Villanova falls to .500 after loss against William & Mary

Villanova suffers their second-straight blowout loss.

Final Score: 12- Villanova  45-William & Mary

Even prior to facing William & Mary, Villanova’s playoff chances were pretty much gone. However, a couple of wins against top teams in the CAA to end the season would have been perfect for this team’s confidence moving forward. But things did not go the Wildcats way in Virginia.

The Offense

Overall, Connor Watkins looked pretty good both passing and running. Watkins completed 17 of his 29 attempted passes, which was good enough for 206 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed seven times for 62 yards, including a nice 40-yard run. Besides Watkins, the Wildcats ran the ball with five different offensive players. Freshman Eli Smith recorded the most rushing yards by a Villanova running back on Saturday with 48. Also, TD Ayo-Durojaiye rushed for 22 yards against the Tribe.

Villanova was without their leading wide receiver, Jaaron Hayek, for a second-straight game. Besides Watkins, WR Dez Boykin was the player of the game for the Wildcats. Boykin had six receptions for 110 yards. Freshman Daniel Lopes recorded his first career college touchdown. Lopes and Pringle also combined for 80 total yards over six receptions.

The Defensive Struggles Continue for Villanova

Villanova’s defense struggled again on Saturday against a top CAA offense. Tribe QB, Darius Wilson, completed 80% of his passes (12-15) for 211 yards and three touchdowns. Tribe running back, Bronson Yoder, also had a fantastic game with 133 yards over 14 carries. Overall, Villanova was outscored by William & Mary in every quarter and had no answer for the Tribe offense.

Standings/The Road Ahead

Villanova is now 5-5 on the season and ranked 7^th in the CAA. William and Mary is now 9-1 and on a six-game winning streak.

The Wildcats last game of the season will take place this Saturday, November 19^th against huge rival, the Delaware Blue Hens. Kickoff from Villanova Stadium is at 1pm. Pat, Dominic, and David will have the call beginning at 1pm on WXVU, 89.1 The Roar.