Villanova's Whitney feels more comfortable in the pocket

It took prodding, but Chris Whitney eventually admitted this is how he always wanted to be recognized.

These days, the Villanova quarterback is receiving praise for precise passes, not running over defenders.

"It makes you feel better," the 6-foot-2, 230-pound senior said. "But I try to stay away from all that stuff."

Staying away from the sudden acknowledgment that he's a passing threat is hard to do, though. That's because he has the Football Championship Subdivision's top pass efficiency rating (167.90) this season heading into Saturday's Colonial Athletic Association game against Richmond at Villanova Stadium.

The St. Joseph's Prep product has completed 97 of 141 passes (68.8 percent) for 1,248 yards and 13 touchdowns to go with four interceptions.

Still a capable runner, the four-year starter has 76 carries for 232 yards for a team-leading six rushing scores.

Not bad for someone playing with two bulging disks in his back, a bad knee, a bad ankle, and turf toe.

"I would say, offensively, right now, he's carried the load for us," said coach Andy Talley, whose squad (5-2, 3-1 CAA) looks to extend its winning streak to three games.

"If Whitney is on his game, that means he is throwing . . . razor sharp and we are running the ball pretty good."

A first-team CAA selection in 2009, Whitney's best performance this season came in a 48-18 victory at Maine on Oct. 16. Whitney completed 20 of 25 passes for a career-best 322 yards and career-best-tying three touchdowns. Two of his TD strikes went for 63 and 73 yards.

In the process, Whitney became the first Wildcat to throw for 300 yards since Frank Jankowski tallied 363 yards at James Madison on Nov. 12, 2005.

Whitney added 37 yards and two rushing touchdowns on nine carries against the Black Bears en route to being named the CAA offensive player of the week and the Collegeperformance.com FCS performer of the week.

"After four years, he's finally going into his second read," Talley said. "Now instead of him running, he's going bing."

The Wildcats hope that Whitney's patience will lead them to victory over the Spiders (4-3, 2-2).

"My game is I just play," he said, "and I just do whatever I need to do to help the team win."

Saturday at noon, Villanova Stadium.

TV/Radio: TCN; ESPN-AM (950).

Records: Richmond (4-3, 2-2 Colonial Athletic Association, ranked 14th nationally; Villanova (5-2, 3-1), ranked fifth.

Coaches: Latrell Scott (first season); Andy Talley (26th season, 184-104-1)

Series: The Wildcats hold a 20-9 series advantage and have won three of the last four games. Villanova's last two victories over Richmond were by a combined seven points.

Richmond outlook: The Spiders' defense has lived up to the nickname Stonewall in the last three games, recording eight takeaways and nine sacks and allowing just five offensive scores. Senior cornerback Justin Rogers, a three-time all-American, is 35 yards shy of breaking the CAA career kickoff return yardage record held by former Villanova standout Brian Westbrook (2,433).

Villanova outlook: The Wildcats are going for their 15th consecutive victory at Villanova Stadium. It could come down to their ability to stop Richmond's running game. On paper, that should not be a problem; Villanova has allowed 84.1 rushing yards per game to rank first in the CAA and fifth in the FCS.

- Keith PompeyEndText