanova would love to see him complete a higher percentage of his passes and settle into his passing game, which he has yet to do consistently in 2024. There was some miscommunication last week between Watkins and his receivers that should be fixed for tonight’s game. The loud environment at College Park probably played a large role, but Watkins and the offense is much better than they have looked at times this season.

Villanova should be expected to win this game against Long Island. However, I think the Sharks, who have played much better than expected this season in terms of game margin, will find ways to keep this game close.

WXVU’s Live Coverage of LIU vs. Villanova TONIGHT

WXVU will have live coverage of Villanova vs. LIU beginning with the pregame show at 5:30pm. Nathan and Paul will lead the pregame show before Stephen Cain and I have the call at Villanova Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6pm. You can listen for FREE on the local 89.1 FM dial, the WXVU website, and the RadioFX app.

I’ll post a game recap article on the WXVU website later this weekend.