Defense pitches shutout, but Villanova win a complete one
RADNOR » Villanova coach Mark Ferrante had a piece of advice and challenge as his fifth-ranked Wildcats prepared to take on No. 18/19 Rhode Island Saturday.
Don’t worry about the Rams, Ferrante told his team.
Focus on yourselves and the task.
Ferrante also challenged the Wildcats to play a full four quarters.
They did just that. Playing at home for the first time in more than a month the Wildcats played their most complete game of the season in a 44-0 Homecoming romp over the Rams.
The offense piled up 513 total yards, 297 of that came on the ground. The defense pitched its first shutout since a 31-0 win over Maine on Oct. 7, 2017 and forced four turnovers, while the special teams produced nine points in the form of three Cole Bunce field goals that measured 41, 36 and 43 yards.
The win kept Villanova (6-1 overall, 4-0 CAA) in sole possession of first place, one game up on James Madison, William & Mary and Elon.
“Every game we come out we always say it’s us versus us,” free safety Ethan Potter said. “The biggest opponent is ourselves.”
Potter set the tone early when he pounced on a fumble by Rhode Island quarterback Kasim Hill on the Rams’ first play from scrimmage.
Six plays later running Jalen Jackson bulled into the end zone from a yard out and the Wildcats were off and running.
“Anytime we can get a turnover on defense early in the game it’s a huge momentum swing for us,” said said Potter, who finished with three solo tackles, three assists and a pass breakup to go with his fumble recovery.
“We just try to execute every drive and hopefully things like that happen.”
That was the start of a smothering effort by the defense.
The Wildcats held the Rams (5-2, 3-2) to 165 yards of total offense, 107 on the ground and just 58 through the air, and forced four turnovers, which Villanova turned into 20 points.
The Wildcats’ defense was so stout, Rhode Island didn’t cross midfield on its last nine possessions had just 52 total yards in that span.
Only three of those possessions lasted more than three plays.
“It means a lot to us as a defense,” Potter said of posting the shutout. “We talk about giving the other team no hope and putting a zero on the board usually gives the other team no hope.”
The offense didn’t give Rhode Island much of a chance, either, even though leading rusher Justin Covington is day-to-day with a minor knee injury.
Jalen Jackson and Episcopal
Academy grad DeeWil Barlee more than made up for Covington’s absence. Jackson turned in the best game of his career. He carried the ball 12 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
It was the first 100-yard game of his career, also the first time he had scored twice in a game as a Wildcat. His second TD was a 20-yard burst that gave Villanova a 31-0 lead.
“Coach (Chris) Boden told me all week, stay down until your number is called and when my number was called I just make the best of it,” Jackson said of the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator. “It meant a whole lot to me and I’m very happy for my O-line for sticking in there the way they did. We had a couple of people go down and the next man up did their job.”
Barlee provided a nice 1-2 punch. He had 19 carries for 99 yards.
Quarterback Daniel Smith also got into the act, on the ground and through the air. He ran six times for
61 yards and completed 14 of 24 passes for 214 yards and two scores.
Smith hit tight end Todd Summers with a five-yard scoring pass in the first quarter and hooked up with Rayjoun Pringle for a 23-yard score in the second period.
The offense was so efficient that it scored on eight of its 12 possessions, only turned it over once and punted just twice.
The other possession
ended in a missed field goal.
“I do think our guys held their focus, played with enthusiasm, played with passion and pretty much kept our composure for all four quarters,” Ferrante said. “I’m real happy, obviously; (a) defensive shutout and real happy with how we moved the ball on offense and Cole making the number of field goals he made today. It was a complete effort from all three phases of our team.”