Villanova rolls over Maine, 48-18

ORONO, Maine - Villanova, apparently well-rested and well-prepared coming off a bye week, rolled up 559 yards of offense on a rainy Saturday in beating Maine, 48-18, at Alfond Stadium.

Wildcats senior quarterback Chris Whitney went 20 for 25 for a career-best 322 yards, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for two.

The Colonial Athletic Association victory raised No. 6 Villanova to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference, while Maine dropped to 2-5, 1-3.

"I think, today, it looked like we were getting our legs back, back to performing with confidence and playing with confidence on both sides of the ball," Villanova coach Andy Talley said.

It was the first 300-yard performance for a Wildcats quarterback since Frank Jankowski passed for 363 yards against James Madison in 2005.

"Our line gave Chris a good amount of time to throw the ball today," Talley said. "At times, he ended up just patting the ball, patting the ball - and then just sticking it in there. We had some great catches and he was laser-sharp today."

Although 'Nova is just 2-5 at Maine all-time, the Black Bears simply couldn't contain the Wildcats on Saturday. Villanova roared to a 27-3 halftime lead and was 10 for 14 on third-down conversions.

Whitney and his receiver corps, without versatile wide receiver Matt Szczur (ankle) for the second straight game, still diced up the Maine secondary. Doran Wells had seven catches for a career-high 111 yards and a score, while Norman White added six receptions for 94 yards and a TD.

"What it really came down to today was us just playing together," Whitney said. "Our O-line played unbelievable today. They gave so much time to throw."

Villanova scored on four of its first five possessions, showing quick-strike capability. Whitney threw TD passes of 63 and 73 yards to Angelo Babbaro and Wells, respectively.

"We saw some areas where we could hit them deep and we were able to connect today," said Whitney, who shook off the effects of turf toe and a back ailment.

He also threw an 18-yard scoring pass to White and rushed for 37 yards on nine carries.

Maine briefly got to within two scores, using a 20-yard pass on a fake punt to spark a scoring drive early in the third quarter.

After the teams traded punts, Villanova ended the suspense with an 87-yard drive capped by Babbaro's 28-yard TD run that made it 34-11 with 1 minute, 8 seconds left in the third quarter.

"I was concerned that could give them impetus to turn it around because this is a tough place to play for us, and we were able to overcome that," Talley said.