Wildcats Open Playoff Run With 52-7 Victory Over Harvard

VILLANOVA, Pa.—Junior operating again Isaiah Ragland (Alexandria, Va.) had a profession day to set the tone for a dominant efficiency by No. 9/6 Villanova (10-2, #12 nationwide seed) in a 52-7 victory over Harvard (9-2) within the first spherical of the FCS playoffs at Villanova Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Ragland scored on a 45-yard landing run on the primary offensive sequence of the sport and from there it was off to the races because the Wildcats launched into their third consecutive playoff look. With the win, Villanova advances to a second spherical recreation at #5 nationwide seed Lehigh (12-0) subsequent Saturday at 12 p.m. in Bethlehem, Pa.
 
The closing rating represents probably the most lopsided margin of victory in a Wildcats postseason recreation and is the third time in 31 FCS playoff video games that Villanova has topped 50 factors. Ragland rushed for a career-high 152 yards and the Wildcats had 319 yards on the bottom en path to a season excessive 513 yards of complete offense. Ragland and graduate broad receiver Lucas Kopecky (Rocky Hill, N.J.) scored touchdowns within the first quarter and Villanova pushed the margin to 31-0 by halftime. All eight gamers who recorded a carry completed with optimistic yardage, whereas graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide (Solon, Ohio) linked with eight completely different receivers.
 
McQuade was 14-of-22 by means of the air for 193 yards and three touchdowns along with speeding thrice for 28 yards and a rating. He scored his third speeding landing of the season and simply his second because the season opener. Kopecky, graduate broad receiver Luke Colella (Wexford, Pa.) and senior tight finish Antonio Johnson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) all caught landing passes.
 
The platitudes are good, however the backside line is even sweeter for the Wildcats, who’ve now matched their longest successful streak because the 2009 nationwide championship season. Villanova has received 9 video games in a row and wrapped up their second straight undefeated month with a mixed 8-0 report within the months of October and November. This is the 11^th time within the Wildcats final 13 playoff appearances that they’ve received at the very least one recreation, and the win prolonged the longest lively FCS dwelling successful streak within the nation to 23 straight video games.
 
Villanova acquired the sport’s opening kickoff and went 75 yards on seven performs to open the scoring on the 11:45 mark of the primary quarter. Later within the interval, sophomore cornerback Newton Essiem (Frederick, Md.) recorded his first profession interception when he picked off Crimson quarterback Jaden Craig in the long run zone. The Wildcats countered with a 10-play, 80-yard drive capped by Kopecky making a leaping seize for a 30-yard landing reception with 3:26 to play within the opening interval. The factors off turnovers had been a rarity for a Harvard workforce which entered the sport with an 88-17 scoring margin in that class for the season. Villanova scored two touchdowns after Crimson turnovers and pushed its personal season margin in factors off turnovers to  51-10. The Wildcats have the fewest turnovers (5) of any FCS workforce this season.
 
In the second quarter, graduate kicker Jack Barnum (Southington, Conn.) made a 29-yard area aim forward of speeding touchdowns by McQuaide and junior operating again Ja’briel Mace (Somers Point, N.J.). Villanova had possession of the ball for greater than 22 minutes within the first half and amassed a bonus of 336-31 in yards of complete offense within the first half-hour. Mace rushed 18 instances for 88 yards, placing him simply 29 yards shy of 1,000 profession speeding yards. He additionally had a 26-yard reception within the recreation.
 
Making their FCS playoff debut, the Crimson opened the second half with a 10-play, 68-yard drive for his or her solely factors of the sport. Craig linked with operating again Jordan Harris for a six-yard landing move on the 10:24 mark of the third quarter. As was the case within the first half, the Wildcats had an instantaneous reply. Colella caught a 29-yard landing move simply over two minutes later and Villanova put the ending touches on the romp with touchdowns by Johnson and senior operating again Julian Glantz (Scarsdale, N.Y.) within the fourth quarter.
 
Harvard entered the sport averaging higher than 39 factors per contest and greater than 461 yards of complete offense per recreation for the season. They had been restricted to simply the seven factors and 213 complete yards by the Wildcats protection. Senior linebacker Shane Hartzell (Perkasie, Pa.) and graduate linebacker Richie Kimmel (Holmes, Pa.) every had seven tackles. Villanova pressured two turnovers, together with Essiem’s interception and a fumble restoration by senior defensive again Nino Betances (Brooklyn, N.Y.) which was pressured by sophomore linebacker Christian Caballero (Niceville, Fla.).
 
Craig, a finalist for this 12 months’s Walter Payton Award, was held to 9-of-21 passing for 107 yards. Harvard had 106 speeding yards and was led by D.J. Gordon with 59 yards on 10 carries.
 
Saturday’s first spherical playoff matchup was the first-ever assembly between Villanova and Harvard on the gridiron. The identical will not be true of the Wildcats second spherical opponent, as they’ll face Lehigh for the 20^th time. Kickoff at Goodman Stadium in Bethlehem is ready for 12 p.m. subsequent Saturday (December 6).