Maine stuns #5 Villanova in Week 8 CAA Battle, Wildcats continue to struggle in the passing game
Written by David Szczepanski on October 21, 2024
ORONO, ME—-#5 Villanova suffered their second loss of the season on Saturday against Maine, 35-7, in Orono, ME. The Wildcats did not score a point in the first three quarters of the game, and Connor Watkins and the offense were ineffective.
Villanova fell behind by 21 points in the first quarter and was forced to depend on the passing attack. Watkins completed just 14 of his 31 passing attempts for 117 yards. He threw his first two interceptions of the season against Maine. He also rushed six times for a loss of 29 yards. Villanova’s backup quarterback, Tanner Maddocks, scored the only touchdown of the day for the Wildcats on a seven-yard run late in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats could never establish a rushing attack because of the huge deficit, and even when they ran the football, they were ineffective against the Black Bears. David Avit finished the game with 10 carries for 39 yards, and no other Villanova rusher had more than 17 rushing yards. Isaiah Ragland missed his second straight game with an ankle injury.
Lucas Kopecky led Villanova in receiving yards with 43 over four receptions. WR Jaylan Sanchez accumulated three receptions for 36 yards. WR Devin Smith had a costly fumble on a punt return in the first quarter and caught one pass for four yards.
In addition to Villanova’s poor play on both sides of the football, the Wildcats made numerous sloppy turnovers and mistakes. They finished the game with 10 penalties for 100 yards while having four turnovers: two fumbles and two interceptions. The high turnover rate and number of penalties made it impossible for Villanova to catch up to Maine.
Villanova’s defense, which allowed just 17.5 points per game this season heading into this contest, simply had no answer for Maine’s offense. The Black Bears only scored about 20 points per contest in 2024, but both sides of the football thrived on Saturday afternoon for Maine.
Quarterback Carter Peevy had an extremely efficient afternoon with 16 completed passes in 18 attempts for 173 yards and three touchdowns. Brian Santana-Fis exploded for 11 carries and 56 yards with a rushing touchdown. Joe Gillette, a wide receiver from Strongsville, Ohio, led Maine with 81 receiving yards and a touchdown. Maine’s top wide receiver, Montigo Moss, had five receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown. Molayo Irefin also reached the endzone with a touchdown reception against Villanova.
My Thoughts
This loss will definitely drop Villanova in the FCS rankings. Their struggles against Maine show the danger of a one-dimensional offense that depends on just the rushing attack. Maine, who has been a terrible team in the first quarter of games this season, being outscored 58-18, put their foot on the gas in the first half on Saturday and eliminated Villanova’s rushing attack, the best part of their offense.
Villanova must find a more efficient passing attack. It is okay to use the rushing attack a lot, especially when Villanova has three or four good running backs, but they need an answer in the passing game when the ground game is not working. They have yet to excel in the passing game in 2024. The passing struggles and turnovers are the most concerning parts of Saturday’s loss.
WXVU’s Live Coverage of Villanova vs. New Hampshire
WXVU will have live coverage of this Saturday’s afternoon matchup against New Hampshire at Villanova Stadium. Pregame coverage for Homecoming Weekend begins at 3pm with the pregame show. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30pm.
