Villanova gets a boost in their record and confidence courtesy of a win against No. 12 Lehigh
The Wildcats picked up their first home win since November 2025, in an arena that was once a fortress. But against the 12th-ranked Mountain Hawks they showed promise.
Villanova football’s season has been revived with the help of a Garrett Rogan sack on the 2-yard line to seal a 24-18 win against No. 12 Lehigh.
Villanova (4-4, 3-2 Patriot League) picked up its first home win since November 2025, defeating Lehigh, 24-18. The Mountain Hawks converted two fourth-down conversions on their final drive to set up a possible game-tying touchdown from the 2-yard-line with seconds left on the clock. Rogan was able to break through the line and sack Lehigh’s Derek Morgan as time expired.
“It’s good to be on the winning side of a last possession game,” Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante said. “We haven’t had the opportunity to do that too many times, a couple times. However, games always come down to the last possession.
“Thankfully, this one worked out in our favor. So we’re excited; we’ll enjoy it for 24 hours, get back to work tomorrow and fix things that need fixing because there’s going to be correctables regardless of the result, regardless of the outcome, there’s always correctables.”
The Wildcats totaled 337 yards of total offense, rushing for 136 and passing for 201.
Villanova graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide was 15-for-25 . He is now 55-for-77 (71.4) over his last three games. McQuaide added a 7-yard rushing touchdown for Villanova’s first score.
“Yeah, that was big,” McQuaide said when scoring on the opening possession. “I think we talked all week about just focusing on us and taking care of our business, being physical, and winning the first game of every series. I thought we did a good job in the first half. Obviously, [Lehigh] made some adjustments. They had a better plan in the second half. They did some good things. That’s stuff that we have to overcome, put more points on the board in the second half so that the game doesn’t come down to the last possession…Obviously, with how the season’s gone, it’s been pretty crazy up and down. So to finish with a win, obviously, like you said, it’s always great to win.”
Rogan and Villanova defense powers
Rogan switched from safety to linebacker this offseason, and has been finding success. He totaled 13 total tackles (11 solo). It was the first sack of his season and second in his entire career.
“He’s fortunate enough to come off and get to the quarterback, come off the edge and get to the quarterback,” Ferrante said. “So we’re excited. He’s learning a new position. He’s been a safety his whole career, and this year he’s forced to play linebacker. So I think he’s still growing with the position, and he’s been stepping up and making some good plays and opportunities he’s had.”
Through eight games, Rogan has 39 total tackles (25 solo).
Villanova’s defense was able to hold Lehigh to a scoreless first half and 82 total yards of offense. The Mountaineers were 1-for-6 on first-half third downs.
The Wildcat defense forced Lehigh to settle for a field goal while in the red zone at the end of the third quarter. On the game’s final drive, they kept them from scoring a touchdown on the 2-yard-line that could have led to a game-winning extra point.
Running back success continues
Villanova’s offense was led by the running back duo of Ja’briel Mace and Isaiah Ragland. Mace had 17 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown. It was his third consecutive game with a score. Ragland rushed for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Mace has rushed for a team-high 594 yards this season. Ragland leads the team with eight rushing touchdowns. Both running backs are averaging five yards per carry.
Villanova limits penalties
Villanova’s biggest struggle earlier in the season was penalties. The Wildcats averaged 8.8 penalties over their first five games. Through its last three, Villanova has only averaged five per contest.
Against Lehigh, the Wildcats had five penalties for 58 yards.
Up next...
Villanova will travel to Lafayette (3-4, 2-2 Patriot League) next weekend for a conference matchup (12:30 p.m., ESPN+). Villanova has lost the last two matchups against Lafayette in 2016 and 2017.
