No. 5 Villanova wins one for the record books against CAA foe Stony Brook

A dominant second half for No. 5 Villanova fueled a 42-24 road win over Stony Brook on Saturday.

The day marked the true introduction of Wildcats (5-1, 2-0 CAA) freshman running back David Avit, who accounted for 183 yards and four touchdowns.

It was an all-around impressive day for Villanova’s offense and its highest-scoring win of the season so far. Graduate quarterback Connor Watkins passed for 152 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 27 yards.

Defensively, graduate linebacker Brendan Bell registered a career-high 15 tackles. Strong efforts from the linebackers stamped out any hope of a comeback for Stony Brook (4–1, 1–1 CAA) as Villanova scored 28 unanswered points in the second half.

Villanova arrived at Stony Brook as one of the Seawolves’ most formidable opponents yet. Despite trailing at halftime, the Wildcats delivered the host team their first FCS defeat of the season while preserving their own unblemished conference record.

Freshman quarterback Malachi Marshall, who led Stony Brook through its last four wins, did not take the field on Saturday. Instead, graduate Tyler Knoop took the reins and finished with 147 yards passing.

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Stony Brook scored first. The Seawolves went three-and-out in their opening drive but recovered the punt to regain possession on Villanova’s 19-yard line. Running back Roland Dempster opened the scoring with a touchdown.

Dempster was the force behind all three of Stony Brook’s touchdowns on the day.

Although Villanova’s biggest offensive moments came on the ground, the Wildcats demonstrated their depth at the wide receiver position.

Junior wide receiver Jaylan Sanchez continued demonstrating his status as Watkins’ primary option in the air. Sanchez led the receivers with three catches for 38 yards. A productive second half saw new players make significant contributions.

In the first quarter, graduate wide receiver Lucas Kopecky scored his first career touchdown after connecting with Watkins on a 26-yard pass.

Saturday was more than just a big win for Avit in his debut season with the Wildcats.

Rushing 13 times for 183 yards, Avit recorded the most single-game yards on the ground by a freshman in Villanova program history. He exceeded the school record of 173 yards set by Pat O’Brien in 1977.

Avit scored on runs of 59 yards and 72 yards in the second half, fresh off earning CAA Rookie of the Week honors after the Wildcats decisive win over Long Island University last week.

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Villanova’s young running backs have not let limited experience deter them from making a major impact on the ground game. Redshirt freshman Ja’briel Mace capped the win with a 21-yard run for his first career touchdown in the final three minutes. And redshirt freshman Isaiah Ragland, who was sidelined with an injury, still ranks as Villanova’s season leader in rushing yards.

The Wildcats will get some time to regroup heading into a bye week before a return to the field for another road game against Maine on Oct. 19 (1 p.m., FloFootball).