Villanova opens its 2025 campaign against future Patriot League foe, Colgate

VILLANOVA, PA—For the second time in the last three seasons, Villanova will face Colgate in its home opener on Saturday. Villanova will enter the season as a member of the CAA for the final time before leaving for the Patriot League in 2026. The Wildcats have not lost a game at Villanova Stadium since September 24, 2022, meaning 16 consecutive home wins for the second-longest current home winning streak in the FCS.

Colgate has not defeated Villanova since 1978. The Wildcats are the favorites to keep their winning streak alive against the Raiders, but there are some questions surrounding the depth chart.

New Quarterback for the Wildcats

Nicholls State transfer Pat McQuaide was officially named the Wildcats’ starting quarterback on Saturday morning. He had been receiving first-team reps at practice. McQuaide played in 12 games last season and threw for 2,218 yards and 14 touchdowns. He averaged more than 184 yards per game.

McQuaide’s backup will be Tanner Maddocks. Maddocks, a junior from Reading, PA, has been in the locker room for the last three seasons as a backup for Connor Watkins. He played in 11 games last season, completing 8 of his 14 passes for 112 yards.

David Avit leads a talented running back room

Villanova relied heavily on its rushing attack last season to generate offense. The Wildcats will return their top four running backs, including David Avit, who entered the transfer portal in the offseason and ultimately returned to Villanova.

Avit broke a program freshman record for most yards in a season with 923, including nine rushing touchdowns. Isaiah Ragland will also receive a lot of playing time after rushing for more than 500 yards last year. Ja’briel Mace and Isaiah Wright could play a major role in the passing game and returning punts on special teams.

Villanova’s Defense looks to continue dominance

The Wildcats’ defense will look very different from last season after losing key starters like Isas Waxter and Brendan Bell. Villanova’s defense was one of the best in the FCS in 2024, allowing only 18.6 points per game. Sophomore DB Zahmir Dawud is in line to take the biggest step forward for the Wildcats in the secondary. Newton Essiem, Jon Wyatt, and Amari Jackson will compete for the other cornerback spot.

Villanova’s defense will definitely take some time to figure out and is very much a work in progress in the secondary.

Colgate’s Disappointing 2024 Campaign

Colgate lost its season opener against Monmouth, 42-39, on Friday. The Raiders led by 24 points in the third quarter, but Monmouth scored 35 points in the second half to complete the comeback.

The Raiders were just 2-10 in 2024, including a 28-3 loss to Villanova in Hamilton, NY. Colgate scored only 20 points per contest a year ago. The Raiders addressed their poor offensive play by hiring Curt Fitzpatrick to become the 31^st head coach in program history in December 2024.

Curt Fitzpatrick becomes the 31st head coach in Raiders’ program history

Fitzpatrick is known to be an offensive genius after leading Cortland to a Division III Championship in 2023. He was also named the 2023 Division III National Coach of the Year, while his team scored 46.2 points per game and finished the season with more than 7,000 yards of offense.

Colgate’s quarterback situation has some uncertainty heading into this matchup on Lancaster Avenue. The Raiders’ starting quarterback, Zach Osborne, suffered an injury in the third quarter against Monmouth. He was 11-for-14 with 227 yards and two passing touchdowns. Osborne won the quarterback battle in training camp, making former starting quarterback Jake Stearney the backup in Week 1.

Due to the injury to Osborne, Stearney finished the game for the Raiders, completing 10 of his 23 passes for 138 yards and one touchdown. It is unclear if Osborne is healthy enough to play on Saturday, but both quarterbacks looked good in their first game with Fitzpatrick at the helm.

Colgate’s true playmaker on offense is WR Treyvhon Saunders. Saunders caught 13 passes against the Hawks for a career-high 223 yards and two touchdowns. He recorded at least 800 receiving yards in the last two seasons and was named to the 2025 Stats FCS Preseason All-America Third Team.

The Raiders’ Defensive Struggles

The Raiders’ biggest weakness is their defense, which allowed more than 31 points per game in 2024, including at least 45 points in three of their last five contests. Colgate lost its top two tacklers from last season, leaving the Raiders’ defense young and inexperienced. However, they do have LB Dane Picariello. Picariello finished his 2024 campaign with 71 total tackles and three and a half sacks.

Players like Trooper Price and Christian Magliacano will have to step up for the Raiders’ defense, which allowed 678 yards of offense against Monmouth.

Game Info + WXVU Live Coverage

Saturday’s game will begin at 6 PM. WXVU will have live coverage starting at 5:30 PM with the pregame show.