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Villanova aims for turnaround against Maine

Villanova coach Andy Talley said before last week's 28-21 loss to Towson that the game was a must-win. Now, with the prospect of losing their fourth game in the last five, Talley makes the situation sound dire but not hopeless.

Villanova coach Andy Talley said before last week's 28-21 loss to Towson that the game was a must-win.

Now, with the prospect of losing their fourth game in the last five, Talley makes the situation sound dire but not hopeless.

"I think the running-the-table thing, we have the potential to do that because we have a great defense," Talley earlier this week. "Last week they were brilliant. But to have an offensive cast that can't support them is frustrating."

The Wildcats (3-4, 2-2 Colonial Athletic Association) will host Maine (3-4, 3-1) on Saturday night at Villanova Stadium.

"I think right now for us, the team, the coaching staff, Maine is the focal point," Talley said. "We can't really look beyond that. We need to get a win to get us off the floor right now."

The Wildcats dominated Towson statistically. They put up the same yardage total (421) as they did a week earlier in a 37-0 rout of Albany.

But there is one area that can't be overlooked. Against Albany, redshirt freshman quarterback Zach Bednarczyk was 12 for 12 for 152 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Against a better Towson defense, Bednarczyk passed for 245 yards but threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

The defense remains stout, however. The Wildcats have been better than they were last season, when they allowed more than 22 points per game. This season they are yielding 19.7 points per game.

However, the defense isn't pointing fingers at the offense, which last season averaged more than 37 points per game but now scores 20.6.

They are still unified.

"It's all of us together," said junior linebacker Austin Calitro, who is second on the team in both tackles (59) and sacks (3). "We are going to move forward together as a team. We still have the same goals - to get to the playoffs and play."

jmitchell@philly.com

@JmitchInquirer