Villanova bowls over Towson, 49-7
TOWSON, Md. – The game was over quickly.
It was obvious Villanova had its football game with Towson in check when the host Tigers finished the first quarter with more penalty yards than rushing yards.
Then, the Wildcats left little doubt scoring on their first five possessions as Villanova cruised to a 49-7 Colonial Athletic Association victory Saturday in front of 5,399 fans at Johnny Unitas Stadium.
Things started poorly for Towson as the Tigers finished the first quarter with 15 penalty yards and just 13 yards running. By haftime, the Football Championship Subdivision's third-ranked Wildcats were in command, 35-0.
"Today was one of the days where players just knew we had to take care of business just to get to the next game," said Villanova coach Andy Talley, whose Wildcats entertain archrival Delaware on Saturday. "I didn't feel like we had a lot of high emotion coming out of the locker room. And I didn't feel like we had a lot of emotion on the sidelines.
"It was just really one of those things where I think we have a little bit better football team right now."
The lopsided victory put Villanova (9-1, 6-1 CAA) in a three-way first-place tie with Richmond and William & Mary heading into the final week of the regular season.
The Wildcats will get the conference's automatic bid for the upcoming FCS playoffs with a win over the Blue Hens.
Yesterday, the Wildcats dominated all three phases of the game – offense, defense and special teams.
A chunk of Villanova's 430 yards of total offense came on the ground with 11 ball-carriers contributing to 282 rushing yards.
Defensively, the Wildcats held the Tigers (2-8, 1-6) to 48 rushing yards (1.5 yards per carry). Tony Canci highlighted Villanova's special teams with a blocked punt.
The game was so one-sided that the Wildcats built a 49-0 cushion before Towson scored its lone touchdown with 2 minutes, 47 seconds left in the third quarter.
"We were definitely trying to get out" to an early lead, said Villanova running back Aaron Ball, who rushed for two scores. "We were trying to come out there from the first quarter to the end of the game and play with passion and emotion."
Wildcats quarterback Chris Whitney played just four series. He completed 6 of 7 passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns. He also had four carries for 21 yards and even caught a TD pass, a 13-yarder, from running back Matt Szczur on a gadget play.
Reserve quarterback Antwon Young also stood out in his first action in four games. The fifth-year senior had five carries for a team-high 92 yards. The highlight was his 82-yard touchdown run that gave Villanova a 42-0 advantage in the third quarter.
Contact staff writer Keith Pompey at 610-313-8029 or kpompey@phillynews.com.
