Another heartbreaking road loss for Villanova
ORONO, MAINE >> It was another heartbreaking loss for 19th-ranked Villanova. And it was a local player who did the Wildcats in.
Kenny Doak, a sophomore from Central Bucks West, kicked a career-long
52-yard field goal on the final play of the game to lift No. 25 Maine to a 13-10 victory over the Wildcats Saturday, lifting Maine to a 1310 win over Villanova on Saturday.
It was Villanova’s second straight loss by three points or less. The Wildcats (3-3 overall, 0-3 CAA) dropped a 29-27 decision to Stony Brook last week. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Wildcats at Alfond Stadium.
Third down conversions have been problem for the Wildcats all season and proved costly once again. Villanova’s inability to convert a third-and-11 led to a punt with 1:39 to play in the game.
Maine took over at its
17-yard line and converted and running back Joe Fitzpatrick kept the drive alive when he ran for 10 yards on third-and-one from the Maine 26-yard line. Quarterback Isaiah Robinson threw passes of 20 and eight yards to Jaquan Blair and Micah Wright to get the Black Bears (3-2, 2-0) to the Villanova 36-yard line. After a timeout, Fitzgerald picked up a yard before another timeout was called and Doak was brought into the game.
He winning kick beat his previous best by 14 yards.
Villanova could not do much against Maine’s defense. The Black Bears held the 88 yards rushing and 181 yard in total offense. Quarterback Jack Schetelich, who filled in for injured starter Zach Bednarczyk, completed 12 of
25 passes for 93 yards and two interceptions.
Running back Aaron Forbes scored Villanova’s only touchdown on a two-yard run with 2:07 to play in the third quarter to tie the game at 13. Drew Kresge hit a 35-yard field goal in the first quarter to give the Wildcats a
3-0 lead.
The schedule does not get any easier for the Wildcats. Villanova hosts No. 2 James Madison Saturday. TEMPLE 49, EAST CAROLINA 6 >> Anthony Russo came up big again as the Owls rolled to their fifth straight victory over the Pirates.
Russo, a freshman making his fourth start, was
21-of-25 passing for 254 yards and four touchdowns to get the Owls (33, 2-0 American) back on the winning track. Russo was intercepted once, and threw a 24-yard TD pass to Sean Ryan and a
7-yarder to Branden Mack for a 14-0 first-quarter lead.
Isaiah Wright’s 59-yard punt return down the left sideline made it 28-0 in the second quarter and extended the Owls’ streak of scoring a non-offensive touchdown in all six of their games this season. He caught a 19-yard TD pass for a 35-3 halftime lead.
Russo’s fourth scoring pass was a 31-yarder on a one-handed catch by Randle Jones in the third quarter.
The Owls outgained the Pirates (2-3, 0-2), 470-193 and held ECU to 3.1 yards per catch and 2.7 per carry. PENN 31, SACRED HEART 27 >> Ryan Glover hit Christian Pearson on a late touchdown pass as Penn rallied to beat the Pioneers.
Glover was perfect in the first half, completing all eight of his pass attempts for 103 yards and a touchdown as Penn mounted a
17-0 halftime advantage and led 24-0 early in the third.
Sacred Heart battled back, scoring 27 unanswered points to go ahead
27-24 after Aaron Donalson picked up a Penn fumble and returned it 21 yards for a score with 9:54 left in the game.
Glover, who finished with
162 yards and two touchdowns, drove the Quakers
(3-1) 87 yards for the winning score with 1:19 remaining.
Karekin Brooks, who totaled 191 yards, opened the scoring with a 12yard scamper early in the first quarter. Jack Soslow added a 51-yard field goal and Glover hit Pearson on the 20-yard touchdown toss to take a 17-0 lead.
Kevin Duke threw for
189 yards and a score for Sacred Heart (3-2).