Villanova looking to play spoiler against CAA title hopefuls William & Mary
After last week's loss to Towson, the Wildcats (5-4, 3-3 CAA) don't have much left to play for other than pride and playing spoiler.
After a disappointing 27-3 loss at Towson last weekend, Villanova enters Saturday’s matchup at No. 8 William & Mary (1 p.m., FloSports) with little to play for beyond spoiling the Tribe’s CAA championship aspirations.
William & Mary (8-1, 5-1 CAA) sits in a three-way tie atop the conference. With a potential CAA championship decider against No. 13 Richmond (7-2, 5-1 CAA) next weekend for the Tribe, Villanova could spring an upset if William & Mary is looking ahead.
» READ MORE: Inside Haftu Strintzos’ journey from Ethiopia to Australia to Villanova cross-country star
Keys to victory
The Wildcats (5-4, 3-3 CAA) were held to just 153 yards of offense against Towson, as quarterback Connor Watkins completed 7 of 21 passes for 68 yards and an interception. Villanova’s offense is dependent on big plays, yet its largest play against the Tigers went for only 19 yards.
William & Mary boasts the CAA’s top rushing offense, averaging 266.6 yards per game. At the same time, Villanova has the CAA’s worst rushing defense, although it has improved in recent weeks. William & Mary running back Bronson Yoder headlines the Tribe’s rushing attack, averaging over 100 yards per game. For Villanova to leave Williamsburg, Va., with a win, the Wildcats will need to limit Yoder’s effectiveness and minimize the Tribe’s run game.
Keep an eye on
The Wildcats were hampered by injuries against Towson, as they have been all season. Villanova played without two of its top three running backs (Jalen Jackson and DeeWil Barlee), its best wide receiver (Jaaron Hayek), and an All-CAA offensive lineman (Colin Gamroth).
If Villanova is to pull off an upset, it needs several of those marquee players to suit up.
These two have a history
While William & Mary has won three of the last four matchups against Villanova, the Tribe hasn’t beaten the Wildcats in Williamsburg since 2010. The Tribe won, 31-18, at Villanova Stadium last season.
» READ MORE: Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist fulfills childhood dream with homecoming game at Marist
They said it
“Well, if anyone on this call knows of any weaknesses on William & Mary, offense, defense, or special teams, please send that to me on email, and we’ll try to exploit some of those weaknesses. I tell you what, they’re as good as we’ve seen.” — Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante
Looking down the line
Villanova closes its season against No. 15 Delaware (7-2, 4-2 CAA) in the annual Battle of the Blue rivalry game. Villanova currently possesses the Battle of the Blue Trophy, winning 21-13 last season, and has won 15 of the last 17 matchups with the Blue Hens.