Villanova vs. Rhode Island: Wildcats batter Rams in CAA opener 31-10

To borrow a line from ex-New York Yankees great Lawrence “Yogi” Berra, it was deja vu all over again, at Villanova Stadium on Saturday afternoon (September 15th, 2012). The Wildcats battered the Rhode Island Rams 31-10 by completely dominating the second half, to the delight of the Parents’ Weekend crowd. Just as they did a week ago, against the Fordham Rams, Villanova controlled play on both sides of the ball following the halftime intermission. Trailing by a score of 10-7 at halftime, Villanova rallied to win its C.A.A. conference opener and improve its record to 2-1 overall, 1-0 in the C.A.A. Rhode Island’s record fell to 0-2, 0-1 in conference play.

 

Villanova wasted no time in getting on the score board at the outset of the game. Joe Sarnese picked off a Rhode Island pass on the Rams second play from scrimmage. In two plays, the Wildcats banged the ball into the end zone, with Kevin Monangai taking it in from the one yard line. This followed a nifty 27 yard run by Poppy Livers on a reverse to the Rams one yard line.

 

The Rams struck right back on their next possession taking the ball 49 yards in 8 plays, scoring on a 25 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bob Bentsen to wide receiver Billy Morgan, of Chester, PA, to tie the game.

 

Rhode Island took the lead with 4:18 left in the second quarter on a 25 yard field goal by Dylan Smith, culminating a 10 play, 63 yard drive. Villanova had a golden opportunity to tie or go ahead when nose guard Antoine Lewis recovered a Bentsen fumble at the Rams 31 yard line. The Wildcats, however, failed to take advantage of the turnover and turned the ball over on downs.

 

Villanova regained the lead, and found its mojo, on its first possession of the second half, taking the ball 57 yards in 8 plays with quarterback John Robertson, who struggled in the opening half, scooting in from the one yard line. The Wildcats scored again on their next possession going 73 yards in 9 plays with Austin Medley carrying it in from 4 yards out. Mark Hamilton converted the extra point to give Villanova a 21-10 lead with 5:21 left in the third quarter.

Villanova scored at the start of the fourth quarter with Hamilton booting a 24 yard field goal to boost the lead to 24-10. On the play before the field goal, the Wildcats missed what looked like a sure touchdown when Norman White could not hang on to a pass in the end zone. Villanova then took advantage of a poor punt by the Rams, to put more points on the board. Kevin Monangai raced 23 yards to score his second touchdown of the game, finishing a 45 yard, 3 play drive.

 

Villanova, for the first time since 1992, rushed for over 200 yards in three consecutive games. The M&M running duo of Monangai and Medley ran for a combined total of  96 yards and three touchdowns. Poppy Livers contributed 60 yards on just 2 carries. Robertson gained 63 yards rushing, with one touchdown. Norman White, Villanova’s outstanding senior wide receiver, caught 7 passes for 88 yards. Joe Price, Earnest Pettway, and Livers each had two receptions. Robertson completed 14 passes in 27 attempts for 171 yards. On defense, Rakim Cox paced the way for Villanova with 6 tackles and a sack. Linebackers Patrick Haggerty and Dillon Lucas each had 5 total tackles, with Haggerty also contributing a sack. Sarnese, in addition to his interception, added 5 tackles.

For the Rams, QB Bentsen completed 14 of 23 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Clement Ani was the Rams leading tackler with nine on the day.

Villanova travels to Franklin Field next week to play the Penn Quakers in a 330pm game. Rhode Island will be at home against conference foe James Madison next Saturday.

Villanova vs. Fordham: Wildcats Run Rampant in Rain, Beat Rams in Home Opener

The Villanova Wildcats hosted the Fordham Rams in their home opener on September 8th, on a rainy Saturday night. Due  to  the  stormy weather, the kickoff was pushed back two hours. The  teams last met in December 2002 when the Wildcats downed the Rams 24-10.

Fordham drove 91 yards in 18 plays on its first possession to score on a 6 yard run by QB Michael Nebrich. The drive consumed  7 minutes and 10 seconds. Villanova  immediately retaliated  with Joe Sarnese taking the kickoff 85 yards to the Rams 15 yard line. After a penalty on the Wildcats, QB John Robertson threw a 25 yard strike to star wide-out  Norman White for a touchdown. Mark Hamilton converted the extra point to tie the game 7-7.  The  Rams briskly marched 27 yards in 5 plays and scored on a 50 yard field goal by Patrick Murray to retake the lead 10-7.

The Rams scored again with 4:53 left in the second quarter on another field goal by Murray, this one from 37 yards out, to expand their lead to 13-7. Fordham threatened again as the first half was coming to a close.  The Rams drove from their own 37 yard line to the Wildcats 9 yard line. Joe Sarnese, however, intercepted an errant pass in the end zone with 12 seconds left on the first half clock to end the drive.

In the second half, it was an entirely different story, as the Wildcats found their sea-legs and took control of the game. Led by the M&M running combo (Austin Medley and Kevin Monangai) and red-shirt freshman QB John Robertson, the Wildcats dominated the Rams gaining over 200 yards rushing in the second half. Medley finished with 125 yards rushing on 16 carries, 87 yards coming in the second half. Monangai, after being held to 9 yards on 2 carries in the opening half, tacked on 90 more in the second half on 11 additional carries. Robertson, who played the entire game, threw for 1 touchdown and ran for one more in the 4th quarter to ice the game. Joe Sarnese’s interception was the first of his career. Ronnie Akins also had a pick for Villanova.

[Photo credit: Christian Hafer]

You can view an expanded photo gallery below:

Villanova vs. Monmouth: Wildcats Woes Won’t End

The 0-2 Villanova Wildcats entertained the 0-1 Monmouth Hawks in their home opener at Villanova stadium on Saturday. Beset by injuries, the Wildcats started Chris Polony, a true freshman, at quarterback.

Villanova, an extemely young and inexperienced team, struggled mightily before succumbing to the Hawks 20-9. The Wildcats did not pick up a first down until Polony was replaced by senior Christian Culicerto midway through the second quarter.

Monmouth, which was playing Villanova for the first time ever on the gridiron, seized the lead 3-0 on a 32 yard field goal by Eric Spillane with 9:16 left in the 2nd quarter. The Wildcats, who were already playing without the injured Norman White and Joe Price, also played without Mikey Reynolds, who was suspended for violating team rules. The shorthanded squad lost a golden opportunity to take the lead when Dorian Wells, after catching a pass from Culicerto, rumbled 49 yards to the Monmouth two yard line (where Jose Gumbs knocked the ball out of Wells hands and into the end zone). Wells nearly recovered the ball in the end zone before it went out of the end zone for a touchback.  Consequently, the half ended with the Hawks clinging to a 3-0 lead.

Villanova finally scored on its first possession of the second half marching 83 yards in 10 plays. Austin Medley culminated the drive with a 36 yard dash for the touchdown. The key play on the drive was 13 yard run by Culicerto, who was facing a 3rd and 12 situation. Hamilton converted the extra point to give the Cats a 7-3 lead.

Monmouth went back on top for good after driving 76 yards in 11 plays. The score came with 2:23 left in the 3rd quarter, on a 7 yard toss from Kyle Frazier to Tristan Roberts. Frazier completed 17 of 30 passes on the day for 220 yards.

Villanova threatened to regain the lead following a nifty kickoff return by Jamal Abdur Rahman that gave the Wildcats good field position. Nova marched to the Hawks 1 yard line but failed to score. The Wildcats chose to go for the lead on 4th down from the 1, but Medley was stopped. After the game, Coach Andy Talley said, “We were so close and I wanted to put some pressure on Monmouth.”

Monmouth then drove from its own 2 yard line to the Nova 19, before Spillane kicked a 36 yard field goal. Villanova again mounted a drive, but could not capitalize as Nick Yako missed on a 44 yard field goal try.

With 3:02 left, Monmouth, after taking over on its own 1 yard line following a Villanova punt, took a safety when its punter ran out of the end zone to make the score 13-9. Then, with 1:12 left in the game, Baliel Sloan El ran 45 yards for a touchdown to ice the game for the Hawks.

For the Wildcats, Culicerto hit 11-24 passes for 183 yards. Medley, who scored the lone Villanova touchdown, ran for 53 yards on 7 carries. Dorian Wells caught 6 passes for 98 yards. Defensively, the Cats, who played the second half without James Pitts, who suffered ” an upper body” injury (Coach Talley indicated it was thought Pitts sustained a concussion), were led by true freshman Dillon Lucas with 8 tackles including a sack, and true freshman Joe Sarnese with 10 total tackles.

For the prevailing Hawks, Balial Sloan El was their leading rusher, picking up 76 yards on 13 carries and 1 touchdown. Mitchell Pollard caught 7 passes for 118 yards. Neal Sterling also snatched 5 passes for 69 yards.

Although Coach Talley said he had not yet made his final decision about next week, he did indicate that Culicerto had earned the right to be considered for the starting role based on his play against Monmouth.

Next up for the 0-3 Wildcats is a game against the Penn Quakers at Franklin Field next Saturday night. The paid attendance for Saturday’s game was 11,817.

[photo credits: Christian Hafer]

Full photo slideshow below:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

3rd Annual Mayor’s Cup: Temple Makes It Two in a Row Over Villanova

The local college football season kicked off on Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field as the Temple Owls, under new head coach Steve Addazio (the former Florida offensive coordinator) took on the Villanova Wildcats, coached by Andy Talley, in the 3rd annual Mayor’s Cup game. The Owls, coming off back- to-back winning seasons for the first time in 30 years, were the odds on favorite coming into the game with the Wildcats, who are in the midst of rebuilding after three of the most successful seasons in Villanova football history.

Owls are known for being nocturnal and they were certainly active on this night, preying on the Wildcats’ offense, defense, and special teams.

Sparked by junior running back Bernard Pierce, who rushed for 147 yards and 3 touchdowns, and junior quarterback Mike Gerardi, who completed 14 of 20 aerials for 235 yards and two touchdowns (a 35 yarder to wideout Deon Miller, and a 47 yard bomb to Rod Streater), the Owls topped the Wildcats by a score of 42-7. Temple dominated from start to finish to win the 3rd annual Mayor’s Cup.

Temple led the inexperienced Wildcats 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, 21-0 at the half, and 42-0 midway through the fourth quarter (when backup quarterback Chris Coyer dashed 68 yards for a final Owl touchdown).

Before the game, Villanova University coach Andy Talley announced that senior wide receiver Norman White would miss the entire 2011 season resulting from a lisfranc injury of the left foot. White will red-shirt this year and return for a fifth year in 2012. In White’s absence, Mikey Reynolds led the Wildcats with five catches for 51 yards.

After a ceremonial coin-toss from Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter, Villanova received the opening kickoff and drove from its own 26 to the Temple 27 before their offense stalled. The drive ended when Dustin Thomas’ pass was picked off by the Owls Justin Gildea in the end zone and returned to the Temple 25 yard line.

Temple, led by QB Mike Gerardi, drove 75 yards in seven plays to score its 1^sttouchdown of the season. The score came on a 35 yard pass from Gerardi to Deon Miller. Miller caught 3 passes for 60 yards on the drive. Kicker Brandon McManus converted the extra point to make it 7-0 Temple.

In the 2^nd quarter, the Owls boosted the lead to 14-0 on a 19 yard burst by Bernard Pierce which culminated a five play, 62 yard drive (which began when Temple recovered a fumble by Dustin Thomas that was caused by Anthony Robey and recovered by Tahir Whitehead).

With 46 seconds left before halftime, Pierce scooted 22 yards into the end zone to give Temple a dominating 21-0 advantage at the break. Pierce gained 116 yards rushing in the opening half.

The biggest highlight for Villanova in the 1^st half was a 44 yard pass completion from Dorian Wells to Dustin Thomas which put the Cats in scoring range.

Temple scored on its first possession of the 2^nd half driving 72 yards in seven plays. The drive was capped on a 47 yard toss from Gerardi to wide receiver Rod Streater to give the Owls a 28-0 lead.

Temple scored again in the third period on a 20 yard dash by Pierce (following an interception by Temple safety Kevin Kroboth). The interception was Kroboth’s second of the game.

After Villanova drove to the Temple 17 yard line, Temple’s defense stiffened and held the Wildcats at bay. Chris Coyer, who replaced Mike Girardi at QB, then scampered 68 yards for a touchdown to give the Owls a 42-0 lead.

The Cats finally got on the board with 7:57 left in the game when Dustin Thomas ran up the middle for a 4 yard score. The score, Thomas’ first at Villanova, finished off an eleven play 71 yard drive. Nick Yako converted the extra point to make the score 42-7.

Is it me, or does this game stink?

Next up for the Owls is a MAC conference game at Akron on September 10. The Owls then return home to play the Penn State Nittany Lions on September 17th at the Linc.

Villanova next plays a Colonial Athletic Association conference game at Towson on Saturday, September 10. The Wildcats play their first home game when they host Monmouth on September 17th.

CLICK HERE for a full photo gallery of the Mayor’s Cup!

Villanova Football 2011: Wildcats Wild Outlook

For the past several years, the Villanova football team, coached by Andy Talley, has provided its fans with thrills galore,  memorable moments (including foremost, the 2009 National Championship), and an expectation that the Wildcats will continue to play and excel at a very high level.

Coach Andy Talley

QB Dustin Thomas

Gone however are many of the mainstays of the past three glorious years. Matt Szczur is now playing baseball in the Chicago Cubs farm system, and Ben Ijalana, the 2nd round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, is busy preparing for his rookie season in the NFL. Several other ex-Wildcats are also competing for  jobs in the NFL, including Brant Clouser (offensive guard) with the NY Giants, Thomas Weaver (nose tackle) with the Washington Redskins, John Dempsey (safety) with the St. Louis Rams, and until recently, Terence Thomas (linebacker) with the Philadelphia Eagles. Finally, Chris Whitney (quarterback) has been reported to be working out for several NFL teams in the hopes of landing a free agent contract.

Rakim Cox

Today Coach Talley, and several key returning players, met with the media to discuss the upcoming 2011 season.

 Coach Talley pointed out the obvious: that Villanova has graduated many of the shining stars of the last three years. Consequently, he will be relying on younger and less experienced players in 2011. However, Coach Talley believes he has a good group of returning players who can continue Villanova’s winning ways. Among the key returnees are Norman White, senior wide receiver, who played a big role in last year’s success; James Pitts, senior cornerback, who has been a big part of the Wildcats defense the past few seasons, and Eric Loper (senior safety).

 When asked what he would consider a successful year this coming season, the Coach replied that winning seven games would be a successful year. When asked if redshirt freshman quarterback, Dustin Thomas was ready to take over for Chris Whitney, Talley said, “We are going to find that out when we play Temple”. Talley did say he thought Thomas (who put up stellar numbers in southern New Jersey as a high school quarterback) has the skills and temperament to succeed.

 Thomas does not feel daunted about taking over at Quarterback for Whitney. He said his high school team played a similar style of offense and that was one of the reasons he chose Villanova. He said he is excited about the upcoming season and likes the idea of the Wildcats being the underdog.

 Talley also singled out two freshman who he thinks can help the Wildcats right away: Dillon Lucas, a linebacker, and Kyle Wallace, an offensive lineman.

Talley also stated that any potential change to the Big East is on hold at the time. However, he and his staff are excited about the the possible opportunity, if, and when, it presents itself.

After answering questions from the media, and waiting out a brief, but intense thunderstorm, the 2011 Wildcats took to the playing field to practice for the upcoming season. Their season kicks off against Temple on September 1st at Lincoln Financial Field when the two teams vie for the Mayor’s Cup. Temple held on for a narrow victory last season and in 2009, Villanova won the game with the Owls by three points.

To view additional photos from today’s practice as well as video interview segments with Andy Talley, Norman White, and Dustin Thomas…

CLICK HERE!