Villanova is riding the high of a season-opening win right into its next matchup against Colgate

A road contest against Colgate on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN+) will give the No. 5 Wildcats another chance for a strong start before moving on to CAA conference competition.

Villanova rusher Ja'briel Mace will look to help fuel another Wildcats win against Colgate on Saturday. The Wildcats have moved up to No. 5 in the FCS polls.Read moreElizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

by Katie Lewis

Published Sept. 6, 2024, 11:46 a.m. ET

A 24-17 victory over Youngstown State isn’t the only confidence boost Villanova got coming out of week No. 1.

The Wildcats earned the No. 5 slot in the FCS poll going into their second matchup, climbing up from sixth. A road contest against Colgate (0-1) on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN+) will give Villanova another chance for a strong start before moving on to CAA competition.

Defense using experience to its advantage

Much of Villanova’s defensive strength will flow from the leadership of veteran linebackers. Graduate student Brendan Bell, junior Shane Hartzell, and senior Richie Kimmel each contributed double digits in tackles in the season opener.

Kimmel’s standout performance included a decisive fourth-quarter interception, earning him CAA defensive player of the week honors. He also recorded a career-high 10 tackles.

“Although [Kimmel] hasn’t been a longtime starter, he’s been in the program for a long time, so he knows what he needs to do,” head coach Mark Ferrante said after the win. “He took advantage of opportunities on the field, pounced on that fumble recovery, and had really nice hands on that interception that sealed the game.”

New faces ignite the offense

Rookie running backs hope to silence concerns about the position’s status, which was vacated by three graduate stars: TD Ayo-Durojaiye, DeeWil Barlee, and Jalen Jackson. Isaiah Ragland is one key player filling the role. Ragland appeared in just four games last season before redshirting, including one in which he was CAA rookie of the week.

Maintaining freshman eligibility in 2024, he received the accolade for a second time this week. Ragland rushed for 65 yards and scored his first career touchdown against Youngstown State.

Freshman David Avit’s solid performance also caught Ferrante’s attention as a player to develop this season. Avit ran for 42 yards on just five carries.

Ragland and Avit’s development will be bolstered by the expertise of sixth-year quarterback Connor Watkins. On Saturday, the formidable Watkins will look to repeat his noteworthy performance against Colgate in 2023.

In the 42-19 rout of the Raiders last season, Watkins threw for a career-high 310 yards on 8-of-11 passing. He also set six school records, including passing efficiency (369.5), total offense, and average yards per play (17.17).

Raiders searching for their first win

Unranked Colgate suffered a 17-14 loss to Maine in its opener. Saturday’s contest will be the Raiders’ home opener.

Villanova dominates the all-time series against Colgate, 5-1. The Wildcats also saw the Raiders in their second game last season, sending them home with a 42-19 defeat.

The Wildcats return to Villanova Stadium on Sept. 14 to open conference play against Towson, and move into the more challenging part of the schedule. Also on the horizon is this season’s FBS matchup, a road test against Maryland on Sept. 21.