The Wildcats Stop The Mountain Hawks at the 2-Yard Line, Win 24 – 18
VILLANOVA, PA. 10/24/2026
On Homecoming Day the Villanova Wildcats won their first home game of the season 24 – 18 over the Lehigh Mountain Hawks. The Wildcats stopped the Mountain Hawks just two yards away from a potential game tying/winning touchdown as time ran out. This time the end of the game play came out in the Wildcats favor.
“It’s good to be on the winning side of a last possession game,” said Villanova Coach Mark Ferrante. “We haven’t had the opportunity to do that too many times. It seems like the game comes down to the last possession, and thankfully, this one worked out in our favor.”
In many games the situation went against Villanova. The team had an off week, two weeks ago,The and a chance to reset. Seemingly it has paid dividends for Nova who are on a two-game winning streak. With the win Nova joins three other teams at 3 – 2 in the Patriot League tied for second place, just a game behind the league leaders.
“The bye week came at a good time,” Ferrante said. “It allowed a chance for our guys to rest physically, it gave them a break mentally. last week we didn’t have class. The bye week helped because it gave them a chance to talk amongst themselves. A week off, a chance to be away from the facility, it was a good reset.”
Defense Cane Up Big in Key Fourth Quarter Situation
Lehigh had momentum in the second half after being shut out in the first half. The Mountain Hawks took the ball after a Wildcats field goal with 3:33 on the clock. The ball was on the Lehigh 5-yard line after the kick was muffed by Jamaire Harden. The visitors went on a 93-yard drive. A pass interference set the ball at the 2-yard line with 12 seconds remaining. Over the next two plays Lehigh threw incomplete passes. On the third down play Garrett Rogan sacked Mountain Hawks quarterback Derek Morgan to end the game. Villanova had but one strategy at the end.
“We said hey lets put the pressure on them and make them get rid of the ball early, not sit back hold it and not cover too long,” Ferrante said. “We gave them pressure on those couple possessions, made them get rid of it early. There were a couple of errant throws, then the sack. We went for the win and not sit back on our heels and be passive. We were going to be aggressive.”
First Half All in Favor of the Home Team
Villanova started the game hitting on all cylinders on offense. On their opening possession Nova scored on a 7-yard touchdown run by quarterback Pat McQuaide. It was a 16-play, 75-yard drive, taking 8:01. The Wildcats put two touchdowns on the board with runs by Isaiah Ragland and Ja’briel Mace.
Different Story in the Second Half
Big ‘Mo’ was on the Mountain Hawks side in the second half. Lehigh got a touchdown by a Luke Yoder 5-yard rush. It could have been more impactful for the visitors. In the third quarter Lehigh drove to the Villanova 1-yard line. The Wildcats turned them away. Morgan was sacked by Omari Bursey forcing a field goal attempt. The Connor Poole 34-yarder was good, but it was a win for the Wildcats defense. Eventually, it would force Lehigh to go for a touchdown instead of a game-tying field goal at the end.
“Any time you hold an offense to three not six is a huge win,” said Bursey. “It’s huge.”
What the Numbers Say
Yoder ran behind a very effective offensive line and gained a game-best 132 yards rushing. He also caught 3 passes for 22 yards. Morgan gained 94 yards on the ground. The Lehigh running game accounted for 238 yards on 43 carries. Morgan threw for 134 yards on 17 of 33 passing attempts.
For Villanova Mace led the way with 91 yards on the ground. His longest was a 42-yard run. McQuade completed 15 of 25 passes for 194 yards. Omari Bursey and Garrett Rogan led the defense with 13 tackles each, 11 solo by Rogan that includes the game-ending sack.
Neither team committed a turnover.
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com
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