Led by rushing attack, Villanova steamrolls New Hampshire, 37-7
David Avit had 102 rushing yards, Ja'briel Mace had three touchdowns, and Villanova's defense shut out New Hampshire over the final three quarters of the win.
No. 18 Villanova hit the road and confirmed its status as an FCS top-25 team on Saturday, scoring 30 unanswered points to beat New Hampshire, 37-7, in its most dominant win so far this season.
Villanova (3-2, 2-1 Coastal Athletic Association) also leapfrogged New Hampshire (3-3, 1-1) for fifth place in the conference standings.
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Villanova’s sophomore running back trio led the way to the win. David Avit rushed for a team-high 102 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, while Isaiah Ragland added 84 yards on 19 carries. Ja’briel Mace scored three touchdowns and chipped in 34 rushing yards.
Graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide threw for 219 yards on 16-of-25 passing.
Defensively, the visiting Wildcats held their hosts scoreless for the final three quarters. Junior linebacker Turner Inge and senior defensive back Christian Sapp led the way with five tackles each.
Energetic start
A series of big rushing plays opened the conference battle in Durham, N.H.
Villanova redshirt freshman defensive back Anthony Hawkins picked off quarterback Matt Vezza on the game’s opening drive and returned it 3 yards to the New Hampshire 34-yard line.
Avit and Co. took over from there. The offensive line opened a hole for the running back, and he sprinted, untouched, 34 yards to the end zone.
Vezza responded with a 35-yard quarterback draw to make it 7-7 with 10 minutes, 8 seconds left in the first quarter, though.
Mace makes his mark
The Wildcats took a tie game into the second quarter, but Villanova’s powerful ground attack got to work. Villanova outgained New Hampshire, 238-89, on the ground and 461-207 total on Saturday.
Thirty-one of Mace’s 34 rushing yards came on one play. On the first play of the second quarter, he wove through the New Hampshire defense to the end zone. He then capped Villanova’s next possession, a 60-yard drive, with a 2-yard sprint.
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His third touchdown came in the fourth quarter, a 1-yard rush up the middle.
Mace earned the spotlight in last weekend’s win over William & Mary with a 100-yard kickoff return. He has established himself as a key option in the backfield, along with Avit, Ragland, and senior Isaiah Wright, who scored the final touchdown of the day, a 3-yard run with 1:54 left.
Defense holds down
Along with the early interception, Villanova’s defense delivered plenty of pressure and big stops to keep New Hampshire out of the end zone.
Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Ugo Nwotite had two sacks, and graduate defensive lineman Obinna Nwobodo added a third.
Up next
The Wildcats will look to continue their climb up the conference standings with another road matchup at Elon (4-2, 2-0) next Saturday (2 p.m., FloCollege).