< Previous1989 NCAA FIRST ROUND • I-AA PLAYOFFS Allen Paulson Stadium, Statesboro, Ga. • November 25, 1989 GEORGIA SOUTHERN 52, VILLANOVA 36 Villanova University’s football team made their first appearance in post-season play since the program was reinstated in 1985, and were faced with the realization that they would have to play the top ranked team in the nation, Georgia Southern, on the Eagles’ home field in Statesboro, Georgia . Though Villanova put up a gallant battle, the Eagles proved to be too much for the Wildcats, and won the first round of the 1989 NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs, 52-36 . Georgia Southern went on to win the 1989 NCAA Division I-AA Championship . The two teams spent the first half trading scores . Following a Georgia Southern touchdown early in the contest, Villanova got on the board with seconds remaining in the first quarter on a 64-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Schulz to Harold Hart, tying the score 7-7 . The Eagles scored a field goal in the second quarter, before Villanova went ahead 14-10 on a 15-yard pass from Schulz to Jeff Johnson . Minutes later, following an 83-yard Schulz to Bob Brady pass play, Schulz ran a quarterback sneak up the middle for a 21-10 Wildcat lead . Georgia Southern kicked a field goal with 30 seconds remaining in the half, sending the teams to the locker rooms with the ‘Cats leading, 21- 13 . The third quarter proved to be Villanova’s downfall, however, as Georgia Southern shutout the ‘Cats just as they had shutout all their opponents in the third quarter during 1989 . The Eagles scored three touchdowns and a field goal to retake the lead and open the margin 38-21 . Villanova got back on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, narrowing the deficit to 10 points on a five-yard pass from Schulz to wide receiver Scott Thompson . The Eagles scored two touchdowns in a span of 44 seconds midway through the fourth period to put the game out of Villanova’s reach . With a little over two minutes remaining in the contest, Villanova completed the scoring with a one-yard pass from Schulz to Scott Donald . Reserve quarterback Mike Reilly passed to Pat Kennedy for the two point conversion, which made the final score Georgia Southern 52, Villanova 36 . VILLANOVA 7 14 0 15 36 GEORGIA SOUTHERN 7 6 25 14 52 Scoring Summary: GS — Thompson 1 yard run (Dowis kick) VU — Hart 64-yard pass from Schulz (Withka kick) GS — Dowis 34-yard field goal VU — Johnson 15-yard pass from Schulz (Withka kick) VU — Schulz 1-yard run (Withka kick) GS — Dowis 27-yard field goal GS — Dowis 30-yard field goal GS — Thompson 1-yard run (Dowis kick) GS — Ross 11-yard run (Dowis kick) GS — Hopkins 64-yard pass from Gross (Dowis kick) VU — Thompson 5-yard pass from Schulz (Withka kick) GS — Ross 39-yard run (Dowis kick) GS — Olglesby 32-yard interception return (Dowis kick) VU — Donald 1-yard pass from Schulz (Kennedy pass from Reilly) Larry Glueck played on the Villanova team that lost to Oregon State in the 1962 Liberty Bowl at Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia. 1961 SUN BOWL Kidd Stadium, El Paso, Texas • December 30, 1961 VILLANOVA 17, WICHITA 9 Villanova University returned to post-season competition under head coach Alex Bell . Before what was then claimed to be the largest national television audience to ever view a football bowl game, Villanova put on an impressive display of rugged defense and potent offense en route to a 17-9 victory over Wichita in the 28th Annual Sun Bowl . The confidence of the Wildcats was evident from the start . Winning the coin toss, Villanova elected to kickoff, putting its defense, which finished the year ranked seventh in the nation, on the spot . Both teams’ defenses dominated the early play, and neither team could mount any kind of offensive threat . Taking control of the ball on Wichita’s 43-yard line late in the first quarter, Villanova quarterback Ted Aceto recorded the game’s first first down, and four plays later gave the ball to the ‘Cats overpowering fullback, Billy Joe . Joe rumbled into the endzone from 19-yards out to cap a seven play touchdown drive . Sam Gruneisen kicked the extra point, giving Villanova a 7-0 lead in the first quarter . The Wildcat defense continued to stymie Wichita, as the Shockers were kept deep in their own territory . But with five seconds remaining in the first half, Wichita finally got on the scoreboard on a 36-yard field goal . Gaining a 7-3 halftime lead, the Wildcat defense had held Wichita to just 87 total offensive yards . Kicking off to start the second half, Villanova got a big break when Richie Ross recovered the fumbled kickoff on Wichita’s 22-yard line . Seven plays later, Louis Rettino dove over from the two-yard line, Gruneisen kicked the extra point, and Villanova had expanded their lead to 14-3 . The Wildcats weren’t through yet . Villanova’s defense continued its tough play, and the ‘Cats offense, after Wichita was forced to punt four plays later, drove the ball from its own 38 to the Shockers’ six-yard line and finally settled for a 26- yard field goal by Gruneisen . Wichita added a touchdown with 45 seconds left, but the two point conversion failed, giving the ‘Cats a 17-9 win . Villanova captain Rich Ross was the recipient of the Sun Bowl’s Linemen’s Trophy Award, while teammate Billy Joe was given the Outstanding Player Award . VILLANOVA 7 0 10 0 17 WICHITA 0 3 0 6 9 Scoring Summary: VU — Joe 19-yard run (Gruneisen kick) W — Seigle 36-yard field goal VU — Rettino 1-yard run (Gruneisen kick) VU — Gruneisen 26-yard field goal W — Zyskowski 7-yard run (2-pt . conversion failed) 1962 LIBERTY BOWL Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pa. • December 15, 1962 OREGON STATE 6, VILLANOVA 0 For Wildcat coach Alex Bell, Villanova University’s participation in the fourth annual Liberty Bowl marked the second consecutive year his ‘Cat team was invited to a major bowl Although the game was played in Villanova’s backyard, the ‘Cats were definitely underdogs . Oregon State was famed for its passing attack, which was headed by All-American and 1962 Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker . While not as heralded as the Oregon State squad, Villanova had also enjoyed an outstanding season, compiling a 7-2 record . The game, telecast nationally in color by NBC to an estimated 27 million viewers, became a defensive struggle, and to the surprise of many, the Wildcats dominated . Villanova seemingly got a big break midway through the first quarter when William Sherlock’s 52-yard punt was downed by Larry Glueck on the one-foot line . One play later, disaster struck as Oregon State’s Baker got loose around end, and raced to a 99-yard touchdown with 9:24 left in the opening period . Baker tried a two-point conversion, but the Wildcats regrouped to break up his pass, leaving the score 6-0 in Oregon State’s favor . Another tough break doomed Villanova . Taking the ensuing kickoff down to the Beavers’ 12-yard line, Villanova seemingly deadlocked the contest when Billy Joe made his way around the left end and romped 12-yards into the endzone . But a holding call nullified the play, and two plays later a Villanova pass was intercepted . The second and third quarters were scoreless, as both teams’ defenses remained unbending . In the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, Villanova made one last effort . Starting on their own 30-yard line, the Wildcats drove to Oregon State’s 11-yard line before fumbling away a chance to win the game . For the day, Villanova outgained the Beavers on the ground 246-176, and had nine more first downs, 20-11 . However, Oregon State’s one big play, coupled with the ‘Cats six turnovers, added up to a disappointing loss for Villanova . OREGON ST. 6 0 0 0 6 VILLANOVA 0 0 0 0 0 Scoring Summary: OS — Baker 99 yard run (2 pt . conversion attempt failed) 2019 FOOTBALL V I L L A NO V A . C OM 108 HISTORY PLAYOFF | BOWL HISTORY2019 FOOTBALL 109 V I L L A N O VA . CO M HISTORY PLAYOFF | BOWL HISTORY 1991 NCAA FIRST ROUND • I-AA PLAYOFFS Stambaugh Stadium, Youngstown, Ohio • November 30, 1991 YOUNGSTOWN STATE 17, VILLANOVA 16 A cold, windy day in Youngstown, Ohio brought a cold end to Villanova’s 1991 football season . Playing in only their second NCAA Division I-AA Playoff game in Villanova gridiron history, the No . 7-ranked Wildcats suffered a season-ending 17-16 loss to eventual National Champion Youngstown State University . An exciting game to watch, it was a heartbreaking game to be a part of . The Wildcats led from the start, after Tom Colombo lofted a 42-yard touchdown strike to Harold Hart to put Villanova on the scoreboard with 8:32 left in the first quarter . The Penguins evened the tally with their first touchdown, with 14:14 left in the second quarter . Quarterback Ray Isaac connected on a 28-yard pass to Dave Roberts for Youngstown . But the Wildcats marched right back, led by senior tailback Pat Kennedy . Kennedy, Villanova’s leading rusher in 1991, had missed the prior four games with an elbow injury, but made up for lost time quickly . He scored on a three-yard touchdown with 7:14 left in the second period, but Villanova’s extra-point attempt by kicker Bill Hoffman was no good . Hoffman tried again later in the quarter, however, when he connected on a 28-yard field goal with only three seconds left in the half . The Wildcats led at halftime, 16-7 . That’s the way it was until the 6:40 mark of the third quarter, when Youngstown’s Leo Hawkins scored on a one-yard touchdown run, and the Penguins closed to within two of the Wildcats . Villanova’s vaunted defense stymied Youngstown for much of the fourth quarter, batting away passes and holding the line, but the offense couldn’t advance despite two long drives in the final frame . A tipped pass by Villanova’s defense with Youngstown facing fourth and 11 turned into a 41-yard gain for the Penguins with under a minute remaining . Suddenly Youngstown was in scoring position, and after two quick one-yard gains, Youngstown kicker Jeff Wilkins hit a 33-yard field goal with six seconds remaining to give the Penguins a 17- 16 victory, en route to their first National Championship . VILLANOVA 7 9 0 0 16 YOUNGSTOWN 0 7 7 3 17 Scoring Summary: VU — Colombo 42-yard pass to Hart (Hoffman kick) YS — Isaac 28-yard pass to Roberts (Wilkins kick) VU — Kennedy 3-yard run (kick failed) VU — Hoffman 28-yard field goal YS — Hawkins 1-yard run (Wilkins kick) YS — Wilkins 33-yard field goal 1992 NCAA FIRST ROUND • I-AA PLAYOFFS Stambaugh Stadium, Youngstown, Ohio • November 28, 1992 YOUNGSTOWN STATE 23, VILLANOVA 20 Villanova Football made their second-straight visit to the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs, and third in four years, but had to go back to Youngstown, Ohio for a rematch with the defending National Champion . A cold, rainy afternoon in Stambaugh Stadium found the Wildcats once again battling down to the wire with the Penguins, only to lose in the final moments, 23-20 . The ‘Cats scored first, taking a 6-0 lead on a two-yard run by tailback Kevin Mosley with 6:48 left in the first quarter . Bill Hoffman kicked the extra point to give Villanova a 7-0 margin, but Youngstown State marched right back and scored with 12:41 left in the second period to tie the game . Hoffman was called upon to kick a 22-yard field goal with 8:56 left in the first half, regaining a 10-7 lead for Villanova . The Penguins scored yet again, however, with 5:43 left when Tamron Smith ran for one yard . Youngstown State’s point-after kick failed, so the home squad had a 13-10 lead as they went into the locker room at halftime . The second half began with Villanova’s offense stymied on their first possession . But the second time the ‘Cats got the ball, they scored . Hoffman trotted out on to the field once more, with 5:38 left in the third period, to nail a 26-yard field goal and tie the game, 13-13 . On their very next possession, however, Youngstown State’s Jeff Wilkins got into the act, as he kicked a 23 yard field goal to give the Penguins a 16-13 lead . That’s how the scoreboard looked when the fourth quarter began . The Penguins altered it when Tamron Smith scored his second touchdown of the day, with 11:39 remaining, and Wilkins hit the extra point to give Youngstown State a 23-13 lead . Yet the Wildcats wouldn’t die, as they marched right back on the ensuing kickoff . Villanova ran 13 plays and marched 59 yards in a drive which culminated in a nine-yard touchdown pass from Tom Colombo to Harold Hart, and a Hoffman PAT . Now it was 23-20, with 7:24 left in the game . Yet a Villanova victory was not in the cards on this day . The ‘Cats fumble on their next possession, then didn’t regain possession until there were 27 seconds left in the game . A valiant effort by Colombo, who hit passes for 11 yards (to Mosley) and Scott Donald (8 yards) got the ‘Cats to their own 40 yard line . Then Colombo nailed Straughn Lumpkin with a 47-yard completion as the clock wound down . Villanova players, coaches, and fans thought their was still time left; Youngstown’s players, coaches and fans were celebrating victory . The officials walked off the field, the contest, and Villanova’s season, was over . Colombo was 16-of-19 for 177 yards in the fourth quarter (23-of-41 for 263 yards on the day), while Mosley had 33 carries for a career-high 133 yards and a touchdown, and Curtis Eller had 22 total tackles, but it was Youngstown State that once again went on to play in the National Championship contest . VILLANOVA 7 3 3 7 20 YOUNGSTOWN 0 13 3 7 23 Scoring Summary: VU — Mosley 2-yard run (Hoffman kick) YS — Clark 32-yard run (Wilkins kick) VU — Hoffman 22-yard field goal YS — Smith 1-yard run (kick failed) VU — Hoffman 26-yard field goal YS — Wilkins 23-yard field goal YS — Smith 1-yard run (Wilkins kick) VU — Colombo 9-yard pass to Hart (Hoffman kick) 1996 NCAA FIRST ROUND • I-AA PLAYOFFS Johnson City, Tenn. • November 30, 1996 EAST TENNESSEE STATE 35, VILLANOVA 29 In the first round of the I-AA playoffs, the Villanova Wildcats lost at East Tennessee State by a score of 35-29 . With the loss, the Cats finish the season at 8-4, while East Tennessee State improves to 10-2 . ETSU will now advance to the second round and play at No . 1 seeded Montana . The first half was all ETSU as the Bucs were dominant in taking a 28-6 lead at halftime . ETSU quarterback Greg Ryan was spectacular in the first half as he threw for three first-half scores . Villanova’s six points came from two Mark Kiefer field goals (27-yards, 42-yards) . Villanova came out in the second half and completely took over the game . Senior running back Anthony Cowsette scored three straight touchdowns on runs of one yard, seven yards and two yards . Following Cowsette’s third score, Villanova went for two and failed . However, the ‘Cats were back in the game and trailed by just two points at 28-26 . After ETSU scored on Ryan’s fourth touchdown throw of the afternoon making the score 35-26, Villanova quickly responded with a 14 play drive that ended in a 38-yard Mark Kiefer field goal . Kiefer had a big day as he connected on three field goals . Villanova’s comeback bid came up a bit short when they were stopped just inches from the first down marker on a fourth and 10 at the ETSU 40-yard line . ETSU took over on downs and the Bucs were able to run the clock out and escape with a victory . Besides Cowsette’s three touchdowns and Kiefer three field goals, the Villanova offense also got great play from junior running back Curtis Sifford who gained 120 yards on 24 carries . Defensively, linebacker Stephen Curry and free safety Deon Jackson led the way with 13 tackles each . VILLANOVA 0 6 20 3 29 ETSU 14 14 0 7 35 Scoring Summary: ETSU — Johnson 3-yard pass from Ryan (Champman kick) ETSU –-- Walker 1-yard run (Champman kick) VU — Kiefer 27-yard field goal ETSU — Stringfield 35-yard pass from Johnson (Champman kick) ETSU — Stringfield 14-yard pass from Ryan VU — Kiefer 42-yard field goal VU — Cowsette 1-yard run (Kiefer kick) VU — Cowsette 7-yard run (Kiefer kick) VU — Cowsette 2-yard run ETSU — Johnson 22-yard pass from Ryan (Chapman kick) VU — Kiefer 38 -yard field goal2019 FOOTBALL V I L L A NO V A . C OM 110 HISTORY PLAYOFF | BOWL HISTORY 1997 NCAA FIRST ROUND • I-AA PLAYOFFS Villanova Stadium, Villanova, Pa. • November 29, 1997 VILLANOVA 49, COLGATE 28 The Villanova Wildcats made history, as they won the school’s first-ever playoff game with a 49-28 win over Colgate . Trailing 28-27 entering the fourth quarter, Villanova tallied 24 last quarter points to win the game going away . Sophomore quarterback Chris Boden had a strong game, as he completed 21-of-31 for 305 yards and two touchdowns . Boden also ran for two scores . After Corey Hill caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Vena with 30 seconds left in the third quarter, No . 16 seed Colgate owned a 28-27 lead over top seeded Villanova . The Wildcats quickly responded by scoring three touchdowns in 11 minutes to take a commanding 49-28 advantage with 4:03 remaining in regulation . Boden ran in twice from one-yard out and freshman running back Brian Westbrook scored on a four-yard run to account for the three scores . Westbrook was sensational for the Wildcats, carrying 17 times for 104 yards and a touchdown for his first-ever 100+ yard rushing game . Westbrook would score three touchdowns on the day, as he made a 38-yard scoring catch and he returned an 89-yard kickoff for a score . He would finish the day with 271 yards of all-purpose offense . Senior wide receivers Brad Finneran (six receptions for 107 yards) and Josh Dolbin (six receptions for 92 yards) led the receiving attack, while senior place kicker Mark Kiefer connected on two field goals . On defense, junior Chris Machovina registered a team-high 11 tackles, while junior cornerback Ademole Turner recorded two interceptions . Villanova received a scare in the first quarter when All-American wide receiver Brian Finneran went down with a sprained ankle . Finneran managed to play half of the second quarter before being forced to leave the game . COLGATE 7 14 7 0 28 VILLANOVA 10 14 3 22 49 Scoring Summary: VU --- Strippoli 5-yard pass from Boden (Kiefer kick) CU --- Weiss 5-yard run (Federico kick) VU --- Kiefer 25-yard field goal CU --- Hill 5-yard pass from Vena (Federico kick) VU --- Westbrook 38-yard pass from Boden (Kiefer kick) CU --- Vena 28-yard run (Federico kick) VU --- Westbrook 89-yard kickoff return (Kiefer kick) VU --- Kiefer 22-yard field goal CU --- Hill 11-yard pass from Vena (Federico kick) VU --- Boden 1-yard run (Brad Finneran pass from Boden) VU --- Boden 1-yard run (Kiefer kick) VU --- Westbrook 4-yard run (Kiefer kick) 1997 NCAA SECOND ROUND • I-AA PLAYOFFS Villanova Stadium, Villanova, Pa. • December 6, 1997 YOUNGSTOWN ST. 37, VILLANOVA 34 Villanova saw its dream season come to a close on Saturday, Dec . 6, as the Wildcats were eliminated from the playoffs with a 37-34 loss to visiting Youngstown State . With the setback, Villanova finishes the 1997 season with a 12-1 mark . Youngstown State went on to capture the NCAA I-AA National Championship . The Wildcats started the game in fine fashion, scoring the first three touchdowns of the game to take a 21-0 lead just two minutes into the second quarter . On their first possession, Villanova drove straight down the field and scored on a 19-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Chris Boden to senior wide receiver Brian Finneran . Freshman running back Brian Westbrook scored Villanova’s second touchdown on an eight-yard scamper . Senior Josh Dolbin registered Villanova’s third touchdown when he caught an 11-yard pass from Boden . Youngstown State battle right back . Adrian Brown ran in from 23-yards for a score, giving the Penguins their first score of the day . Two minutes later, Youngstown State blocked Mark Kiefer’s punt and recovered it in the end zone . The teams went to halftime, with Villanova holding a 21-14 lead . The ‘Cats started the second half as they did in the first, driving 80-yards on the first possession and scoring on a 10-yard pass from Boden to Finneran . However, at this point, Youngstown State took control of the game, recording 23 unanswered points . The big play of the Penguin comeback, occurred at 2:55 of the third quarter when Jauron Dailey returned a Boden fumble nine yards for a score to tie the game at 28-28 . Trailing 37-28 with 2:25 to play in regulation, Westbrook kept Villanova’s hopes alive, by catching a seven-yard pass from Boden, to cut the Penguin lead to 37-34 . Following a Wildcat defensive stop, Villanova got the ball back with 1:25 on the clock . After an incomplete pass and a sack, Boden’s desperation pass on third down was intercepted and Villanova’s dreams of a perfect season came to a close . Despite playing on a sprained ankle, Brian Finneran tied a school record with 16 receptions for 180 yards and two scores . Boden finished the afternoon 29-of-43 for 323 yards and four touchdowns, while Westbrook gained 97 yards on 17 carries and scored one touchdown . Defensively, sophomore linebackers Shaun Lyons and Dave Heckard led the charge with Lyons making 13 stops and Heckard recording 11 total tackles . YOUNGSTOWN 0 14 14 9 37 VILLANOVA 14 7 7 6 34 Scoring Summary: VU --- Brian Finneran 19-yard pass from Boden (Kiefer kick) VU --- Brian Westbrook 8-yard run (Kiefer kick) VU --- Josh Dolbin 11-yard pass from Boden(Kiefer kick) YSU --- Adrian Brown 23-yard run(Griffith kick) YSU --- Willis Marshall 10-yard blocked punt return (Griffith kick) VU --- Brian Finneran 10-yard pass from Boden (Kiefer kick) YSU --- Demetrius Harris 5-yard run (Griffith kick) YSU --- Jauron Dailey 9-yard fumble recovery return (Griffith kick) YSU --- Griffith 28-yard field goal YSU --- Jake Andreadis 20-yard run (Kick failed) VU --- Brian Westbrook 7-yard pass from Boden (Kick failed) Josh Dolbin caught a touchdown pass in Villanova’s 1997 playoff game against Youngstown State.2019 FOOTBALL 111 V I L L A N O VA . CO M HISTORY PLAYOFF | BOWL HISTORY 2002 NCAA FIRST ROUND • I-AA PLAYOFFS Villanova Stadium, Villanova, Pa. • November 30, 2002 VILLANOVA 45, FURMAN 38 The Villanova University football team overcame a 31-14 second half deficit to beat the visiting Furman Paladins, 45-38 in Division I-AA playoff action . Senior quarterback Brett Gordon passed for 250 yards and three touchdowns en route to breaking Chris Boden’s single-season record of 3,707 passing yards . The Wildcats got on the board on their opening drive, when Gordon found senior Cameron Cross for a seven yard touchdown strike . Furman then broke onto the scoreboard with 5:55 remaining in the first quarter when Dan Marshall booted a 38 yard field goal through the uprights . Villanova then fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Furman took over on the Wildcat 17 yard line . Senior quarterback Billy Napier put the Paladins ahead on a five yard touchdown scamper . At the start of the second quarter, Napier led Furman 70 yards down the field, resulting in his second touchdown run of the day . On Villanova’s next possession, the Wildcats attempted a fake punt, but were held to no gain and Furman took over on Villanova’s 27 yard line . Furman would capitalize on their opportunity as Brandon Berry scored on a three yard run, making the score 24-7 . The Wildcats quickly changed the momentum of the game when Mo Gibson ran Brian Kovach’s kickoff back 96 yards for the Villanova touchdown . The score would remain 24-14 heading into the locker room . The Paladins used their opening possession of the second half to drive 79 yards, culminating in a Hindley Brigham four yard touchdown run . From this point, the Villanova offense would come back to score 17 unanswered points to take a 38-31 lead with just 6:19 to go in the game . Gibson started the offensive attack when he capped off an eight-play, 80 yard drive with an 11 yard run . On the drive, Gordon completed a 15 yard pass to Brian White and an 18 yard strike to tight end Matt Chila to move the ‘Cats down the field . The Wildcats defense received two big plays from Jamison Young to force Furman to punt . Gordon then led the Wildcats 46 yards to set up a 30 yard field goal from Adam James, cutting Furman’s lead to 31-24 . Villanova kept its momentum going when Young turned in another fine defensive play, intercepting a Napier pass across the middle and returning it to the Furman 29 yard line . Gordon followed with four completions, culminating in a five yard touchdown strike to White . James’ extra point was good, knotting the score at 31-31 with 9 minutes remaining in the game . On the following kickoff, senior Darnell Greene forced a fumble, which was recovered by Villanova’s Gary Johnson . Johnson took the ball 16 yards to the Furman 39 yard line . The Wildcats took advantage of their field position with Gordon completing four of his next five attempts . On first and goal, Gordon rolled out and found Chila in the back of the end zone, putting Villanova ahead for the first time since the first quarter . James’ extra point attempt put the Wildcats ahead 38-31 with 6:19 left to play . Napier then moved the Paladins 74 yards, completing four passes for 50 yards, setting up Torico O’Neal’s 16 yard touchdown run . Marshall split the uprights, tying the game at 38 . With 3:58 remaining, the Villanova offense took the field . Terry Butler’s 12 yard run gave Villanova a first down at their own 41 yard line . Villanova kept the chains moving when Gordon hit White cutting across the middle for a 30 yard completion . On the next play from scrimmage, Butler took the ball 24 yards up the middle, giving the Wildcats a first down at the Furman five yard line . Butler then gave Villanova the lead with a five yard touchdown run with 3:08 to go . Napier and the Paladins mounted a late rally, driving to the Villanova 29 yard line, however the Villanova defense held its ground and four passes to senior Bear Rinehart fell incomplete, sealing the Villanova victory . Leading the way offensively for the Wildcats was Gordon who finished 27 for 40 with 250 yards and three touchdowns . Gibson added two scores, while Butler, White and Chila all added one . Defensively, Young finished with 11 tackles, five of which were for a loss and one interception . FURMAN 10 14 7 7 38 VILLANOVA 7 7 7 24 45 Scoring Summary: VU - Cross 7 pass from Gordon (James kick), 12:15 . Fur - FG Marshall 38, 5:55 . Fur - Napier 5 run (Marshall kick), 4:39 . Fur - Napier 1 run (Marshall kick), 12:08 . Fur - Berry 3 run (Marshall kick), 8:25 . VU - Gibson 96 kickoff return (James kick), 8:06 . Fur - Brigham 4 run (Marshall kick), 10:10 . VU - Gibson 11 run (James kick), 4:50 . VU - FG James 30, 13:40 . VU - White 5 pass from Gordon (James kick), 9:01 . VU - Chila 8 pass from Gordon (James kick), 6:19 . Fur - O’Neal 16 run (Marshall kick), 4:06 . VU - T . Butler 5 run (James kick), 3:08 . 2002 NCAA QUARTERFINALS • I-AA PLAYOFFS Villanova Stadium, Villanova, Pa. • December 7, 2002 VILLANOVA 24, FORDHAM 10 On Saturday, Dec . 7, at Villanova Stadium, senior Brett Gordon completed 26-of-30 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns, leading Villanova to a 24-10 victory over Fordham in the Division I-AA playoff quarterfinals . With the win, the Wildcats improve to 11-3 overall on the year and advance to the semifinals of the I-AA playoffs for the first time in school history . Villanova got on the scoreboard first as Adam James kicked a 27-yard field goal with 8:32 remaining in the first quarter . With 2:58 remaining in the half and the Wildcats still clinging to a 3-0 advantage, Villanova used a little bit of offensive trickery to add to its lead . Gordon hit senior wideout Brian White who lateraled the ball to freshman Mo Gibson . Gibson scampered 25 yards off the hook and ladder for a Villanova touchdown to give the `Cats a 10-0 halftime lead . Fordham (10-3) struck first in the second half on a 31-yard field goal by Matt Fordyce to slice the Wildcats’ lead to 10-3 . Villanova followed with a 14-play, 66-yard scoring drive in a span of 6:39 on the next possession, as Butler took the ball in from four yards out to increase the margin to 17-3 . The Rams caught a break at the beginning of the fourth quarter as Chris Anzano blocked a James’ punt which Fordham’s Adam Foley recovered and returned to the Villanova one-yard line . Two plays later, Kirwin Watson rushed in from one yard out for a Ram touchdown to cut the lead to 17-10 . The Fordham defense was unable to stop a determined Wildcat offensive attack . Villanova ate up 6:20 of the clock with a 13-play-76yard drive resulting in a nine-yard touchdown pass from Gordon to Butler giving the `Cats a 24-10 lead with only 3:20 left in the game . The Rams were unable to capitalize down the stretch on a stingy Villanova defense, as the Wildcats went on for the 24-10 victory . Gordon, who played most of the game with an injured thumb on his throwing hand, finished the day 26-of-30 for 216 yards and two touchdowns . Senior wide receiver Shaz Brown (50 yard) and junior tight end Matt Chila (44 yards) each caught five passes in the contest . Villanova used an effective ground game in the win running for 129 yards . Butler rushed for 81 yards on 19 carries and had one score, in addition to catching three passes for 33 yards and one touchdown . On defense for the `Cats, Isaiah Harrison and Darnell Greene each posted seven tackles, while senior Jamison Young had six tackles, two tackles for a loss and one sack in his final career home game . Fordham, which was averaging 34 points per game going into the contest, managed only 193 total yards . Kevin Eakin went 16-for-32 for 115 yards and threw two interceptions . FORDHAM 0 0 3 7 10 VILLANOVA 3 7 7 7 24 Scoring Summary: VU - James, Adam 27 yd field goal, 11-49 6:28 VU - Gibson, Martin 25 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 9-73 3:08 FORDHAM - Fordyce, Matt 31 yd field goal, 11-66 3:44 VU - Butler, Terry 4 yd run (James, Adam kick), 14-66 6:39 FORDHAM - Watson, Kirwin 1 yd run (Fordyce, Matt kick), 2-1 0:38 VU - Butler, Terry 9 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 13-76 6:202019 FOOTBALL V I L L A NO V A . C OM 112 HISTORY PLAYOFF | BOWL HISTORY 2002 NCAA SEMIFINALS • I-AA PLAYOFFS Cowboy Stadium, Lake Charles, La. • December 14, 2002 McNEESE STATE 39, VILLANOVA 28 B .J . Sams scored two touchdowns as McNeese State rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to beat Villanova 39-28 Saturday and advance to the Division I-AA title game . Sams put the Cowboys up 26-21 in the fourth quarter when he caught a pass, broke three tackles and went 69 yards for the score . He also ran for a 5-yard TD in the third quarter . He finished with 47 yards rushing and caught three passes for 90 yards . Brett Gordon completed 24 of 49 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns for Villanova (11-4) despite playing with a broken thumb . It was the second straight week that top-seeded McNeese overcame a two- touchdown deficit in the second half . Last week, McNeese trailed Montana State 17-0 in the third quarter before coming back to win 24-20 . The Wildcats, making their first semifinal appearance, led 21-7 at halftime before McNeese scored 26 straight points . After Sams’ touchdown catch, Jermaine Martin scored on a 36-yard reverse to make it 33-21 . Villanova’s Phil DiGiacomo scored on a 6-yard run with 7:43 left to play to cut the Cowboys’ lead to 33-28, but Jacob Prim sealed the win for McNeese when he scored on a 14-yard run in the final seconds . Gordon threw first-half touchdown passes of 5 yards to Matt Chila and 14 yards to Shaz Brown . His 57-yarder to Noble Champen set up Terry Butler’s 1-yard run for a 21-7 Wildcat lead . McNeese’s only score in the first half came on Achil Fairchild’s 45-yard interception return . VILLANOVA 7 14 0 7 28 MCNEESE ST. 0 7 13 19 39 Scoring Summary: VU-Chila 3 pass from Gordon (James kick), 5:59 . MCN-Fairchild 45 interception return (Marino kick), 12:43 . VU-Brown 14 pass from Gordon (James kick), 8:44 . VU-Butler 1 run (James kick), :50 MCN-Sams 5 run (Marino kick), 10:19 . MCN-Robin 3 run (kick failed), 2:38 . MCN-Sams 69 pass from Pendarvis (pass failed), 14:00 . MCN-Martin 36 run (Marino kick), 10:47 . VU-DiGiacomo 6 run (James kick), 7:43 . MCN-Prim 14 run (kick failed), :14 . 2008 NCAA FIRST ROUND • FCS PLAYOFFS Villanova Stadium, Villanova, Pa. • November 29, 2008 VILLANOVA 55, COLGATE 28 Matt Szczur returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a score and added two more touchdowns as Villanova cruised to a 55-28 win over Colgate in the first round of the NCAA Division I Championship at Villanova Stadium . Villanova won its fifth straight game and picked up its first playoff victory since 2002, when it advanced to the semifinals before losing to McNeese State . Jordan Scott scored three touchdowns for Patriot League champion Colgate, which had its eight-game winning streak snapped . It was Colgate’s first loss since falling to Furman, 42-21, on Sept . 13 . Szczur gave the Wildcats a quick 6-0 lead 13 seconds into the game . Before Joe Marcoux’s PAT attempt missed wide right, the game was delayed nearly 15 minutes as Villanova safety Darrel Young was carted off the field in an ambulance with a neck sprain . He was taken to University of Pennsylvania Hospital, and after the game Villanova coach Andy Talley said all tests came back negative . Colgate eventually cut the lead to 13-7 when Scott scored on a 2-yard run with 1:22 left in the first quarter . The Wildcats responded with 28 unanswered points for a commanding 41-7 halftime advantage . Four Villanova players scored in the second quarter . Aaron Ball’s 8-yard touchdown run for Villanova came with 1:41 left for the final score of the first half . Ball also scored from 6 yards in the first . Szczur added a 4-yard run in the second and a 16-yard touchdown reception on a pass from Chris Whitney early in the third . COLGATE 7 0 7 14 28 VILLANOVA 13 28 14 0 55 Scoring Summary: VU: Matt Szczur 91 yd kickoff return (Joe Marcoux kick failed) 14:47 VU: Aaron Ball 6 yd run (Joe Marcoux kick) 9:26 COLGATE: Jordan Scott 2 yd run (Jacob Stein kick) 1:22 VU: Angelo Babbaro 5 yd run (Joe Marcoux kick) 13:48 VU: Matt Szczur 4 yd run (Joe Marcoux kick) 9:29 VU: Phil Atkinson 65 yd run (Joe Marcoux kick) 5:14 VU: Aaron Ball 8 yd run (Joe Marcoux kick) 1:41 VU: Matt Szczur 16 yd pass from Chris Whitney (Joe Marcoux kick) 10:09 COLGATE: Jordan Scott 1 yd run (Jacob Stein kick) 3:33 VU: Anthony Lucidonio 1 yd run (Joe Marcoux kick) 1:50 COLGATE: Jordan Scott 2 yd run (Jacob Stein kick) 13:00 COLGATE: Pat Simonds 12 yd pass from Greg Sullivan (Jacob Stein kick) (4:31) 2008 NCAA QUARTERFINALS • FCS PLAYOFFS Bridgeforth Stadium, Harrisonburg, Va. • December 6, 2008 JAMES MADISON 31, VILLANOVA 27 Rodney Landers threw for three touchdowns and ran for the go-ahead score with 1:38 to play Saturday as top-seeded James Madison rallied to beat Villanova 31-27 in the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals . Sophomore quarterback Chris Whitney was 13-for-20 for a career-high 213 yards for the Wildcats, and sophomore wide receiver Matt Szczur had a 2-yard touchdown run . The Dukes trailed only once, after Szczur’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Stephen Pimm out of the Wildcat formation with 6:54 left . But Landers drove James Madison 54 yards for the go-ahead touchdown and Marcus Haywood intercepted Whitney to end Villanova’s comeback hopes . The Wildcats finished 10-3, and the Dukes advanced to play Montana, the team they beat to win the 2004 national championship, next weekend . The game was a rematch of a regular-season contest won 23-19 by James Madison on Landers’ 35-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass on the final play . Landers was the hero again this time around, throwing for 157 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 143 more, including the winning touchdown . Whitney brought them within a score with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Brandyn Harvey with 13:51 to play, but a missed extra point left it at 24-20 . After Pimm’s touchdown, an excessive celebration penalty forced Villanova to kick off from its 15, and JMU returned the ensuing kickoff to its 46 . The Dukes converted a fourth-and-2, getting a 22-yard run by Griff Yancey, and a third-and-4 on the drive before Landers took it in . VILLANOVA 0 14 0 13 27 JAMES MADISON 7 7 10 7 31 Scoring Summary: JMU: Mike Cussin 6 yd pass from Rodney Landers (Dave Stannard kick) 2:31 JMU: Bosco Williams 26 yd pass from Rodney Landers) (Dave Stannard kick) 14:54 VU: Louis Adeyemi 1 yd run (Joe Marcoux kick 13:38 VU: Matt Szczur 2 yd run (Joe Marcoux kick) 0:37 JMU: Kerby Long 30 yd pass from Rodney Landers (Dave Stannard kick) 10:03 JMU: Dave Stannard 23 yd field goal 2:46 VU: Brandyn Harvey 26 yd pass from Chris Whitney (Joe Marcoux kick failed) 13:51 VU: Stephen Pimm 13 yd pass from Matt Szczur (Joe Marcoux kick) 6:54 JMU: Rodney Landers 1 yd run (Dave Stannard kick) 1:38 Darrel Young was a defensive standout for the 2008 Wildcats that defeated Colgate in the first round of the playoffs. 2019 FOOTBALL 113 V I L L A N O VA . CO M HISTORY PLAYOFF | BOWL HISTORY 2009 NCAA FIRST ROUND • FCS PLAYOFFS Villanova Stadium • Villanova, Pa. • November 28, 2009 VILLANOVA 38, HOLY CROSS 28 In the first round of the Division I Football Championship, No . 2 Seed Villanova defeated Holy Cross by a final score of 38-28 at Villanova Stadium to advance to the quarterfinal round for the second straight season . Villanova traded scoring drives with the Crusaders for most of the game, but two unanswered touchdowns by the Wildcats in the second quarter provided the team with a lead they never relinquished . Chris Whitney had a one-yard touchdown run with 8:58 left in the opening half and Angelo Babbaro ran in for a score from two yards out with 57 seconds remaining in the period . In the fourth quarter, a 25-yard field goal by Nick Yako accounted for the eventual final margin as Villanova went ahead, 38-28, following a 13-play drive which consumed more than six minutes of clock time . The Wildcats had three scoring drives in the contest that lasted 11 or more plays . Holy Cross had a final possession after the field goal by Yako but went just 28 yards on seven plays over 1:30 and turned the ball over on downs to Villanova with 5:43 to play . The Wildcats held possession the rest of the way to run out the clock on a blustery afternoon in which wind gusts of over 20 miles per hour affected balls in the air at several points . En route to the victory, Villanova ran up 537 yards of offense on 84 plays while holding the ball for more than 35 minutes in the game . The Crusaders, on the other hand, ran 65 plays and had the ball in the hands of their offense for just 24:18, including less than 11 minutes in the second half . Matt Szczur had a career-high 130 yards receiving on seven catches for the Wildcats, including a 45-yard reception in the third quarter that set up Villanova’s fifth touchdown of the day . Whitney completed 16-of-23 through the air for 239 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, while also running the ball 10 times for 62 yards and a touchdown . He threw a 29-yard scoring pass to redshirt freshman wide receiver Dorian Wells late in the first quarter . On the ground, Aaron Ball carried 23 times for 99 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats . He got the scoring started just 4:49 into the contest with a six-yard touchdown run that capped an 11-play drive on the first offensive series of the afternoon . Babbaro ran for 75 yards and Szczur registered 55 yards on the ground along the way to racking up 238 all-purpose yards . The Wildcat defense once again did an effective job of stopping the run, as Villanova rolled to a 298-46 edge in yards on the ground . Defensively, Terence Thomas had a team-best nine tackles . HOLY CROSS (9-3) 14 0 7 7 28 VILLANOVA (11-1) 14 14 7 3 38 Scoring Summary: Villanova - Aaron Ball 6 yd run (Nick Yako kick), 10:11 Holy Cross - Dominic Randolph 2 yd run (Rob Dornfried kick), 4:54 Villanova - Dorian Wells 29 yd pass from Chris Whitney, 2:49 Holy Cross - Alex Schneider 2 yd pass from Dominic Randolph (Rob Dornfried kick), :11 Villanova - Chris Whitney 1 yd run (Nick Yako kick), 8:58 Villanova - Angelo Babbaro 2 yd run (Nick Yako kick), :57 Holy Cross - Bill Edger 17 yd pass from Dominic Randolph (Rob Dornfried kick), 5:05 Villanova - Matt Szczur 5 yd run (Nick Yako kick), 2:13 Holy Cross - Alex Schneider 5 yd pass from Dominic Randolph (Rob Dornfried kick), 13:37 Villanova - Nick Yako 25 yd field goal, 7:18 2009 NCAA QUARTERFINALS • FCS PLAYOFFS Villanova Stadium • Villanova, Pa. • December 5, 2009 VILLANOVA 46, NEW HAMPSHIRE 7 On slippery, snow-covered turf at Villanova Stadium, No . 2 seed Villanova advanced to the semifinals of the Division I Football Championship with a 46-7 win over New Hampshire . A steady, wind-blown snow fell throughout the entire game on a day when the temperature never surpassed the 37 degrees at kickoff . The field condition created by the inclement weather manifested itself on the first offensive play of the game, as New Hampshire fumbled at its own 22-yard line and the ball was kicked around by players from both teams before Villanova’s John Dempsey corralled the ball and registered a four-yard fumble return for his first career touchdown . The rest of the first half featured more of the same for the Villanova defense . Out of seven possessions for New Hampshire in the first half, the Wildcats gained no more than nine yards on any of them and were held to negative yards four times . Villanova ran up a 24-0 lead by halftime while outgaining New Hampshire in total offense 235 yards to minus 33 in the first two quarters . In the second half, New Hampshire eventually got its passing game going but never got on track on the ground . The combination of the weather and the ability of the Villanova defense to stop the run limited the Wildcats to minus 66 rushing yards in the game . That figure broke the previous Villanova defensive record for fewest rushing yards allowed in a game . The old record was minus 22 and the FCS record is minus 90 . Nick Yako made a 32-yard field goal with 8:23 left in the first quarter and Angelo Babbaro recorded a 25-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the period to extend the score to 17-0 . The only points in the second quarter came on a one-yard quarterback sneak by Chris Whitney at the 10:28 mark of the period . Babbaro ran the ball 13 times for a career-high 148 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the day . He tallied his first career game with over 100 yards on the ground and Villanova surpassed 300 rushing yards for the fourth time this season . Babbaro added a 59-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and three different Villanova players carried the ball at least 12 times . Whitney generated 58 yards and the one score on 14 rushes while Aaron Ball amassed 46 yards on 12 carries . The Wildcats stretched their lead to 39-0 by the end of the third quarter thanks to a team safety, a 29-yard touchdown run by Matt Szczur and the second score of the game by Babbaro . The touchdown run by Szczur gave him nine consecutive games with a touchdown via either a rush, a reception or a pass . He finished the day with 40 yards on seven carries and two receptions for 46 yards . Whitney threw the ball just five times and was 3-of-5 for 44 yards, including a 29-yard throw to Szczur in the second quarter which was the only time in the game that Villanova looked downfield on an offensive play . Villanova finished the game with a 387-84 margin in total offense yards . The Wildcats held the ball for nearly 36 minutes of the game and didn’t allow New Hampshire to pick up positive offensive yardage for the game until late in the third quarter . NEW HAMPSHIRE (10-3) 0 0 0 7 7 VILLANOVA (12-1) 17 7 15 7 46 Scoring Summary: Villanova - John Dempsey 4 yd fumble recovery (Nick Yako kick), 14:45 Villanova - Nick Yako 32 yd field goal, 8:23 Villanova - Angelo Babbaro 25 yd run (Nick Yako kick), :25 Villanova - Chris Whitney 1 yd run (Nick Yako kick), 10:28 Villanova - TEAM safety, 11:49 Villanova - Matt Szczur 29 yd run (Marlon Calbi pass intercepted), 7:11 Villanova - Angelo Babbaro 59 yd run (Nick Yako kick), 4:24 New Hampshire - Mickey Mangieri 18 yd pass from Kevin Decker (Tom Manning kick), 14:25 Villanova - Antwon Young 1 yd run (Nick Yako kick), 4:022019 FOOTBALL V I L L A NO V A . C OM 114 HISTORY PLAYOFF | BOWL HISTORY 2009 NCAA SEMIFINALS • FCS PLAYOFFS Villanova Stadium • Villanova, Pa. • December 11, 2009 VILLANOVA 14, WILLIAM & MARY 13 Junior wide receiver Matt Szczur ignited the offense with a 62-yard touchdown run and executed a fake punt that eventually led to a one-yard quarterback sneak by Chris Whitney, as No . 2 seed Villanova advanced to the title game of the Division I Football Championship with a 14-13, come-from-behind victory over William & Mary at Villanova Stadium . The Wildcats scored touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to rally for the win, which set a new program record for single-season victories (13) . Villanova’s offense stagnated for much of the game against the nation’s top rushing defense, but Szczur changed that with a big run at the 9:03 mark of the third quarter for the Wildcats first points of the game . The score trimmed a 10-point deficit down to 10-7 and got the ball rolling for Villanova through the rest of the game . Whitney’s one-yard run at the 10:57 mark of the fourth quarter gave the Wildcats their first and only lead of the game . After a 40-yard field goal by Tribe kicker Brian Pate made the score 13-7 in favor of William & Mary at the 2:13 mark of the third period, the Wildcats started their next drive from the Tribe’s 48-yard line following a 31-yard kickoff return by Szczur . On 4th-and-8 from the 46-yard line near the end of the quarter, Szczur executed a fake punt for a nine-yard rush and a Villanova first down at the Tribe 37 . A review of the play by the instant replay booth confirmed Szczur’s spot . On the same drive early in the fourth quarter, senior wide receiver Brandyn Harvey caught a 16-yard pass on 3rd-and-7 from the William & Mary 22-yard line . He was initially ruled out of bounds at the six-yard line and the pass an incompletion, but the call was overturned based on an official review in the booth . A number of plays literally came down to inches or less in deciding the game . On 2nd-and-goal from the eight-yard line, junior running back Aaron Ball carried for seven yards just past the one-yard line . A third official review revealed that he had not gotten into the end zone . Whitney was then stuffed on 3rd-and-1 before sneaking in on the right side on fourth down for a 14-13 lead and the eventual game-winning touchdown . The Wildcats turned the game around with their backs up against the wall due to a 10-0 halftime deficit against a William & Mary team that entered the game giving up fewer than 12 points per game to its opponents . Villanova possessed the ball for just 9:14 in the first half and managed only 70 yards of total offense, including just 25 yards on the ground . In the second half, the Wildcats held the ball for 17:32, including nearly the entire fourth quarter (12:58) . Villanova wound up gaining 168 yards on the ground and had 267 yards of total offense . Szczur ran for 92 yards on eight carries and Whitney picked up 37 net yards (62 gained, 25 lost) on 17 rushes . Through the air, he was held to 7-of-20 accuracy for 98 yards . Harvey caught a team-high three passes for 65 yards on the night . Villanova received a big lift from Dominic Scarnecchia, who placed six of his eight punts inside the Tribe 20-yard line with his unusual rugby-style punting . Scarnecchia averaged 37 .6 yards on his eight punts . On the defensive end, Fred Maldonado and Terence Thomas had seven tackles each to lead four Wildcats with at least six total stops . In addition, John Dempsey had a 17-yard interception return . WILLIAM & MARY (11-3) 0 10 3 0 13 VILLANOVA (13-1) 0 0 7 7 14 Scoring Summary: William & Mary - Cameron Dohse 98 yd pass from R .J . Archer (Brian Pate kick), 10:45 William & Mary - Brian Pate 46 yd field goal, 0:00 Villanova - Matt Szczur 62 yd run (Nick Yako kick), 9:03 William & Mary - Brian Pate 40 yd field goal, 2:13 Villanova - Chris Whitney 1 yd run (Nick Yako kick), 10:57 2009 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP • FCS PLAYOFFS Finley Stadium • Chattanooga, Tenn. • December 18, 2009 VILLANOVA 23, MONTANA 21 Matt Szczur rushed for a career-high 159 yards and carried No . 2 seed Villanova to its first national championship in front of 14,328 at Finley Stadium . The Wildcats knocked off No . 1 seed and undefeated Montana to win a national title as head coach Andy Talley reached the pinnacle of college football in his 25th season on the Main Line . Szczur racked up 270 all-purpose yards en route to being named the championship game’s Most Outstanding Player . Villanova trailed 14-3 midway through the second quarter before putting the ball in the hands of Szczur and junior Chris Whitney . Szczur ran for a five-yard touchdown with 3:34 left before halftime and later accounted for the winning margin with a three-yard touchdown run at the 11:04 mark of the fourth period . Whitney finished with 102 yards on 16 carries while also completing 10-of-13 passes for 142 yards with one score and one interception . Along the way to winning the championship, the Wildcats totaled 493 yards of total offense . Early in the contest the team set a new single season record for total offense in a season, adding to records already established for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in a season . Whitney finishes the season with 987 rushing yards, more than double his own previous record for the most rushing yards in a season by a Villanova quarterback . The Wildcats held the ball for nearly 20 minutes after halftime after Montana had a narrow edge in controlling the ball in the first half . Whitney hit Chris Farmer for a three-yard score with 5:27 left in the third period to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game at 16-14 . Villanova had given up a lead just two times all season long and didn’t relinquish their advantage in the biggest game in the century-plus history of the program . A game of this magnitude was never going to end without a great charge by the Grizzlies in the waning moments . Montana quarterback Andrew Selle completed a 53-yard touchdown pass to Jabin Sambrano with 1:07 to play to pull the Grizzlies to within just two points . Montana was unable to convert an onside kick, however, as the attempt went out of bounds . The Wildcats were then able to run out the clock and finish off their championship run with their ninth consecutive victory . The game was a tale of two halves on the offensive end for the Grizzlies, who scored on a 24-yard touchdown reception by Marc Mariani at the 3:15 mark of the first quarter and then stretched the lead to double digits on a four-yard scoring reception by Sambrano with 6:48 to play in the second period . Mariani caught nine passes for 178 yards in the first half but did not catch a pass in the second half . Villanova scored first in the game on a 23-yard field goal by Nick Yako with 5:12 left in the opening period . Yako made six of his last seven field goal tries of the season and his lone attempt in this game gave the Wildcats a brief 3-0 lead before Montana roared back with 14 unanswered points . After Szczur recorded the first touchdown of the night for the Wildcats in the second quarter, Yako missed an extra point attempt wide left . It was the first and only miss of the season for Yako, who set individual and team single-season record in his first collegiate campaign for extra points (kicking) made and attempted . MONTANA (14-1) 7 7 0 7 21 VILLANOVA (14-1) 3 6 7 7 23 Scoring Summary: Villanova - Nick Yako 23 yd field goal, 5:12 Montana - Marc Mariani 24 yd pass from Andrew Selle (Brody McKnight kick), 3:15 Montana - Jabin Sambrano 4 yd pass from Andrew Selle (Brody McKnight kick), 6:48 Villanova - Matt Szczur 5 yd run (Nick Yako kick failed), 3:34 Villanova - Chris Farmer 3 yd pass from Chris Whitney (Nick Yako kick), 5:27 Villanova - Matt Szczur 3 yd run (Nick Yako kick), 11:04 Montana - Jabin Sambrano 53 yd pass from Andrew Selle (Brody McKnight kick), 1:07 Chris Whitney (17) and Matt Szczur (4) celebrate the 2009 National Championship2019 FOOTBALL 115 V I L L A N O VA . CO M HISTORY PLAYOFF | BOWL HISTORY 2010 NCAA SECOND ROUND • FCS PLAYOFFS Homer Bryce Stadium • Nacogdoches, Texas • December 4, 2010 NO. 10 VILLANOVA 54, NO. 3 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 24 In the second round of the Division I Football Championship, No . 10 Villanova dominated the final three quarters of the game and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 54-24 victory over No . 3 Stephen F . Austin at Homer Bryce Stadium in a remarkable come-from-behind effort . A 14-point deficit after the opening quarter was quickly shaken off by the defending national champions, as the Wildcats scored 47 of the game’s final 50 points . Senior quarterback Chris Whitney threw for a career-high four touchdowns, junior wide receiver Norman White caught a career-high three touchdown passes and Villanova turned the game around with a huge second quarter in their first-ever playoff win in a true road game . The Wildcats trailed 21-7 at the end of the first quarter but rallied back to go into halftime with a 34-24 advantage before completely shutting down the Lumberjacks in the second half . Villanova settled in offensively and fired on all cylinders with senior wide receiver Matt Szczur playing at full strength for the first time since late September and also came up with one big defensive play after another, forcing Stephen F . Austin into an uncharacteristic six turnovers . Senior linebacker Marquis Kirkland had both an interception and a fumble recovery while also making eight tackles to epitomize the play of the entire defense for the larger portion of the game . The second quarter started with the Wildcats continuing a drive from the opening period but Villanova was forced to punt from their own 23-yard line . Junior Dominic Scarnecchia drilled a 47-yard punt, the Lumberjacks fumbled the return and freshman Craig James recovered the ball at Stephen F . Austin’s 29-yard line . The ensuing Wildcats possession culminated with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Whitney to White which pulled Villanova back to within one possession at 21-14 with 10:59 left in the second quarter . A field goal by the Lumberjacks at the 7:46 mark of the period restored a double digit lead at 24-14 but then the Wildcats surge really kicked into full gear . Sophomore kicker Mark Hamilton kicked a 37-yard field goal to give Villanova reason for optimism on special teams and the Wildcats never looked back . Senior defensive back John Dempsey intercepted a pass to give Villanova great field position inside the red zone and the team eventually turned a fourth-and-9 situation from the 17-yard line into a game-tying touchdown on a pass from junior Marlon Calbi to White via a faked field goal attempt . Next, the Wildcats worked just as efficiently as their opponents had earlier in the game to score 10 points in the final 34 seconds before the intermission . Whitney hit sophomore wide receiver Mikey Reynolds for a four-yard touchdown strike with 34 seconds left and Hamilton kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired to send Villanova into the locker room with a double-digit lead thanks to a 24-point second quarter turnaround . Whitney was 21-of-30 through the air for 222 yards and also ran the ball 13 times for 49 yards as the Wildcats eclipsed 200 yard passing and rushing in the same game for the second time this season . White had six receptions for 69 yards and the three scores, although just as crucial to the team’s offense was having Szczur back in top form . In his second game back after missing the previous seven contests, Szczur caught a career-high 11 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown while also running the ball nine times for 68 yards . Senior running backs Aaron Ball and Angelo Babbaro added 63 yards and 47 yards rushing, respectively VILLANOVA 7 27 3 17 54 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 21 3 0 0 24 Scoring Summary: Stephen F . Austin - Keith Lawson 1 yd run (Thomas Henshaw kick), 2:15 Villanova - Norman White 16 yd pass from Chris Whitney (Mark Hamilton kick), 4:41 Stephen F . Austin - Keith Lawson 1 yd run (Thomas Henshaw kick), 2:41 Stephen F . Austin - Keith Lawson 1 yd run (Thomas Henshaw kick), 0:49 Villanova - Norman White 11 yd pass from Chris Whitney (Mark Hamilton kick), 2:17 Stephen F . Austin - Thomas Henshaw 35 yd field goal, 3:00 Villanova - Mark Hamilton 37 yd field goal, 2:51 Villanova - Norman White 17 yd pass from Marlon Calbi (Mark Hamilton kick), 2:08 Villanova - Mikey Reynolds 4 yd pass from Chris Whitney (Mark Hamilton kick), 0:47 Villanova - Mark Hamilton 38 yd field goal, 0:27 Villanova - Mark Hamilton 30 yd field goal, 3:27 Villanova - Matt Szczur 51 yd pass from Chris Whitney (Mark Hamilton kick), 4:25 Villanova - Mark Hamilton 27 yd field goal, 3:40 Villanova - Brennan Erbeznik 0 yd fumble recovery (Mark Hamilton kick), 1:49 2010 NCAA QUARTERFINALS • FCS PLAYOFFS Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, N.C. • December 11, 2010 NO. 10 VILLANOVA 42, NO. 2 APPALACHIAN STATE 24 Senior wide receiver Matt Szczur had a career-high four touchdowns and threw for another score to lead Villanova into the semifinals of the Division I Football Championship with a 42-24 victory at No . 1 seed Appalachian State at Kidd Brewer Stadium . The defending national champion Wildcats won on the road for the second straight week to reach the semifinals for the second year in a row and third time in program history . For the first time in his career, Szczur registered touchdowns by way of rushing, receiving and passing in the same game . He did all that in the first half alone as Villanova built a 28-10 lead by halftime before staving off numerous attempts by the Mountaineers to start a rally in the second half . This was the 32nd consecutive game since 2003 in which the Wildcats have defended a double-digit halftime lead en route to a victory . Appalachian State twice cut its deficit to 11 points in the second half but both times Villanova answered with touchdowns of its own – on runs from Szczur and senior quarter back Chris Whitney – to maintain control of the game . The game started with the Mountaineers needing just four plays to score on their first possession and take a 7-0 lead on a 46-yard run by Travaris Cadet just 1:12 into the contest . It was the type of quick strike Appalachian State wanted to make over and over and was a similar start to the one Villanova endured in the second round last week, when the Lumberjacks of Stephen F . Austin scored first and eventually led by 14 points in the first quarter . No uphill climb was necessary for the Wildcats this time, as Szczur scored on a two-yard run with 8:18 left in the first quarter to tie the game at 7-7 . Later in the first quarter, Mountaineers wide receiver Devon Moore caught a pass near the sideline and broke away for a 74-yard play before being taken down at the five-yard line . Villanova reversed the momentum of that play, however, by holding Appalachian State to a field goal which put the hosts up 10-7 . Then it was off to the races . Szczur threw a 54-yard pass to junior wide receiver Norman White, who made a running one-handed catch on his way into the end zone for the Wildcats first lead of the game, 14-10 with 21 seconds left in the first quarter . Next up was a 30-yard touchdown pass from Whitney to Szczur, followed by a 24-yard run from Szczur which stretched the Villanova advantage to 28-10 with 5:17 remaining before halftime . Those two scores were business as usual for the Wildcats, who have scored almost 40 percent of their points this season in the second quarter and have a 152- 58 scoring margin in the second period of games for the year . Szczur wound up running for 105 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries, caught a team-high five passes for 45 yards and a score and went 2-of-2 through the air for 58 yards and a touchdown . He had 207 all-purpose yards and this was the second time in his career that he found three different ways to score a touchdown in the same game; the other was in the first round of the playoffs in 2008 and included touchdowns via a rush, pass and kick return . Villanova had possession of the ball for nearly 33 minutes in the game, with more than 28 minutes of that time coming in the first three periods . Whitney was an efficient 12-of-16 for 106 yards and a touchdown, with White making four catches for a team-high 88 yards and a score . VILLANOVA 14 14 0 14 42 APPALACHIAN ST. 10 0 7 7 24 Scoring Summary: Appalachian State - Travaris Cadet 46 yd run (Jason Vitaris kick), 1:12 Villanova - Matt Szczur 2 yd run (Mark Hamilton kick), 5:24, Appalachian State - Jason Vitaris 19 yd field goal, 3:04, Villanova - Norman White 54 yd pass from Matt Szczur (Mark Hamilton kick), 1:45 Villanova - Matt Szczur 30 yd pass from Chris Whitney (Mark Hamilton kick), 2:26 Villanova - Matt Szczur 24 yd run (Mark Hamilton kick), 3:30 Appalachian State - Ben Jorden 14 yd pass from DeAndre Presley (Jason Vitaris kick), 1:48 Villanova - Matt Szczur 1 yd run (Mark Hamilton kick), 5:22 Appalachian State - Brian Quick 38 yd pass from DeAndre Presley (Jason Vitaris kick), 2:39 Villanova - Chris Whitney 5 yd run (Mark Hamilton kick), 0:372019 FOOTBALL V I L L A NO V A . C OM 116 HISTORY PLAYOFF | BOWL HISTORY 2010 NCAA SEMIFINALS • FCS PLAYOFFS Roos Field • Cheney, Wash. • December 17, 2010 NO. 1 EASTERN WASHINGTON 41, NO. 10 VILLANOVA 31 Bo Levi Mitchell threw four touchdown passes as Eastern Washington beat Villanova 41-31 in the semifinals of the FCS playoffs . Villanova, the defending national champions, lost four fumbles, each leading to EWU scores . Mitchell, who transferred to Eastern this season after losing the starting job at SMU, completed 27 of 38 passes for 292 yards and was not intercepted . Brandon Kaufman caught eight passes for 135 yards . The Eagles were without leading rusher Taiwan Jones, who gained 1,742 yards before suffering a broken foot against North Dakota State last weekend . Freshman Mario Brown ran for 104 yards . Villanova was held to 230 yards of offense and committed six turnovers . Quarterback Chris Whitney completed just 12 of 21 passes for 95 yards and was intercepted twice . Villanova’s Angelo Babbaro returned the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead . But Mitchell hit Nicholas Edwards for a 31-yard touchdown pass on EWU’s ensuing possession to tie the game . Villanova then fumbled the ball away three times on its next four possessions, after losing only 11 fumbles all season, to enable Eastern to take a 20-7 lead . Whitney fumbled on the Wildcats’ first play from scrimmage, and Eastern’s Paul Ena recovered . The Eagles drove to the 6 before Mike Jarrett kicked a 24-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead . Villanova fumbled on its next series, the second fumble in only five plays from scrimmage, and Ena recovered again . Jarrett’s 31-yard field goal gave Eastern a 13-7 lead . Matt Szczur fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and EWU’s Matt Johnson recovered . Mitchell passed 6 yards to Edwards for a 20-7 lead with 11:14 left in the half . Szczur powered over from the 1 to cut EWU’s lead to 20-14, which was the halftime score . Villanova recovered a fumble at the EWU 33, and Mark Hamilton’s 35-yard field goal cut Eastern’s lead to 20-17 with 7:10 left in the third quarter . Mitchell fired a short pass to Kaufman, who outran defenders down the right sideline for a 76-yard touchdown pass and a 27-17 EWU lead . Whitney scored from the 1 to bring the Wildcats within 27-24 at the end of the third quarter . A fumble cost the Wildcats again when Babbaro was stripped of the ball deep in Villanova territory, and Tyler Washburn caught it and ran 15 yards into the end zone for a 34-24 Eastern lead with 13:56 left . Eastern’s Alante Wright fumbled a punt return, and Babbaro recovered at the Eagles’ 14 . Whitney ran it in from the 2 to bring Villanova within 34-31 with 7:08 left . VILLANOVA 7 7 10 7 31 EASTERN WASH. 13 7 7 14 41 Scoring Summary: Villanova - Angelo Babbaro 86 yd kickoff return (Mark Hamilton kick), 14:49 Eastern Washington - Nicholas Edwards 31 yd pass from Bo Mitchell (Mike Jarrett kick), 2:15 Eastern Washington - Mike Jarrett 24 yd field goal, 4:59 Eastern Washington - Mike Jarrett 31 yd field goal, 3:19, Eastern Washington - Nicholas Edwards 6 yd pass from Bo Mitchell (Mike Jarrett kick), 3:31 Villanova - Matt Szczur 1 yd run (Mark Hamilton kick), 6:02 Villanova - Mark Hamilton 35 yd field goal, 2:30 Eastern Washington - Brandon Kaufman 76 yd pass from Bo Mitchell (Mike Jarrett kick), 0:42 Villanova - Chris Whitney 1 yd run (Mark Hamilton kick), 2:04 Eastern Washington - Tyler Washburn 15 yd fumble recovery (Mike Jarrett kick) Villanova - Chris Whitney 2 yd run (Mark Hamilton kick), 0:57, Eastern Washington - Greg Herd 23 yd pass from Bo Mitchell (Mike Jarrett kick), 6:04 2012 NCAA FIRST ROUND • FCS PLAYOFFS Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium • Stony Brook, N.Y. • November 24, 2012 STONY BROOK 20, VILLANOVA 10 In the first round of the Division I Football Championship host and 10th-ranked Stony Brook set the tone with long drives in the first half and defeated No . 14 Villanova by a final score of 20-10 at Kenneth P . LaValle Stadium . The loss concluded a terrific season for the Wildcats, who reached the FCS playoffs for the fourth time in five years . One of the nation’s best running teams was in top form as the Seawolves ran for 263 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 14-0 lead into halftime . The first points of the game came on the first Stony Brook possession, a marathon 21-play drive for 98 yards that consumed nearly 13 minutes of clock time and spanned the first two periods . Midway through the fourth quarter a 21-yard run for a touchdown by Villanova redshirt freshman quarterback John Robertson pulled the Wildcats to within 20-10 but that was as close as Villanova could get in the closing minutes . One of the big stories in the game was time of possession and the Seawolves held the ball for more than 39 minutes . The outcome of the game won’t diminish the success of the Wildcats season . Villanova bounced back from a 2-9 campaign in 2011 in a big way, winning eight games for the 19th time in team history while reaching the FCS playoffs for the 10th time . Even with a losing record last season the Wildcats senior class still sported a sterling four-year mark of 33-19 ( .632), a mark which included a national championship in 2009 and a semifinal berth in the playoffs in 2010 in addition to this year’s return trip to the postseason . Villanova made a name for itself with its running game this season but was held to 136 rushing yards by Stony Brook, only the second this season the Wildcats have been limited to less than 150 yards on the ground . Robertson accounted for 220 of the 271 yards of total offense that Villanova had and ran for a team-high 85 yards and the one touchdown on 15 carries . He was also 15-of-31 through the air for 135 yards and a pair of interceptions . With his 21-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter Robertson also surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season . He became the first quarterback in Wildcats history to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a single season and only the fifth Villanova player overall to achieve the feat . He surpassed the previous single-season rushing record for a team quarterback of 987 yards which Chris Whitney set during the 2009 national championship season . The first Wildcats points in the game came on a 41-yard field goal by junior kicker Mark Hamilton with 7:59 to play in the third quarter . Villanova trailed 14-3 at that point and the Seawolves stretched that margin to 20-3 on field goals by Wesley Skiffington of 37 yards and 29 yards, respectively . His two field goals came less than four minutes apart late in the third quarter and early in the fourth period and put the game all but out of reach . Senior wide receiver Norman White had a game-high seven catches for 61 yards, while junior Joe Price and sophomore Poppy Livers had three catches apiece . Villanova received the ball to open the game but only went 39 yards on eight plays before Hamilton punted the ball back to Stony Brook . His 54-yard punt was downed at the Seawolves two-yard line with exactly 12 minutes to play in the first quarter . The drive that ensued created a tone that held for the rest of the game . Led by running backs Miguel Maysonet and Marcus Coker the Seawolves methodically moved down the field . By the time Coker scored on a one- yard scamper 43 seconds into the second period Stony Brook had amassed 82 rushing yards on their first drive of the contest . Maysonet also scored on a 14-yard run with 3:13 to go before halftime and finished the day with 25 carries for 160 yards . Coker also went over the century mark and ran 29 times for 107 yards . Stony Brook passed the ball on just six of its 64 offensive plays . This season marked the second time in the last four years that the Wildcats have claimed at least a share of the CAA Football regular season title . Villanova won the league’s automatic bid to the Division I Football Championship and won a conference title for the sixth time in its history . VILLANOVA 0 0 3 7 10 STONY BROOK 0 14 3 3 20 Scoring Summary: 2nd: 14:17 Stony Brook - Miguel Maysonet 1 yd run (Wesley Skiffington kick), 21-98 12:43, Stony Brook 7 - Villanova 0 3:13 Stony Brook - Miguel Maysonet 14 yd run (Wesley Skiffington kick), 4-85 1:54, Stony Brook 14 - Villanova 0 3rd: 7:59 Villanova - Mark Hamilton 41 yd field goal, 6-33 2:18, Stony Brook 14 - Villanova 3 2:23 Stony Brook - Wesley Skiffington 37 yd field goal, 9-58 5:30, Stony Brook 17 - Villanova 3 4th: 13:33 Stony Brook - Wesley Skiffington 29 yd field goal, 7-13 3:50, Stony Brook 20 - Villanova 3 6:57 Villanova - John Robertson 21 yd run (Mark Hamilton kick), 10-72 3:34, Stony Brook 20 - Villanova 102019 FOOTBALL 117 V I L L A N O VA . CO M HISTORY PLAYOFF | BOWL HISTORY 2014 NCAA SECOND ROUND • FCS PLAYOFFS Villanova Stadium • Villanova, Pa. • December 6, 2014 No. 5 Villanova 29, No. 20 Liberty 22 It may not have looked pretty or felt comfortable, but the end result felt remarkably familiar as No . 5 Villanova scored 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and rallied past No . 20 Liberty for a 29-22 victory in the second round of the Division I Football Championship at Villanova Stadium . Amidst heavy rain and winds, the narrow separation between the Wildcats and the Flames came on a one-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback John Robertson on the final Villanova possession of the game . It took rallies from deficits of 13-0 in the second quarter and 22-14 in the final period for the Wildcats to advance with a win . Robertson threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Kevin Gulyas with 13:17 remaining in the contest and then withstood numerous tackles to find the end zone for a two point conversion which tied the score at 22-22 . His go-ahead touchdown with 1:12 left capped an impressive 18-yard drive which consumed 7:11 of clock time . The game-winning drive was for 84 yards and Villanova ran the ball on every single play of the drive . Robertson became the Wildcats record holder for career yards of total offense during the game finished the contest with a career total of 10,273 yards . He had 317 total yards versus the Flames, including 217 passing yards and two touchdowns to go along with 100 yards and two scores on the ground . Another school record fell during the game, as Robertson and Gulyas connected on the longest pass play in school history . Villanova had second down and 18 yards to go from its own eight-yard line in the second quarter when Robertson went deep to Gulyas for what turned into an 87-yard completion . Gulyas tallied just two catches in the game, but he accounted for 157 yards and a touchdown on those two receptions . This is the 24th time in school history that a Wildcats receiver has had at least 150 yards in a game . Liberty raced out of the gates and opened the scoring less than three minutes into the contest . Junior quarterback Josh Woodrum scored on a one-yard run with 12:11 remaining in the opening period to make the score 7-0, while field goals of 50 yards and 23 yards by Flames junior kicker John Lunsford eventually stretched the margin to 13-0 with 9:20 left in the second quarter . The run by Woodrum wound up being the only offensive touchdown Liberty scored in the game, but three field goals by Lunsford and a 58-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown on one of four Villanova turnovers was enough to keep the Flames in front for most of the night . Robertson scampered into the end zone from three yards out two plays after his 87-yard completion to Gulyas and the Wildcats pulled to within 13-7 with 7:29 left before halftime . Liberty fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the ball was recovered by Villanova at the Flames 16-yard line . The fumble was forced by freshman defensive back Rasaan Stewart and, four plays later, senior running back Austin Medley scored from one yard out to give the Wildcats a 14-13 lead . Later in the second quarter, Liberty linebacker Nick Newman recovered a fumble and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown to restore the Flames lead at 19-14 . Lunsford kicked a 21-yard field goal with 5:22 remaining in the third quarter to stretch the lead to 22-14 . A nine-yard pass from Woodrum to D .J . Abnar on third down brought Liberty to the Wildcats eight-yard line for first-and-goal, but Villanova withstood three straight plays to force a field goal and keep the game within one possession . Robertson was only 8-of-19 through the air but his two big plays helped him finish with 217 passing yards and a touchdown for the night . He also registered his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season and the 15th of his career . Robertson and senior running back Kevin Monangai each ran for 100 yards in the contest . LIBERTY 10 9 3 0 22 VILLANOVA 0 14 0 15 29 Scoring Summary: 1st 12:11 Liberty - Josh Woodrum 1 yd run (John Lunsford kick), 5-27 2:49, Liberty 7 - Villanova 0 5:07 Liberty - John Lunsford 50 yd field goal, 11-24 5:07, Liberty 10 - Villanova 0 2nd 9:20 Liberty - John Lunsford 23 yd field goal, 6-50 2:25, Liberty 13 - Villanova 0 7:29 Villanova - John Robertson 3 yd run (Chris Gouch kick), 4-84 1:56, Liberty 13 - Villanova 7 5:24 Villanova - Austin Medley 1 yd run (Chris Gough kick), 4-16 1:59, Villanova 14 - Liberty 13 1:31 Liberty - Nick Newman 58 yd fumble recovery (Josh Woodrum pass failed), Liberty 19 - Villanova 14 3rd 5:22 Liberty - John Lunsford 21 yd field goal, 13-41 6:48, Liberty 22 - Villanova 14 4th 13:17 Villanova - Kevin Gulyas 70 yd pass from John Robertson (John Robertson rush), 3-80 0:41, Villanova 22 - Liberty 22 1:12 Villanova - John Robertson 1 yd run (Chris Gough kick), 18-84 7:11, Villanova 29 - Liberty 22 2014 NCAA QUARTERFINALS • FCS PLAYOFFS Villanova Stadium • Villanova, Pa. • December 13, 2014 No. 19 Sam Houston State 34, No. 5 Villanova 31 A back-and-forth affair came down to the final play of the game and No . 6 seed Villanova (11-3) was ousted from the Division I Football Championship in a quarterfinal loss to Sam Houston State (11-4) at Villanova Stadium . A touchdown by the Bearkats with 4:03 remaining lifted Sam Houston State to a 34-31 victory . The two teams combined for 968 yards of offense without committing a single turnover in a well-played game by both sides . There were a total of four lead changes in the contest, including two in the final 7:15 of the game . Villanova senior quarterback Chris Polony scored on a one-yard touchdown run with 7:15 to play which put the Wildcats in front by a 31-27 margin . The visiting Bearkats countered with Jalen Overstreet’s one-yard scamper for a score with 4:03 to play and a 51-yard field goal attempt by Villanova was wide left with 32 seconds left . Polony made his first start under center since the 2012 season opener filling in for junior quarterback John Robertson, who missed the game with a concussion . Polony was outstanding in the best single-game effort of his career . He established career highs for both passing and rushing yards while surpassing 300 yards of total offense for the first time in 23 career appearances . Senior running back Kevin Monangai rushed for 166 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries to help the Wildcats finish with 286 yards on the ground . He notched his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season and the 13th of his career . Eight different receivers caught at least one pass for Villanova, with senior wideout Poppy Livers leading the way . Livers caught four passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, with his 54-yard reception for a score in the first quarter providing the Wildcats first points of the game . Sam Houston State led 7-0 at the 11:21 mark of the first quarter when LaDarius Brown caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Jared Johnson less than four minutes into the contest . After the touchdown by Livers with 9:31 remaining in the opening period, the Wildcats missed the point-after attempt and trailed 7-6 . Polony scored on a 36-yard run in the final minute of the first quarter to give Villanova a 13-7 lead, while the Bearkats went back on top (14-13) with 9:54 to play in the second quarter on a four-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Gerald Thomas . Sam Houston State added a 32-yard field goal with 29 seconds to play before halftime to extend its lead to 17-13, but the Wildcats responded with a 46-yard field goal by senior Chris Gough as time expired to go into the locker rooms trailing by just one point . On the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Johnson threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to Brown to stretch the margin to 24-16 . Later in the period, Monangai broke away for a 58-yard touchdown run . Polony then found junior wide receiver Kevin Gulyas in the back of the end zone for a two-point conversion which knotted the score at 24-24 with 9:36 remaining in the third period . Luc Swimberghe kicked a 30-yard field goal with 10:54 left to put the Bearkats back on top, 27-24, and set up the seesaw touchdown drives for each team later in the period . Junior linebacker Don Cherry led the Wildcats defense with 16 tackles . He tied a career high set earlier this season with that total and finished the year with 134 tackles, which ranks as the fifth-most in a single season since Villanova restored football in 1985 . Senior safety Jerry Miles also reached double figures and had a career-high 10 tackles, including a tackle for loss . Cherry and senior linebacker Joey Harmon each had two tackles for loss in the game and Cherry finished the season with 21 .5 tackles for loss . SAM HOUSTON ST. 7 10 7 10 34 VILLANOVA 13 3 8 7 31 Scoring Summary: 1st 11:21 Sam Houston State - LaDarius Brown 2 yd pass from Jared Johnson (Luc Swimberghe kick), 5-17 2:13, Sam Houston State 7 - Villanova 0 9:21 Villanova - Poppy Livers 54 ys pass from Chris Polony (Chris Gough kick failed), 6-90 1:43, Sam Houston State 7 - Villanova 6 0:23 Villanova - Chris Polony 36 yd run (Chris Gough kick), 13-99 6:38 Villanova 13 - Sam Houston State 7 2nd 9:54 Sam Houston State - Gerald Thomas 4 yd pass from Jared Johnson (Luc Swimberghe kick), 12-80 5:24, Sam Houston State 14 - Villanova 13 0:29 Sam Houston State - Luc Swimberghe 46 yd field goal, 10-54 3:01, Sam Houston State 17 - Villanova 13 0:00 Villanova - Chris Gough 46 yd field goal, 4-36 0:24 Sam Houston State 17 - Villanova 16 3rd 14:42 Sam Houston State - LaDarius Brown 66 yd pass from Jared Johnson, (Luc Swimberghe kick), 1-66 0:11, Sam Houston State 24 - Villanova 16 9:36 Villanova - Kevin Monangai 58 yd run (Kevin Gulayas pass from Chris Polony), 1-58 0:10, Sam Houston State 24 - Villanova 24 4th 10:54 Sam Houston State - Luc Swimberghe 30 yd field goal, 8-39 2:38, Sam Houston State 27 - Villanova 24 7:15 Villanova - Chris Polony 1 yd run (Chris Gough kick), 9-67 3:34, Villanova 31 - Sam Houston State 27 4:03 Sam Houston State - Jal Overstreet 1 yd run (Luc Swimberge kick,) 10-75 3:12, Sam Houston State 34 - Villanova 31Next >