Villanova QB Whitney does "whatever it takes to win"

Unattractive, yet effective.

That's perhaps the best way to describe Chris Whitney's career at Villanova.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder looks more like a fullback than a quarterback. Routinely barreling into would-be tacklers, the senior also possesses a fullback's mentality.

And before this season, Whitney used to always lock onto one receiver when he passed the ball.

But that hasn't come close to hurting the 15th-ranked Wildcats. The 22-year-old takes a 31-9 record as a starter into Saturday's regular-season finale at No. 1 Delaware.

"The ultimate goal in football is to win," Whitney said. "When I go out and play, I do whatever it takes to win.

"At Maine [on Oct. 16], I threw for a lot of yards [a career-best 322]. Against Richmond [on Oct. 30], I rushed for a lot of yards [116]. So I am going to do whatever it takes to win."

He might need to do just that at Delaware Stadium.

The defending Football Championship Subdivision champion Wildcats (6-4, 4-3 Colonial Athletic Association) must beat the Blue Hens (9-1, 6-1) to reach the postseason.

But Whitney isn't approaching this game like it's the final one of his career.

He says he's a little sad that his days at Villanova are coming to an end. He just doesn't expect them to end Saturday.

"We are going to do whatever it takes to get that win," Whitney said.

The St. Joseph's Prep product should have a huge say in the outcome.

Whitney has completed 144 of 226 passes (63.7 percent) for 1,668 yards and 16 touchdowns to go with five interceptions this season. He's ranked second in the CAA and 13th in the nation in pass efficiency (144.65).

A first-team all-CAA selection in 2009, Whitney has 468 rushing yards and a team-best nine rushing touchdowns.

"I would say, offensively, right now, he's carried the load for us," coach Andy Talley said. "If Whitney is on his game, that means he is throwing . . . razor-sharp and we are running the ball pretty good."

And that goes beyond this season.

Whitney's 2,022 career rushing yards rank first in school history for a quarterback and eighth overall.

Whitney also ranks fourth in career total yards (7,690) and fifth in career passing yards (5,668) at Villanova.

"The past four years have gone by so fast," he said. "I still remember playing in my first [start] at UMass as a freshman. Four overtimes. . . .

"It has not been a perfect four years, but an awesome four years. And it has gone by fast."

Saturday at noon.,

Tubby Raymond Field at Delaware Stadium.

TV/Radio: TCN; ESPN-AM (950), WDSD-FM (94.7).

Records: Villanova, 6-4 overall, 4-3 Colonial Athletic Association, ranked No. 15 nationally; Delaware, 9-1, 6-1, ranked No. 1.

Coaches: Villanova, Andy Talley (26th season, 185-106-1); Delaware, K.C. Keeler (ninth season, 71-40).

Series: Villanova has won the last four meetings and holds a 22-20-1 series advantage. Talley is 11-11 against the Blue Hens.

Villanova outlook: The Wildcats must win to advance to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The defending FCS champions haven't exactly looked a like a playoff-caliber team lately. Villanova is riding a two-game losing streak for the first time since 2006, when the Wildcats fell to Maine and Towson.

Delaware outlook: The Blue Hens will probably earn the No. 1 seed for the playoffs with a victory. With a win, Delaware will also take the Colonial Athletic Association title outright. Quarterback Pat Devlin is one of 10 finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award. The fifth-year senior, who transferred from Penn State in 2009, is the only FCS player up for the award that goes to college football's top senior quarterback.

EndText