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Wildcats bounce back with win over Albany

You didn't really think that Villanova's football team was going to lose a game it really needed to get about 24 hours after the university had named the program's new $18 million home in the west end zone of their Lancaster Avenue stadium in honor of retiring coach Andy Talley, did you?

You didn't really think that Villanova's football team was going to lose a game it really needed to get about 24 hours after the university had named the program's new $18 million home in the west end zone of their Lancaster Avenue stadium in honor of retiring coach Andy Talley, did you?

OK, so maybe that had little to do with the Wildcats' 24-13 victory over visiting Albany on a windy Saturday afternoon on the Main Line. Whatever. The 16th-ranked team in FCS took care of business, one week after losing for the first time since the opener and getting shut out for the first time in a dozen years.

"This was a hump game for us," said Talley, who was also honored on the field at halftime. "It was homecoming. We had so many players returning. Then you had the pressure of trying to prepare, with so much running through my head. It was an unusual set of circumstances. I didn't want it to get in the way."

The Wildcats (6-2, 4-0) were ahead by 14 early in the second period. The lead was 21 after their first possession of the second half. And 24 entering the fourth period, after Gerard Smith's second field goal of the season (on his third try).

By the time Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks got the Great Danes (4-3, 1-3) on the board with a 75-yard run with 12 minutes to go, it was too late. Michael Nicastro's 40-yard fumble return with 2 minutes, 15 seconds left only made it look closer than it was.

"There wasn't really any pressure," said quarterback Zach Bednarczyk, who missed the last 21/2 quarters a week ago at Richmond after suffering a concussion. "We were excited that a lot of players were going to be there. Some were friends and some were players we didn't know. We wanted to play the best we could to make them proud."

Bednarczyk didn't get his medical clearance to resume contact until Friday, although he was allowed to begin taking snaps and throwing Thursday.

"He had to dig deep . . . on what he's got inside of him," Talley said.

Villanova rushed for 269 yards. Albany had 161 total. Sophomore Aaron Forbes had a career-high 151 on 24 carries and scored twice. Bednarczyk ran for 37 (with 31 yards in losses) and passed for 82 (9 for 15). But his presence made a difference.

Speaking of which, the Wildcats had nine sacks, the most in FCS this season and one fewer than they had coming in. They had 12 tackles for losses, two off the FCS record.

"We have a lot of playmakers [on defense]," said junior linebacker Ed Shockley, who had team highs of 10 tackles and 31/2 sacks. "If everyone does their job, that's going to be the result."

They now get a bye before heading to Maine (4-3, 3-1). Talley could probably use the break.

"I was thinking about [everything going on] a little bit," he acknowledged. "I didn't want to let it get to me."