Villanova Breaks Two-Game Losing Streak, Gets First CAA Win 31 – 24 Over William & Mary
VILLANOVA, PA 9/27/2025 –
During the first half the offenses went back and forth. Would it take a big play on special teams or defensive prescence to provide the difference in this game? It would and Villanova got both in earning their 18th consecutive home win 31 – 24 over the William & Mary Tribe on Family Day.
Trailing 17 – 14 at halftime the Wildcats got a big special teams play as kick returner Ja’briel Mace returned a kickoff 100-yards to give the Wildcats the lift needed, and the lead. From there Nova turned the game over to the running game and the defense.
“That was the spark we needed,” said Villanova Coach Mark Ferrante. “Hopefully, this win is the spark we need to move forward to the second one.”
“It was the spark we needed to get us the momentum and get us going, because it was nip and tuck for a while in the first half. Really proud of this team’s resilience.”
Mace took the kickoff to the house, the first for the Wildcats since 2019 when Nowoola Awopetu retuned a kick for a touchdown against Richmond in 2019. It tied the longest kickoff return for a touchdown in program history. Once he broke containment, Mace knew he could take it all the way.
“The entire season, I’ve been close, always a step away,” said Mace. “Coach Ferrante, coming out of the second half said the special teams, always a spark of the team. We knew what the job was. They kicked it to me, caught it, and saw the hole.”
From there Villanova used their staple, the running game and defense to keep the lead and the victory.
Running Game, Avit, Runs the Offense and the Clock
David Avit led the rushing attack with 133 yards and three touchdowns, the second consecutive game he had three scores and his second career back to back 100-yard games. Isaiah Ragland added 67 more towards the 232 yards on the ground. Credit to the offensive line.
“For offense you’ve got to be able to have a dominate run game, and that starts with the guys up front,” Avit said. “It’s simply so easy because you know they’re going to do their job. With those guys up front I don’t think there is a team that can stop us, especially in the second half when we start running downhill.”
Defense Slows the Tribe Late
After giving up 17 first half points, the defense held William & Mary to just a touchdown in the latter thirty minutes. The Tribe gained yards, 356 overall, but only crossed the goal line once. Tribe quarterback Tyler Hughes led the team with 63 yards running and 233 through the air. The Wildcats adjusted and executed better in the second half, and made them earn it.
“You can’t give them first downs on penalties,” Ferrante said. “You can’t give them the big explosives, and you can’t have them convert on third down. They did that in the first half, but we were able to stop that in the second half.”
William & Mary had 5 of 8 conversions on third down in the first half. The number dropped to 4 of 7 in the second half.
The game ended with Nova linebacker Shane Hartzell, who had a game-best 10 tackles, sacking Hughes to stop the Tribe and secure the win.
Up Next
Villanova levels their record at 2 – 2 and 1 – 1 in the Coastal. The team will enjoy the next 24-hours, then prepare for a conference game at New Hampshire.
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com
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