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Wildcats defeat Lafayette for the first time

EASTON, Pa. - Before Saturday night Villanova and Lafayette had played only four times in football, all of them up here. The Wildcats lost all four, each by shutout. The most recent meeting was in 1920, or six years before the Leopards began playing at Fisher Stadium.

EASTON, Pa. - Before Saturday night Villanova and Lafayette had played only four times in football, all of them up here. The Wildcats lost all four, each by shutout. The most recent meeting was in 1920, or six years before the Leopards began playing at Fisher Stadium.

So much for the history between two programs separated by 65 miles, or just 20 more than separates Villanova and Delaware.

This time the Wildcats, ranked 21st in FCS, scored on the opening snap. Cornerback Malik Reeves jarred the ball loose from DeSean Brown, who was carrying off right tackle, and senior lineman Tanoh Kpassagnon ran it back 22 yards for their third defensive touchdown this season and first of his career. They even made the extra point, something they've had problems with.

The last time they scored on their first defensive play was in the 2009 playoffs at home against New Hampshire. That team went on to win the whole thing.

In this one the Wildcats (3-1) did what they were expected to do, which was handle the Leopards (1-3). The final was 31-14, although it was still a three-point game early in the third quarter.

This was the Wildcats' last nonconference game. The rest of the way will be all Colonial Athletic Association, in which they were picked to finish fourth. It starts Saturday at Elon, another team they're supposed to beat.

"We weren't great offensively, but we won in a lot of different areas," coach Andy Talley said. "I think this will help us, that we had to fight after they came back. We had to do the same thing [two weeks ago] against Lehigh, when we trailed [14-6] at halftime.

"If you can't do that, you're not going to go far in our league."

It was 17-7 at halftime. On their first possession, the Wildcats drove 83 yards before trying a fake field goal on goal-to-go from the 8. But a pass from holder John Hinchen, the punter, to backup tight end Simon Bengelis picked up only 5 yards.

The next time Villanova had the ball, Gerard Smith kicked a 37-yard field goal, the Wildcats' first in six games and only their second attempt in that span.

Lafayette drove 78 yards - four more than it had up to that point - to get within seven with just over a minute left in the second quarter. Zach Bednarczyk was then intercepted in the end zone (on a play that started at the 20) with five seconds to go. The Leopards proceeded to score another touchdown on their first second-half drive.

A blocked punt by Julian Williams set Villanova up at the 25, and it scored five plays later with 3 minutes, 32 seconds remaining in the third. Three plays later linebacker Jeff Sleeb turned his first career interception into a 45-yard touchdown.

"That was just us tapping the rock," Kpassagnon said. "That's our motto."

A fumbled punt gave the Leopards the ball just inside Villanova territory to start the fourth quarter. After they got to the Villanova 8 by completing a 25-yard pass on fourth and 4, Rob Rolle came up with what would have been his second program-record 100-yard interception return in as many weeks except for a block-in-the-back penalty on the runback. He later came up with another pick at the 2.

Aaron Forbes rushed for 111 yards and a TD on 11 carries.