Villanova ends its season on a high note with a victory over Delaware

Fueled by a Devon Marshall blocked punt with 2 minutes, 15 seconds to play — Villanova’s second block of the fourth quarter — the Wildcats escaped with a 29-26 victory over Delaware in the annual Battle of the Blue on Saturday.

Four plays after the blocked punt, quarterback Connor Watkins scored from 2 yards out, and the Wildcats completed a two-point conversion to take a 29-26 lead with 1:11 remaining.

“I’m super proud of these guys, super proud of our team,” Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante said. “They showed a lot of resilience in that game and found a way to get it done.”

Villanova overcame two muffed punts, both of which resulted in scoring drives for the Blue Hens. The two blocked punts, combined with some crucial defensive stops in the second half allowed the Wildcats to come away victorious.

The regional rivals have played 56 times with Villanova now leading the series, 33-22-1. The Wildcats also have won 14 of the last 16 matchups since the matchup was officially named the Battle of the Blue in 2007.

The final score did not necessarily match the trends of the stat sheet. The Blue Hens finished with 461 total yards, including 347 in the air, while the Wildcats totaled 250 yards with just 122 on the pass.

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Despite giving up more than 400 yards, the Wildcats defense held Delaware to a 42% third-down conversion rate. The rushing defense was most effective, holding Delaware to just 114 yards on 30 rushing attempts.

“It’s a credit to a good football team that we were playing,” Delaware head coach Ryan Carty said. “They capitalized on our mistakes when we made them and created some [opportunities] of their own.”

Villanova’s offense was paced by Watkins, who finished with 122 yards passing and 60 yards on the ground, including two rushing touchdowns.

DeeWil Barlee added 66 yards rushing on 22 carries, including two touchdowns. The senior played a key role, carrying virtually all of the running responsibility with TD Ayo-Durojaiye and Jalen Jackson sidelined with injuries.

“The game started out slow,” Barlee said. “In the second half, we kind of leaned on the [running game] to make sure we finished the game the right way.”

Nolan Henderson led the Blue Hens with 347 yards on 37-of-59 passing, including three touchdowns.

While Villanova’s season ended Saturday, the Wildcats were able to end on a high note, defeating Delaware and potentially playing spoiler to the Blue Hens’ playoff aspirations. Villanova finishes the season 6-5, including 4-4 in CAA play, while Delaware sits at 7-4, 4-4 in conference, as they await their FCS playoff fate on Sunday.

“We’ve had a great sideline attitude and demeanor all year long,” Ferrante said. “We may not have gotten the results that we wanted in some games this year, but the attitude and effort of this team has never wavered, and today we found a way.”