Can Villanova linebacker Cherry top last season?

Villanova linebacker Don Cherry may have been a bit overlooked last season because of the play of his teammate, quarterback John Robertson, who won the Walter Payton Award as the best player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

That won't be the case this season.

"Everybody knows who Don Cherry is and everyone closely related to football knew who he was last year," Villanova coach Andy Talley said Thursday at the close of the team's practice. "Can he have the kind of season he had last season? I don't know. That would be a little bit like asking [Robertson] to have the kind of season he had last year."

The 6-foot-1, 240-pound middle linebacker is perhaps the most decorated returning FCS defensive player in the nation. A 2014 first-team all-American, he finished second in balloting for the Buck Buchanan award that honors the top FCS defender. His 134 tackles (82 solo) last season were the fifth-highest total in Villanova history. He led the 11-3 Wildcats in tackles for loss (211/2), sacks (10), and forced fumbles (five). He also had an interception.

So what does he do for an encore?

"I'm not really looking at the numbers and saying I have to put them up again," said Cherry, who like Temple standout linebacker Tyler Matakevich is from Trumbull, Conn. "I owe a lot of that to my teammates. What's more important is that we play well as a unit and have more success than we did last season, which I believe is possible."

Ranked No. 4 in the preseason top 25 by the Sporting News, Villanova opens the season at Connecticut on Sept. 3. After a little more than one week of practice, Talley said the defense is "a little ahead" of the offense.

In fact, it is the offense, so explosive last season, that Talley expressed concern about Thursday. The line must replace both starting guards from last season's team, which was eliminated in the FCS quarterfinals by Sam Houston State. Last season's leading rusher, Kevin Monangai, is now in Eagles training camp and leading receiver Poppy Livers also graduated.

"Right now our offense has to catch up to the defense, which has looked very good as we prepare for Connecticut," Talley said.

Talley has challenged Cherry, a senior, to be better this season. However, like Cherry, he said that being better doesn't necessarily mean putting up the same numbers.

"He can be a better football player without the numbers," Talley said. "In fact, if the numbers go down that likely means his teammates are playing better."