Penn State Sports Magazine
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9 0 A U G U S T 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M When Penn State and Villanova last met in 2021, it took the Nittany Lions all of seven seconds to score their first touchdown. Sean Clifford heaved a 52- yard scoring pass to Jahan Dotson on PSU's first play from scrimmage, and the rout was on. Or so everyone thought. The play seemingly foretold a lopsided afternoon, but the Wildcats turned out to be more stubborn than a lot of people surely ex- pected. The Nittany Lions did end up winning, 38-17, but Villanova stalemated their ground game, holding them to 80 rushing yards and a meager average of 2.4 yards per carry. The big story afterward revolved around a claim by a Villanova linebacker that he and his teammates knew what was coming on every play be- cause PSU's linemen were unwittingly tipping off the calls. In many respects, little has changed in the four years since that game. Both teams are still powerhouses at their respective levels. They've still got the same head coaches and still play in the same leagues, though Villanova is set to move from the Coastal Athletic Associa- tion Football Conference to the Patriot League in 2026. Whether that continuity produces an- other closer-than-expected battle is a separate question. Villanova returns one of last year's top playmakers in sopho- more running back David Avit. In his debut season, the 6-foot, 220-pounder from Frederick, Md., rushed for 923 yards and 9 touchdowns in 14 games. He had a couple of huge games around midseason, totaling 160 yards against Long Island and following it up with a 183-yard outburst against Stony Brook. Of his 13 carries in the latter game, 4 went for touchdowns. As the 2024 season went on, Avit also developed into an effective receiving tar- get. He finished with 11 receptions for 175 yards in the team's final eight games, including 2 catches for 75 yards in a 22- 17 victory over Eastern Kentucky in the first round of the FCS Playoff. Following the season, he was named a second-team Freshman All-American by Phil Steele. The Wildcats will need someone to step up in the receiver corps after last year's top pass catcher, Jaylan Sanchez, headed to James Madison. They'll also need to solidify the quar- terback position. Connor Watkins has exhausted his eligibility after amassing 8,295 total yards and 77 touchdowns — 50 passing and 27 rushing — the past five seasons. The Wildcats' new signal- caller will be Pat McQuaide, formerly of Nicholls. As a junior last year, the 6-0, 190-pound McQuaide completed 58 per- cent of his attempts for 2,218 yards, with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Mc- Quaide and Avit will both benefit from the return of center Jake Picard, a first-team preseason All-FCS choice by Lindy's. The Wildcats' defense was one of the nation's best last year, allowing only 18.2 points per game to rank 10th in the FCS. Then-junior linebacker Shane Hartzell was a big part of that effort, totaling 121 tackles, including 9.5 for loss and 5 sacks. Hartzell, a Perkasie, Pa., native, was named a second-team FCS All-American by Phil Steele. Villanova has qualified for the FCS Playoff the past two years and 10 of the past 17. It's also held its own when ven- turing outside its division. Last year, it beat Youngstown State, 24-17, and was competitive in a 38-20 loss at Maryland. A tougher matchup awaits the Wildcats this year, but if their previous visit to Bea- ver Stadium was any indication, they're not going to back down from a challenge. — Matt Herb S E P T . 1 3 | 3 : 3 0 P. M . | F S 1 | B E A V E R S T A D I U M | S T A T E C O L L E G E David Avit was named a second-team Freshman All- American by Phil Steele after rushing for 923 yards and 9 touchdowns last season. PHOTO COURTESY VILLANOVA ATHLETICS GAME 3 VILLANOVA 2025 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2024 Result Aug. 30 at Morgan State — Sept. 6 Colgate W, 28-3 Sept. 13 at Penn State — Sept. 20 at Monmouth L, 40-33 Sept. 27 William & Mary — Oct. 4 at New Hampshire W, 14-6 Oct. 11 at Elon — Oct. 18 Hampton W, 20-14 Oct. 25 Albany — Nov. 8 at Towson W, 14-13 Nov. 15 Stony Brook W, 42-24 Nov. 22 Sacred Heart — BEST-CASE SCENARIO Expectations are always high at Vil- lanova. If transfer quarterback Pat Mc- Quaide makes a smooth transition, the Wildcats could be in the mix for their first FCS title since 2009. WORST-CASE SCENARIO Villanova lost some key playmakers on both sides of the ball and may need time to regroup. QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Penn State leads, 6-3-1 Last Meeting: Sean Clifford threw for a career-high 401 yards and 4 touchdowns to help the host Nittany Lions defeat Vil- lanova, 38-17, on Sept. 25, 2021 Head Coach: Mark Ferrante (57-33 in seven seasons at Villanova; career coaching record: same) 2024 Record: 10-4, 6-2 Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference Returning Starters: 13 (8 offense, 5 de- fense) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB David Avit (923 yards, 9 TD) Passing: QB Tanner Maddocks (112 yards) Receiving: RB David Avit (175 yards) Tackles: LB Shane Hartzell (121) Sacks: LB Shane Hartzell (5) Interceptions: CB Zahmir Dawud (2)