Schetelich, ’Nova end season on a high (volume) note
RADNOR » Bedlam reigned after Villanova’s shocking 28-7 destruction of Delaware Saturday afternoon.
Players and coaches whooped it up in one giant mosh pit as Mark Ferrante was handed the Battle of the Blue trophy for the first time in his tenure as the head coach.
This celebration, though, wasn’t just about beating Delaware for the sixth year in a row and the 10th time since the inception of the Battle of the Blue trophy in 2007. It was relief.
The Wildcats (5-6 overall, 3-5 CAA) turned in their most complete performance in more than a month to snap a four-game losing streak and end a disappointing season on a high note. All it took was a little energy. “It’s amazing what you can do with a little more emotion, passion, love for each other, which (the seniors) expressed when they talked to the team,” Ferrante said. “I’m real proud of how they performed today.”
The offense turned in its best performance since a 31-0 romp over Maine at home on Oct. 7, while the defense was its usual stout self. Quarterback Jack Schetelich threw two touchdown passes, both to Taurus Phillips, and ran for another as the Wildcats scored as many points against the Blue Hens as they had in their previous four games combined. The three TDs were the first Villanova scored in November.
The running game, which has been absent for more than a month, gave the offense the kick start it needed. The Wildcats ran for 261 yards and amassed 322 yards of total offense. It was only the third time Villanova rushed for more than 200 yards in a game this season and the first time since a 59-0 victory over Lafayette Sept. 16. That’s also the last time Villanova amassed more than 300 yards.
Junior Aaron Forbes and redshirt freshman Justin Covington did most of that work. Forbes ran for 140 yards on just 13 carries, Villanova’s first 100-yard rusher since Matt Gudzak gained 142 yards in the opener against Lehigh. Covington added 62 yards on 12 attempts.
“I think our young guys knew that this was the last hoorah for our seniors so they knew that they had to give it their all,” Forbes said. “Sometimes when you’re younger, you don’t realize that you have to bring that emotion every single game. It was definitely a wakeup call and we needed to get this win for our seniors as well as being the last game of the season. So there was definitely a different feeling out there today.”
That vibe was felt on the defensive side, too. Linebacker Jeff Steeb racked up 13 tackles and returned an interception 38 yards for his second pick-six of the season. Linebacker Ed Shockley was in on 10 stops to become the first Villanova player with 100 tackles in a season since AllAmerican Don Cherry in 2014.
Delaware’s only score, an 11-yard pass from J.D. Caruso to Jamie Jarmon, came with 59 seconds to play in the game. The Blue Hens had 126 of their 215 passes yards and 167 of their 336 yards of total offense in the fourth quarter. Villanova’s defense also foiled a fake field goal attempt with one second to go in the second quarter to keep the Blue Hens off the board.
“Villanova may have played one of its best games of the season,” Delaware coach Danny Rocco said. “Give them credit. They beat us to the punch in most phases of the game today.”
And the Wildcats did so from the start to end any hopes the Blue Hens (7-4, 5-3) had of earning an at-large berth to the FCS playoffs.
After the defense got the first of three three-and-outs, Schetelich fired a nine-yard TD pass to Phillips to cap an eight-play, 87-yard drive. Three plays later, linebacker Jeff Steeb stepped in front of a Caruso pass and took it to the end zone to give the Wildcats a 14-0 lead they would not relinquish.
Phillips added a 37-yard TD reception in the third quarter and Schetelich closed out the scoring on a one-yard run a little over two minutes later.
“There was so much emotion on the sideline,” Phillips said. “You saw players swaying side to side on the sideline. It was a completely different atmosphere than any other game.”
As the clock expired, let it all hang out.
“We didn’t change our plays,” Ferrante said. “We didn’t change our defensive calls. We just played for each other.” the Wildcats