’Nova controls destiny after winning big over Stony Brook

Daniel Smith threw three touchdown passes and running backs Justin Covington and Jalen Jackson both rushed for more than 100 yards Saturday as Villanova dispatched visiting Stony Brook, 33-14.

The win puts Villanova (8-2, 6-1) in position to win a share of its first Colonial Athletic Association title since 2012 and the league’s automatic berth to the FCS playoffs if it can defeat Delaware next week.

Although he threw for just 71 yards, Smith tossed a pair of touchdown passes to Jaaron Hayek and one to Will Tyler in the second half to break the game open. Smith hit Hayek for 12 yards to give the Wildcats a 20-7 lead in the third quarter and then found Hayek for 18 yards early in the fourth quarter to extend the advantage to 26-7. Tyler caught a two-yard TD pass from Smith to make it 33-7.

“It was a slow start for both teams with the defenses controlling the game in the early going,” Villanova coach Mark Ferrante said. “I liked the way we stayed patient with the running game and to end up with two 100-yard rushers was really good to see.

The weather conditions made it difficult to throw the ball, but we still ended up with three touchdown passes, which was a big boost for the offense.”

Covington carried the ball 13 times for 142 yards and Jackson had 103 yards and two touchdowns on 17 attempts. Jackson scored on a 10-yard run in the first quarter and scored from four yards out with 26 seconds left in the half to give the Wildcats a 14-7 lead.

In other action:

DELAWARE VALLEY 27, WIDENER 0 » The Aggies turned up the defensive pressure to blank the Pride, win the Keystone Cup and complete a 10-0 run in the regular season.

Widener managed only 74 yards of total offence and fumbled four times. Donte Simmons ran for 89 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Del Val offense. Quarterback Daquan Bohannan completed 10 of 19 passes for 149 yards and one TD.

The Pride only got into Delaware Valley territory twice in 12 possessions.

Its deepest penetration ended with a fumble at the Del Val 21-yard line. The loss knocked Widener (73, 6-3) into a four-way tie for third place in the Middle Atlantic Conference with Stevenson, FDU-Florham and Wilkes.

HOUSTON 37, TEMPLE 8 » Alton McCaskill rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns as the No. 17 Cougars clinched a berth in the American Athletic Conference championship game.

The Cougars (9-1, 7-0 American

Athletic) have won nine straight games since an opening loss to Texas Tech to secure their first appearance in the conference championship game since winning the conference in 2015. Temple (3-7, 1-5) has lost five straight games, outscored 217-35 in that stretch. HARVARD 23, PENN 7 » Aaron Shampklin ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns — including a 72-yarder in the first quarter — and Jonah Lipel kicked three field goals to lead the Crimson.

Shampklin scored on a 16-yard run in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring.

Luke Emge completed 13 of 28 passes for 167 yards for Harvard (72, 4-2 Ivy League). James Herring had two of the Crimson’s three interceptions.

Aidan Sayin was 20-of-36 passing for 207 yards with three picks for Penn (3-6, 1-5).