Dominant defensive effort, run game fuels Villanova’s much-needed win over Hampton

Villanova’s 24-10 victory over Hampton on Saturday at Villanova Stadium proved to be a step in the right direction.

A dominant defensive effort from the Wildcats (5-3, 3-2 CAA), which held the Pirates to just 163 yards of offense, allowed them to secure the victory.

Quarterback Connor Watkins ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. He was 14-of-31 for 161-yards passing, while running back TD Ayo-Durojaiye had 25 carries for 112 yards.

If not for a red zone interception and two penalties wiping away big gains, the Wildcats might have scored more in what was a solid outing offensively.

“We can still put more out there for a four-quarter game,” said Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante. “The big plays that we had called back, those types of things. If we can clean that up, I think we can have a pretty good team. But they’re doing everything we asked and that’s all you can ask for.”

Villanova threatened to overpower Hampton (4-4, 1-4 CAA) from the opening whistle. Watkins ran for a 75-yard touchdown just on the second play of the game. However, the offense stalled through a combination of untimely penalties and overthrown passes, going into halftime up just 10-3.

The offense got rolling in the second half, scoring on the opening drive and leaning on the run game the rest of the way. Watkins ran for his second touchdown early in the fourth quarter as Villanova finished the day with 261 rushing yards.

Defensively, the Wildcats only allowed two drives of six plays or more, forcing three-and-outs on seven of Hampton’s 11 drives.

Once again, when the Wildcats needed him most, Ayo-Durojaiye stepped up. On the first drive of the second half, Watkins handed the ball to Ayo-Durojaiye on six consecutive plays, which the Villanova running back ran for 45 yards. His yardage on the drive set up wide receiver Jaaron Hayek for the touchdown that put Villanova up, 17-3.

“I’ve been getting more opportunities the last couple of weeks,” Ayo-Durojaiye said. “It’s just about staying prepared. I’ve been somebody who has been a part of this offense for four years now. It’s just my time to carry a little bit of a heavier load.”

“[Giving up less than 200 yards is] an accomplishment but that’s the standard we’re trying to go for every week,” linebacker Shane Hartzell said. “So it looks different this week, but going forward, that’s what it should be.”

The Wildcats also held the Pirates in check through the air. Hampton quarterback Malcolm Mays was 14-of-24 for 137 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while his favorite target Jadakis Bonds had just two catches for 16 yards.

The Wildcats are on the road to take on Towson (3-5, 1-4 CAA) next Saturday at Johnny Unitas Stadium (2 p.m., FloSports).