Villanova upsets Tarleton State and advances to FCS semifinals with comeback win

Villanova advanced to the FCS semifinals for the first time since 2010 with a 26-21 comeback victory over Tarleton State on Saturday in Stephenville, Texas.

The visiting Wildcats played from behind throughout the first three quarters before taking down the fourth-seeded Texans, who entered Saturday’s contest boasting the No. 1 scoring offense in the FCS, averaging 44.1 points per game.

Villanova graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide passed for 180 yards and one touchdown, while freshman wide receiver Braden Reed was integral to the victory in multiple ways, including throwing a touchdown pass on a second-quarter trick play and catching the game-winning score on an 11-yard pass early in the fourth quarter. Sophomore running back Ja’briel Mace led the ground attack, rushing for 151 yards and one touchdown on a team-high 18 carries.

With the win, 12th-seeded Villanova (12-2) claimed its second straight upset and extended its playoff run, which already saw defeats of Harvard and No. 5 seed Lehigh in previous rounds. The Wildcats now ride an 11-game win streak into the semifinals in their most successful season since winning the 2009 national championship.

“They’ve been doing it all year, so [I’m] really proud of this team,” coach Mark Ferrante said during a postgame interview on ESPN. “We probably had some teams in past years with a little more talent across the board, but these guys have been as together as I’ve ever seen. The locker room is tight, they break down [huddles] on ‘Family’ all the time, and they believe it. So, I’m real excited about these guys.”

Villanova found itself down early after a pair of costly turnovers. Tarleton (12-2) took full advantage and raced to a 14-0 lead on back-to-back drives.

A promising opening drive took a turn for the worst when McQuaide threw an interception in the end zone on first-and-goal from the 7-yard line. On the first play of Tarleton’s possession, Texans senior quarterback Victor Gabalis hit Peyton Kramer with a deep pass that went for an 80-yard touchdown.

On the ensuing possession, the Wildcats went three-and-out, before Tarleton blocked their punt, took over at the Villanova 12-yard line, and found itself back in the end zone six plays later.

In the second quarter, Villanova began to respond to Tarleton’s early burst.

Graduate kicker Jack Barnum hit a 31-yard field goal, putting Villanova on the board to open the quarter.

On the first play of Tarleton’s next drive, Wildcats redshirt defensive back Anthony Hawkins picked off Gabalis and returned the ball to the Texans’ 45-yard line, setting up another scoring opportunity for Villanova, which wasted little time.

Two plays later, McQuaide handed the ball off to Reed, who launched it to graduate wide receiver Lucas Kopecky in the end zone for a 27-yard TD. The trick play was Reed’s first-ever pass in a game.

After the touchdown, Villanova trailed, 14-9 — thanks to a blocked extra-point attempt — with 11:20 left until halftime.

Villanova’s defense kept Tarleton out of the end zone throughout the second quarter and limited the Texans to 125 yards of total offense across the half. And before the break, the Wildcats were able to tack on a 41-yard field goal from Barnum to cut further into Tarleton’s lead.

The Texans opened the second half extending their advantage to 21-12 on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Gabalis to Trevon West.

After the Wildcats were limited to just 65 rushing yards in the first half, their ground game picked up in the third quarter. Sophomore running back Ja’briel Mace started Villanova’s first drive of the half with a 21-yard run. On the next play, McQuaide again handed it off again to Mace, who sprinted 47 yards to the end zone.

The Wildcats took their first lead early in the fourth quarter on a 12-play, 78-yard drive. Mace again helped Villanova advance downfield with six carries on the drive, including a 26-yard run. McQuaide then found Reed in the end zone from 11 yards out to set the final score, 26-21.

It was Reed’s second game-winner of the playoffs, after he also caught the final touchdown against Lehigh last Saturday.

The Wildcats made key stops down the stretch, surviving several late-game scares. On Tarleton’s final drive, Villanova was charged with holding and unsportsmanlike conduct on the same play, advancing the Texans 25 yards downfield to Villanova’s 27-yard line. Tarleton got inside the red zone, with a first-and 10 from the 15, but Ferrante’s defense held strong.

On fourth-and-6 from the 11, following the two-minute warning, Gabalis appeared to have a running lane to pick up a first down, but instead found West in the left side of the end zone for what initially appeared to be the go-ahead score. But after review, officials concluded that West’s right foot landed just out of bounds, while his trailing left foot never touched down in bounds.

Villanova ran out the clock from there.

“Well, you know, because you asked me earlier, the whole ‘Tap The Rock’ mentality,” Ferrante said on the field after the game, before getting emotional. “You know, be resilient, persevere no matter what’s happening, and our guys do that. I’m really proud of this group.”

Villanova will face the winner of Saturday night’s quarterfinal between Illinois State and No. 8 seed University of California Davis in the semifinal round next Saturday, Dec. 20.

If Illinois State prevails, the Wildcats will have another home game at Villanova Stadium. Otherwise, Villanova will take a trip to the West Coast to take on UC Davis.