Category: Villanova

Pat McQuaide connected with Ja’briel Mace on a 13-yard touchdown pass with just 1 minute, 8 seconds remaining to lift Villanova to a 20-16 win over Long Island University on Saturday in Brookville, N.Y.

McQuaide, the team’s fifth-year quarterback, directed an eight-play, 85-yard drive after Will Johnson gave the Sharks the lead with a 29-yard field goal with 2:44 remaining. On LIU’s first play after the Wildcats’ touchdown, Ethan Greenwood was intercepted by defensive back Jamie Tyson.

Mace also scored on a 20-yard run early in the third quarter to give Villanova a 10-3 lead. LIU tied the game at 13 with 9:51 to go on Braylon Vincent’s 50-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Villanova (2-2, 1-1 Patriot League) leaned on its defense to secure the narrow win and held LIU (0-4) to just 126 passing yards and no offensive touchdowns.

McQuaide passed for 223 yards to go with his touchdown, and Mace rushed for 97 yards on 14 carries and had 35 yards receiving. Brandon Binkowski caught six passes for 113 yards.

Villanova has won 21 straight regular-season nonconference FCS games since a loss to Penn in 2015.

Kicker battle

Between Villanova’s early touchdown and the two fourth-quarter scores, the teams traded field goals.

Dominic LeBlanc was 2-for-3 on field goal attempts, with the sophomore’s longest make coming from 31 yards. It marked LeBlanc’s first missed field goal of the season. For LIU, Will Johnson was 3-for-3, and his longest was from 34 yards.

LeBlanc is now 6-for-7 on field goal attempts this season. He transferred to Villanova from Tennessee Tech this offseason, replacing Villanova’s 33-year-old kicker Luke Larsen, who ran out of eligibility after last season.

Tackling a strength

Christian Caballero led the way with 10 tackles (including three for a loss) for the Wildcats. Sophomore linebacker Omari Bursey followed with eight tackles. Bursey entered the week tied for sixth in the FCS with 34 tackles.

Coach Mark Ferrante noted how Villanova’s tackling looked good after the loss to William & Mary in the season opener. Against LIU, Villanova had eight players with four or more tackles.

Secondary a work in progress

Through the first four games of Villanova’s season, its secondary has struggled at times with blown assignments or miscues. The mistakes led to multiple big-yardage plays. Some even resulted in deep touchdowns.

The Wildcats limited big plays to just one against LIU, a 47-yard reception by Sharks receiver Jayden Simpson.

The highlight for Villanova’s secondary? Two interceptions off Greenwood, courtesy of junior defensive backs Newton Essiem and Jayvon Williams.

Up next

The Wildcats will host Patriot League opponent Colgate next Saturday (2:30 p.m., ESPN+). This will be the fourth consecutive season the teams will meet.

Inquirer staff writer Dylan Johnson contributed to this report.

Villanova is off to a similar start as last season following a blowout loss to No. 23 Louisville.

But compared to last year, when Penn State trounced Villanova, 52-6, coach Mark Ferrante expressed some positives to build on entering Saturday’s matchup at Long Island University (noon, NEC Front Row).

“This year, we seemed to be more competitive in the front end of the game,” Ferrante said of Villanova’s 59-13 loss to the Cardinals. “I think that will pay dividends down the road. I think our guys have gained confidence knowing that we could drive the ball down the field on our opening drive and put points on the board against a team like Louisville.

“You just got to do it more consistently, and you got to do it for four quarters so that’s really the learning curve.”

For Ferrante, that starts with his team’s approach and execution in practice.

After turnovers and penalties plagued the Wildcats in their season-opening loss to William & Mary, Ferrante turned his focus to reducing the “mental penalties” in practice. They have since allowed 12 penalties and committed one turnover across their last two games.

“If there’s going to be penalties, you want them to be aggressive ones during the play, not the pre- or post-snap penalties,” Ferrante said. “Those are some things we emphasize in practice and we have improved in that area. We’d like to create a few more turnovers in our favor, so we can steal a possession or two during the course of the game.”

As the turnovers and penalties have lessened, Villanova’s offense has improved. Graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide and rushing duo of juniors Ja’briel Mace and Isaiah Ragland “keep getting better each and every week,” Ferrante said.

“No matter how many guys you got coming back from a previous year or how many you lost, it’s never going to be the same. Each team has to find its own identity, I think this team is still searching for it a little bit.”

He noted that around this time last season is when his team started to click. He feels confident about the direction this year’s Wildcats are heading and believes they are getting to a similar place.

“We were already in preseason practice when McQuaide joined us, so he missed the first couple [of] days, there was a little catch up there, but I’m sure it’s got to affect your mental psyche a little bit,” Ferrante said. “But now that he’s been here, and August camp into the first three games, now we need to see the continual and steady progress.”

Beyond the offense, Ferrante has been satisfied with special teams. Dominic LeBlanc has been perfect on field goals and PATs since transferring into the program this offseason, while sophomore Luke Myers has been impressive since taking over punting duties.

“He’s been doing a really nice job, he gets the ball out quick,” Ferrante said. “He averaged 44 yards a punt against Louisville, the unfortunate part is he had too many opportunities to go out against Louisville. We like to keep him off the field a little more than we did, but he did a great job.”

Heading into LIU, Ferrante emphasized that his defense needs to have patience and discipline.

“Don’t let the stuff around you get your eyes caught somewhere else, and all of a sudden, you’re not where you need to be,” Ferrante said. “I think this week especially, you can say it every week, but this week especially, how they maneuver the pieces that they have on the field around, we have to have really good discipline with our eyes and then just do your [job], play your assignment to the best of your ability.”

Ten years after Kris Jenkins hit the championship-winning buzzer beater to lift Villanova basketball to a national championship, he is back on the Main Line.

Villanova announced Tuesday that Jenkins is returning to his alma mater in a full-time role as athletics operations coordinator.

In his role, Jenkins will work with facilities, events, and equipment operations, livestream game broadcasts, on-camera contributions to video production distributed on social media, external relations on behalf of the department and the Villanova Athletic Fund, and student-athlete development initiatives and programs.

“Kris is a beloved figure at Villanova, and not merely because he hit what may be the most famous game winner in the history of the NCAA Tournament,” Villanova athletic director Eric Roedl wrote in a press release. “From his days as an undergraduate, Kris has always been humble, approachable, and engaging. Now, he brings those traits to our team as he learns about the multiple ways our staff strives to create the best experience possible for our student-athletes, coaches and fans.”

Previously, Jenkins rejoined Villanova in February 2020 in a student-athlete development role, which he maintained until Kyle Neptune was dismissed as head coach of the men’s basketball team in March 2025. Jenkins was then away from Villanova until he rejoined his alma mater at the start of the 2026-27 academic year.

In April 2025, Jenkins filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, seeking damages for the name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation that he was unable to receive while at Villanova. The lawsuit also sought a judgment to void NCAA rules that limit payments athletes can receive for their NIL rights and services. The lawsuit named the NCAA and its major conferences: Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12, and Southeastern. Villanova was not specifically named in the suit. The lawsuit was eventually thrown out by a judge, The Inquirer reported in December 2025.

As a player, Jenkins played 146 games for Villanova over four years (2013-17). He scored 1,383 points, while connecting on 37.3% of his three-pointers. During the 2015-16 national championship season, he averaged 13.6 points and 3.9 assists in 40 games.

After graduating from Villanova in May 2017, Jenkins pursued a professional basketball career. He had NBA Summer League stints with the Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, and Miami Heat. He made overseas stops in Germany, Dominican Republic, and lastly Venezuela. Eventually, a hip injury while in Venezuela ended his playing career.

“I’m happy to be back and happy to help,” Jenkins said. “I’m learning new things every day and appreciate this opportunity to be a part of this great University again.”

The official dates for Villanova men’s basketball’s Big East matchups were released Monday, revealing the full schedule after the Wildcats’ 12 nonconference games.

The Wildcats, in their second season under coach Kevin Willard and with a roster that could land the team in or near the preseason top 25, tip off their 2026-27 conference games in Nebraska as they take on Creighton at the CHI Health Center Omaha on Dec. 19.

Villanova’s first game at the Finneran Pavilion in conference play is against Providence on Dec. 22. From there, January’s slate features away games against Georgetown (Jan. 3), Xavier (Jan. 6), Butler (Jan. 15), and DePaul (Jan. 22). The Wildcats then play home games against Marquette (Jan. 9), Seton Hall (Jan. 12), Xavier (Jan. 19), and Creighton (Jan. 27).

Villanova opens February in Connecticut to take on UConn (Feb. 3). Other away games for the month include Seton Hall (Feb. 10), Providence (Feb. 17), St. John’s (Feb. 23), and Marquette (Feb. 26), with the Golden Eagles being the Wildcats’ final road matchup.

The February schedule also features three home games, the first two at Xfinity Mobile Arena in a clash with back-to-back conference champion St. John’s (Feb. 6) and last year’s national runner-up UConn on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 14. The game against the Huskies will mark the last time Villanova competes at its off-campus arena, which will also feature three nonconference games against Michigan (Nov. 21), the Big 5 Classic (Dec. 5), and Wisconsin (Dec. 12).

The last home game of the month against Butler (Feb. 20) will be at Finneran Pavilion, as will Villanova’s final two regular season games in March against DePaul (March 3) and Georgetown (March 6), ahead of the Big East Tournament beginning on March 10 at Madison Square Garden.

With the NCAA Division I Council approving an increase from 31 to 32 regular-season games, Villanova and the entire conference will each have one extra nonconference game before Big East play begins on Dec. 12.

Last season, the Wildcats went 15-5 in Big East play, finishing third in the conference as part of an overall 24-9 season and with an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. This year, they look to take a step forward boasting a tougher nonconference schedule and talented newcomers alongside last year’s leading scorer in senior guard Tyler Perkins.

Here is Villanova’s full schedule, with times to be announced at a later date:

• Nov. 1 vs. Notre Dame (Rome)
• Nov. 6 vs. Holy Cross
• Nov. 10 vs. La Salle
• Nov. 14 vs. Rider
• Nov. 17 at Pittsburgh
• Nov. 21 vs. Michigan (Xfinity Mobile Arena)
• Nov. 24 vs. Coppin State
• Nov. 27 at Kansas
• Dec. 1 at Temple
• Dec. 5 Big 5 Classic (Xfinity Mobile Arena)
• Dec. 9 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
• Dec. 12 vs. Wisconsin (Xfinity Mobile Arena)
• Dec. 19 at Creighton
• Dec. 22 vs. Providence
• Jan. 3 at Georgetown
• Jan. 6 at Xavier
• Jan. 9 vs. Marquette
• Jan. 12 vs. Seton Hall
• Jan. 15 at Butler
• Jan. 19 vs. Xavier
• Jan. 22 at DePaul
• Jan. 27 vs. Creighton
• Feb. 3 at UConn
• Feb. 6 vs. St. John’s (Xfinity Mobile Arena)
• Feb. 10 at Seton Hall
• Feb. 14 vs. UConn (Xfinity Mobile Arena)
• Feb. 17 at Providence
• Feb. 20 vs. Butler
• Feb. 23 at St. John’s
• Feb. 26 at Marquette
• March 3 vs. DePaul
• March 6 vs. Georgetown
• March 10-13: Big East Tournament (Madison Square Garden)

Villanova’s annual David-vs.-Goliath game did not go its way on Friday night.

The visiting Wildcats took on No. 24 Louisville at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium and kept it competitive for the first half. But the depth and physical size of the FBS foe wore them down in a 59-13 loss.

The Wildcats (1-2) were outplayed in almost every category. Louisville (1-1) outgained Villanova, 636-253, in total yardage and scored on all but three of its drives. The Cardinals held Villanova to 75 rushing yards and 178 passing yards.

Despite the loss, Villanova came away with positives for the rest of its FCS slate.

Here is the good, bad, and ugly of Villanova’s 2026 FBS game:

Limited the penalties, turnovers

Sometimes a team needs to take what it can get against an FBS opponent.

A big point of emphasis for Villanova was cleaning up its penalties. And against Louisville, it limited its penalties to just seven for 64 yards.

In its season-opening loss to William & Mary, Villanova committed 15 penalties for 107 yards, compared with five for 45 yards in last week’s win over Bucknell.

Villanova coach Mark Ferrante says that winning teams also win the turnover battle. The Wildcats on Friday gave up one turnover, a fourth-quarter fumble, after having zero vs. Bucknell and four against William & Mary.

McQuaide settling in

After a wild offseason, graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide is starting to communicate efficiently with his receivers, which is making Villanova’s offense more efficient.

McQuaide left Villanova at the end of last season, expecting to be done with collegiate football. He returned home to Ohio and landed a role as St. Ignatius High School’s quarterbacks coach. Then, he was granted another year of collegiate eligibility.

The abnormal offseason meant McQuaide was not with Villanova for spring practices and a majority of its summer offseason. McQuaide joined Villanova after its preseason started, missing a few practices.

“We didn’t have Pat at all in the spring or the summer, and we got him about halfway through camp,” sophomore receiver Braden Reed told The Inquirer before the Louisville game. “So it’s still just figuring out the timing, figuring everything out. But I think each week we’re improving and getting better, the more reps he gets and the more reps we get with him.”

McQuaide completed 18 of 31 passes for 166 yards, a touchdown — a 65-yard completion to Ja’briel Mace — and zero interceptions. It was McQuaide’s second consecutive interception-free game.

Outpaced physically, mentally

Louisville showed why there are levels to collegiate football.

While Villanova kept it close for most of the first half, Louisville’s depth finally showed as the game went on. Villanova was forced to punt on five consecutive drives, the last three of which were three-and-outs.

After three unanswered Louisville touchdowns in the second and third quarters, the Wildcats tacked on a 29-yard field goal by Dominic LeBlanc halfway through the third quarter for their lone second-half score.

Louisville played its backups for much of the fourth quarter and added a pair of touchdowns. The Wildcats also sat their starters for much of the final period.

Up next

Villanova will stay on the road for the third consecutive week. The Wildcats will return to FCS and Patriot League play against LIU (0-2) at noon on Saturday in Brookville, N.Y.

Villanova won the last meeting, 24-10, on Sept. 28, 2024, at Villanova Stadium.

Villanova football is facing off against its annual FBS opponent tonight in a road matchup against Louisville.

After beginning the season ranked No. 7 in the FCS preseason coaches’ poll, the Wildcats have slipped to No. 18 over the last two weeks. And their FBS matchup at Louisville comes during a time when Villanova is trying to clean up all three phases of its game.

However, the Wildcats are looking to carry the momentum from their 17-16 win over Bucknell last week, which marked the team’s first victory in the Patriot League, to try to take down a Louisville program (7 p.m., ESPN/ACCN) that is ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and lost, 41-38, to No. 9 Ole Miss on Sunday.

“We don’t talk a whole lot about it, to be honest,” said head coach Mark Ferrante when asked about playing an FBS opponent. “Nameless, faceless opponent. It’s not who we’re playing, it’s how we’re playing.”

Since the season-opening loss to William & Mary, Ferrante and his staff believe both sides of the ball cleaned up their penalties. The Wildcats had five penalties for 45 yards last week, compared to 15 for 107 yards in Week 1. They also didn’t turn the ball over.

As graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide becomes more comfortable with his receivers, Villanova’s offense is starting to show glimpses of what it was projected to be this offseason.

“Pat wasn’t here in the spring, wasn’t here in the summer, missed the first couple days of preseason practice, and then was able to rejoin the team based on all the stuff that transpired behind that,” Ferrante said. “I’m hoping that, again, Week 1 to Week 2, Week 2 to Week 3, and just keep progressing through the season, it’ll just be sharper, there’ll be better timing, there’ll be more understanding of each other.”

Against Bucknell, McQuaide had a couple of open looks that could have resulted in large plays or deep touchdowns, but he either overthrew or missed his receiver in stride.

“There were a few near misses last week where if he hits that one in stride, that might have been a touchdown,” Ferrante said. “ … Hopefully, with added reps, added practice, and more games on our belt, will tie them up better down the road.”

Villanova held on to its win against Bucknell thanks to linebacker Garrett Rogan’s blocked field goal at the end of the game, which would have put Bucknell up by two points. The fifth-year defensive back was one of Villanova’s preferred walk-ons at safety in 2022 and made the transition to linebacker this offseason.

Ferrante emphasized how important special teams is due to how many games are decided by a field goal. Villanova’s season opener was, and so was Louisville’s.

“Our two games, plus Louisville’s first game, plus SMU and Florida State’s first game all came down to field goals or field-goal attempts,” Ferrante said. “That goes to show you how important special teams can be.”

Villanova knows there is always room for improvement, even when it’s playing at its highest potential. That starts with Ferrante, then his staff, and finally the players.

Sophomore linebacker Omari Bursey is one of Villanova’s players who has grasped that concept early in his collegiate career. This offseason, Bursey was given the green dot on the back of his helmet, signifying that he communicates with the coaching staff and the defense while on the field.

Last week, he was named the FCS National Defensive Player of the Week after recording 14 total tackles against Bucknell.

“It’s honestly just a testament to this unit as a whole,” Bursey said of receiving the honor. “One of the biggest things I didn’t get to talk about last week is playing off of my nose guard, and we were able to show that this past week against Bucknell. [We] play so well off each other. It just allowed me to have a few more tackles than the rest of the guys.”

Ferrante said he has shepherd a team-effort mindset during his nine seasons as head coach. It’s an approach that’ll remain against Louisville, he said.

“From my perspective, from the head coach’s perspective, and that hopefully trickles down through their assistants, I approach every week the same,” Ferrante said. “I approach every season the same. People ask me that all the time, ‘So what do you think about this year?’ Well, one year to the next is never going to be the same.

“I enter every season, every game the same way, cautiously optimistic. I always feel if we play our brand of football and we play clean and we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot, and we’re not our worst enemy, we’re not the opponent, then I don’t care who we’re playing. I think we can go out there and compete with anybody.”

It was nowhere near perfect, but Villanova did what it needed to pick up its first Patriot League victory on Saturday night.

Villanova (1-1, 1-1 Patriot League) went on the road to take on conference opponent Bucknell. The Wildcats were coming off a devastating season-opening loss and needed a win to get back on track.

After Villanova took a two-possession lead, Bucknell (0-2, 0-2) battled back to set up a thrilling fourth quarter. With the help of a tipped field goal, Villanova held off the Bison in the fourth quarter to win, 17-16.

Villanova was able to lead Bucknell at halftime, 14-0, after wide receiver Braden Reed collected a pair of passing touchdowns from graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide. On the other side of the ball, Villanova’s defense was able to limit Bucknell to 100 yards of total first-half offense.

Reed, a sophomore, led all Villanova receivers with five receptions for 68 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Brandon Binkowski totaled 71 yards on three receptions, including a 27-yard reception on a drive that ended in a touchdown.

Delaware County native and Strath Haven graduate Sam Milligan led all Bucknell receivers with 13 receptions for 135 yards and two touchdowns. Milligan tied the program’s record for touchdown receptions.

McQuaide was able to clean up his passing game after last week, completing 13 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns. Last week, McQuaide threw three interceptions against William & Mary after throwing only four all of last season.

Garrett Rogan fills in without missing a beat

After Villanova starting linebacker Christian Caballero went down with an injury and did not return to the game, Garrett Rogan entered from the sidelines.

Rogan collected seven total tackles (five solo) and the Wildcats’ lone pass breakup while filling in for Caballero. However, Rogan’s big play came on Bucknell’s 29-yard field goal attempt to take the lead with 1 minute, 57 seconds remaining.

With his right hand wrapped in a club cast, Rogan was able to get a piece of the ball as Bucknell kicker Juan Garanton attempted a 29-yard field goal that would have given Bucknell a 19-17 lead with under two minutes left in regulation. Rogan’s tip was enough for the ball to miss the uprights as it went wide left.

Against William & Mary last week, Rogan had seven total tackles (two solo) and one tackle for a loss.

Last season, Rogan played in 15 games for the Wildcats and tallied 33 tackles (25 solo), one sack, one tackle for loss, and three pass break-ups.

Wildcats clean up penalties and turnovers

Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante always puts a big emphasis on winning the turnover and penalty battles, and that was no different going into this weekend.

The Wildcats gave up only 45 yards on five penalties after giving up 15 penalties for 107 yards against William & Mary last week.

“You’re going to have a couple of penalties during the course of the game,” Ferrante told The Inquirer before the Bucknell game. “When you can put 15 of them together, that’s a big deal.”

Villanova did not turn the ball over against Bucknell, despite a single fumble from a snap that flew over McQuaide’s head in the second quarter. Bucknell also did not record a turnover.

Villanova’s zero turnovers this week are in contrast to its four last week (five if the botched onside kick recovery counted, which it should have, according to Ferrante).

“If you tell me we’re going to have a turnover a game, we’re going to have 11, 12 turnovers by the end of the year, that’s probably a pretty good year. Right now we’re on pace to have 60 if we do five a game. That’s not a good year.”

Up next

Villanova has less than a week to prepare for its annual FBS matchup, which will be against Louisville on Sept. 11 (7 p.m., ESPN/ACCN). Louisville was ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 Poll.

It will be a tight turnaround for Louisville, which plays Ole Miss on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. The Cardinals will have just four days between games.

It will be the first time in history that the two programs will share the same field.

Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante sat behind his large wooden desk on Thursday. He peered out the window to his left and looked at Villanova Stadium. It was the site of the Wildcats’ agonizing season-opening loss to William & Mary last week.

Villanova led William & Mary by 10 points with 58 seconds remaining in regulation. Then a slew of mistakes by the Wildcats allowed William & Mary to make a field goal, recover an onside kick, score a touchdown, intercept Villanova, and kick a game-winning 45-yard field goal as time expired.

As much as Ferrante strives to move on from games, this one stuck with him, and not by choice. While Villanova is preparing for Saturday’s Patriot League matchup at Bucknell (6 p.m., ESPN+), radio shows and media interviews have peppered Ferrante with the same questions about the season-opening loss.

“We want to try to follow our own advice as coaches,” Ferrante said. “Learn from it, digest it the day after, celebrate the victories, mourn the losses, 24 hour rule, come in the next day, make the corrections, and then put it in the rearview and move on. So I’m hoping that’s what our team and our staff have done.”

To shorten it, Ferrante simply said: “We took the L, but the L stands for learn.”

There are still 11 regular season games left on Villanova’s schedule, beginning with Bucknell (0-1, 0-1 Patriot League) on the road on Saturday.

Villanova has not started seasons quickly in recent years. The Wildcats previously showed mental lapses on both sides of the ball, even in wins. Those errors lessened as those seasons progressed, especially last year after Villanova suffered a 51-33 blowout loss to Monmouth in Week 3. The Wildcats responded with an 11-game win streak to parlay a run to the FCS playoff semifinals.

Ferrante does not view seasons game-by-game or even half-to-half. He views the season in the form of each play, referencing the words of recent champions in Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.

“Cignetti says the same thing,” Ferrante said. “Every play has a life of its own. And once that play’s over, you have to get to the next play, regardless of what happened. Jalen Brunson came down, and he popped into our Ocean City practice. He basically said the same thing. Take one play at a time, regardless of the outcome of that play, put it in the rearview and get to the next play.”

In preparation for this weekend, Villanova has prioritized cleaning up the penalties after committing 15 for 107 yards against William & Mary. In comparison, William & Mary had three penalties for 22 yards.

Villanova also lost the turnover battle, 4-1.

“You’re going to have a couple of penalties during the course of the game,” Ferrante said. “When you can put 15 of them together, that’s a big deal. … If you tell me we’re going to have a turnover a game, we’re going to have 11, 12 turnovers by the end of the year, that’s probably a pretty good year. Right now we’re on pace to have 60 if we do five a game. That’s not a good year.”

However, there is still good that came out of the loss for Ferrante, notably the team’s tackling.

In previous seasons, the Wildcats struggled early on with tackling in the open field, attributed to the lack of live tackling during the preseason.

“One of the positives, I thought, looking at previous opening games is we looked fast, and our tackling was a little better than some preseason or early games in previous years,” Ferrante said. “So I think that’s something we can build off of. But one week to the next is all you got. And this one will come up a lot faster. You don’t have all preseason to get ready for the next one.”

Villanova last faced Bucknell in 2021, when the Wildcats dominated the Bison, 55-3. A lot has changed since then. Bucknell named Jeff Behrman its 28th head coach earlier this year.

“This one might even be a little trickier than the opener because we haven’t played Bucknell in a long time and they have a new coaching staff,” Ferrante said. “So all we have to go on is film from where they came from, John Carroll, a semifinal team from a year ago [in] Division III, and then last week’s Richmond game. … We think [Jeff Behrman will] run the same offense he ran at John Carroll.

“We’re excited for the challenge. We’re looking forward to going out there and playing better and putting a better product on the field than we did last week, collectively, at least for four quarters, and minimizing our mistakes.”