GAME NO. 10 NO. 18 NORTHEASTERN HUSKIES 7-2 Overall 4-2 Atlantic 10 at NO. 11 VILLANOVA WILDCATS 7-2 Overall 4-2 Atlantic 10 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2002 12:30 P.M. PARSONS FIELD (7,000) BROOKLINE, MASS. SERIES INFORMATION FIRST MEETING: 1987, Northeastern, 41-28 OVERALL: Villanova Leads 7-3-0 OVERALL UNDER TALLEY: 7-3-0 FOOTBALL VILLANOVA WILDCAT 2002 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time/Score Aug. 31 at Rutgers W, 37-19 Sept. 7 at Colgate W, 20-0 Sept. 14 Maine L, 21-14 Sept. 21 New Hampshire (Parents Weekend) W, 45-3 Sept. 28 at James Madison W, 30-26 Oct. 5 Hofstra (Homecoming) W, 35-7 Oct. 10 Pennsylvania W, 17-3 Oct. 19 at Massachusetts L, 17-16 Nov. 2 William & Mary W, 41-20 Nov. 9 at Northeastern 12:30 p.m. Nov. 16 Rhode Island 1 p.m. Nov. 23 at Delaware 1 p.m. Bold face denotes Atlantic 10 Conference game. All times listed are eastern standard time. MEDIA INFORMATION Interview Requests All Interview requests should be directed toward Dean Kenefick, Assistant Athletics Director/Communications, (610) 519-4120. Radio Game Coverage Pre-game show Play By Play: Color Analysis: 12:30 p.m. WZZD 990-AM Noon Joe Eichhorn Ryan Fannon *All Wildcat games can be heard on the internet at www.villanova.com LAST VILLANOVA WIN: 9/8/01, 31-14 LAST NORTHEASTERN WIN: 10/10/98, 28-17 STREAK: Villanova has won 7 of last 8
TEAM COMPARISON VILLANOVA ( 9 Games) OFFENSE NORTHEASTERN (9 games) 28.3 Points Per Game 27.9 213 First Downs 166 1,299 Rushing Yards 1,767 144.3 Avg. Rushing Yards Per Game 196.3 343 Rushing Attempts 419 3.8 Avg. Yards Per Rush 4.2 2,518 Passing Yards 1,329 279.8 Avg. Passing Yards Per Game 147.7 338 Passes Attempted 204 227 Passes Completed 101 7.4 Avg. Yards Per Pass 6.5 3,817 Total Offensive Yardage 3,096 424.1 Avg. Total Offense Per Game 344.0 19.8 Avg. Kickoff Return 16.7 6.5 Avg. Punt Return 6.2 67 for 136 (49.2%) Third Down Conversions 580-for-140 (41.4%) 8 for 14 (57.1%) Fourth Down Conversions 5-for-8 (62.5%) DEFENSE 12.9 Avg. Points Per Game 15.4 144 First Downs Allowed 147 852 Rushing Yards Allowed 929 94.7 Avg. Rushing Yards Allowed 103.2 308 Rushing Attempts Allowed 342 2.8 Avg. Yards Per Rush Allowed 2.7 1,316 Passing Yards Allowed 1,712 146.2 Avg. Passing Yards Allowed 190.2 261 Pass Attempts Allowed 280 128 Pass Completions Allowed 141 5.0 Avg. Yards Per Pass 6.1 2,168 Total Offensive Yardage 2,641 240.9 Avg. Total Offense Allowed 293.4 18.8 Avg. Kickoff Return Allowed 15.3 9.9 Avg. Punt Return Allowed 7.8 42 for 127 (33.0 %) Third Down Conversions Allowed 49-for-146 (33.5%) 3 for 14 (21.4%) Fourth Down Conversions Allowed 9-for-17 (52.9%) NORTHEASTERN REPORT: The Huskies enter play this week ranked No. 18 in the latest Division I-AA poll with a 7-2 overall record and a 4-2 Atlantic 10 Conference mark. Northeastern is coming off a thrilling 24-21 win at Richmond. With the score tied 21-21 with four seconds left in regulation, redshirt freshman kicker Miro Kesic kicked a 57- yard field goal to give Northeastern the win. In the victory, junior fullback Tim Gale carried the ball 33 times for 155 yards and a score for the Huskies, while sophomore quarterback Shawn Brady completed 12-of-21 for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, senior linebacker Adam Walter tallied 18 tackles, a quarterback sack and two tackles for loss. For the year, Brady has connected on 81-of-161 for 1,114 yards to go with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. On the ground, Anthony Riley has gained 656 yards on 127 carries. Freshman wide receiver Cory Parks has a team-high 25 catches for 323 yards and four scores. Defensively, sophomore linebacker Liam Ezekiel has made a team-best 99 tackles, while Walter has recorded 83 total stops, 11 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries. As a team, the Huskies are allowing 15.4 points per game, while they are scoring 27.9 points per contest. HUSKY HEAD COACH DON BROWN: Northeastern is led by thirdyear head coach Don Brown. In his three years at Northeastern, Brown has led the Huskies to a 16-15 record. Brown arrived at Northeastern from the University of Massachusetts where he served as defensive coordinator from 1998-99. In 1998, Brown helped lead UMass to the Division I-AA National Championship. He began his coaching career at Dartmouth in 1982, helping the Big Green to the Ivy League title that year. He spent the 1983 season as an assistant at Mansfield University before returning to Dartmouth for three years as defensive coordinator and secondary coach. Brown left Dartmouth for Yale in 1987 where he was the defensive coordinator from 1987-92. After his stint at Yale, Brown was hired as the head coach at Plymouth State where he tallied a 25-6 record. Plymouth State won the Freedom Conference title in 1993 and 1994. In 1994, Brown was named the AFCA District I Coach of the Year. From 1996-97, he was the defensive coordinator at Brown University. In 1997, he helped Brown University lead the nation in interceptions and was ranked second in takeaways.
2002 ATLANTIC 10 STANDINGS A-10 Overall Team W L Pct. W L Pct. Maine 5 1.833 8 1.889 Massachusetts 5 1.833 7 2.777 Northeastern 4 2.667 7 2.777 VILLANOVA 4 2.667 7 2.777 William & Mary 4 2.667 5 3.625 Richmond 3 3.500 3 5.375 Delaware 3 4.428 5 5.500 James Madison 3 5.375 4 6.400 Hofstra 2 5.286 3 6.333 New Hampshire 1 5.167 2 6.250 Rhode Island 1 5.167 3 6.333 2002 HONORS Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week Brian White Sept. 1 Brett Gordon Sept.30/Oct. 6/Nov. 3 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week Brian Hulea Sept. 23 John Dieser Sept. 30 The Sports Network National Offensive Player of the Week Brian White Sept. 2 Brett Gordon Sept. 30 INJURY REPORT The following is the injury report for the Northeastern game on Nov. 9 -- Carmen DeFrancesco (So./DB) Out for the Year THE SPORTS NETWORK I-AA POLL (NOV. 4) No Team 1. Montana 2. McNeese State 3. Northwestern State 4. Furman 5. Maine 6. Eastern Illinois 7. Grambling State 8. Western Illinois 9. Georgia Southern 10. Bethune-Cookman 11. VILLANOVA 12. Massachusetts 13. Portland State 14. Appalachian State 15. Wofford 16. Lehigh 17. Eastern Kentucky 18. Northeastern 19. Western Kentucky 20. William & Mary 21. Penn 22. Nicholls State 23. Idaho State 24. Florida A&M 25. Gardner-Webb ESPN/USA TODAY I-AA POLL (NOV. 4) No Team 1. Montana 2. McNeese State 3. Northwestern State 4. Furman 5. Maine 6. Grambling State 7. Eastern Illinois 8. Western Illinois 9. Georgia Southern 10. Bethune-Cookman 11. VILLANOVA 12. Massachusetts 13. Portland State 14. Appalachian State 15. Wofford 16. Eastern Kentucky 17. Lehigh 18. Western Kentucky 19. Northeastern 20. William & Mary 21. Idaho State 22. Nicholls State 23. Penn 24. Gardner-Webb 25. Florida A&M
THE TALLY ON TALLEY: Currently in his 18th season on the Main Line, head coach Andy Talley can feel responsible for every facet of the Villanova football program, having started it from scratch in 1985. In his career at Villanova, Talley has recorded a 121-71-1 mark, making him the all-time winningest coach in Villanova history. Talley s 23-year overall coaching record currently stands at 149-89-2. During his career as the Wildcat mentor, Talley has guided Villanova to five NCAA playoff appearances (1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997), four Conference titles and one Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy. In 1997, Talley garnered the Eddie Robinson Award and the AFCA/GTE National Coach of the Year. AIMING FOR 150: Villanova head football coach Andy Talley will be trying for his 150th career win this Saturday when the Wildcats travel to Northeastern for a key Atlantic 10 Conference game. In his 23-year collegiate coaching career, which includes five years at Division III St. Lawrence, Talley has recorded a 149-89-2. Currently in his 18th season at Villanova, Talley registered his 13th winning season at Villanova with last week s win over William & Mary. CONFERENCE RECOGNITION: For the third time this season, senior quarterback Brett Gordon has been named Atlantic 10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Gordon earns the award for his play last Saturday against William & Mary. In the win over the Tribe, Gordon completed 19-of-26 for 256 yards and four touchdowns. The four scoring strikes represents the third time this season that he has recorded four touchdown passes in a game. Gordon also earned conference player of the week distinction on Sept. 30 and Oct. 6. GETTING DEFENSIVE: Judging by the stats, this week s game at Northeastern appears to have the makings of a defensive oriented game. Villanova and Northeastern enter play this Saturday ranked second and third respectively in the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense. Villanova is currently giving up 12.9 points per game, while Northeastern is allowing 15.4 points per contest. In the latest NCAA stats in this category, Villanova is rated 7th, while the Huskies are ranked 11th. In total defense, Villanova leads the conference (241.2 yards per game) with Northeastern ranking third (293.4 yards per contest.). TOP 25 OPPONENTS: Villanova will be playing its sixth ranked opponent this year when the Cats travel to No. 18 Northeastern on Saturday, Nov. 9. In the five previous games versus ranked opponents, the Wildcats have tallied a 3-2 mark. Villanova has beaten then No. 23 James Madison (30-26 on 9/28), then No. 24 Penn (17-3 on 10/10) and last week Villanova earned a 41-20 win over No. 12 William & Mary. The Wildcats have lost to then No. 6 Maine (21-14 on 9/14) and then No. 20 Massachusetts (17-16 on 10/19). ARMED AND READY: The man responsible for making the Wildcat offense go is senior quarterback Brett Gordon. After nine games, Gordon is 227-for-336 (67.6%) for 2,518 yards to go with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He currently leads the Atlantic 10 in total offense (269.9 yards per game), passing yards per game (279.8 per contest), pass efficiency (145.8) and touchdown passes. Last week s four touchdown performance was the third time this year he has throw four touchdown passes in a game. ON TARGET: Senior quarterback Brett Gordon is on pace to finish his Wildcat career as the school s most accurate passer. Entering play versus Northeastern, Gordon has completed 674-of-1,003 for a 67.1 percent completion rate in his career. The current school record for career completion percentage is 61.5 percent by Chris Boden who played at Villanova from 1996-99. Gordon also rates high on the Villanova career chart for passing yards (third all-time with 7,867 yards) and touchdowns (third all-time with 68). He will finish his Wildcat career third all-time in passing yards, however, he is just six touchdowns shy of Kirk Schulz who ranks second all-time in school history for career touchdown passes with 74 NATIONAL RESPECT: Due to his stellar play in the first half of the 2002 campaign, senior quarterback Brett Gordon is currently one of 16 players to be included on the Payton Watch as a candidate for the Walter Payton Award which is given to the top player in NCAA I-AA football. Villanova and the University of Idaho are the only two schools to have produced two Walter Payton Award winners. In 1997, Villanova s Brian Finneran became the only receiver to ever win the award, while Wildcat running back Brian Westbrook garnered the award last year. A FAMILY AFFAIR: Quarterback Brett Gordon is the third member of his family to be the starting quarterback at Villanova. His grandfather, Andrew, was a Villanova quarterback from 1946-48, while his father, Drew, was a Wildcat signal caller from 1969-71. Andrew Gordon was the quarterback of the Villanova teams that played in the 1947 Great Lakes Bowl (24-14 loss to Kentucky) and the 1949 Harbor Bowl (27-7 win over Nevada). Drew Gordon ranks ninth on Villanova s career passing yards list with 2,370 yards. CROSS TRAINING: Senior fullback Cameron Cross continues to be a jack-of-all-trades performer for Villanova. Besides being one of the team s top blockers, Cross is also a major contributor in Villanova s pass and run games. In last Saturday s win over William & Mary, Cross gained a career-high 83 yards on just five carries (16.6 yards per rush) and he made three catches for 25 yards and a touchdown. For the year, Cross has tallied 270 yards rushing and one touchdown on 47 carries (5.7 yards per carry) and he has registered 26 receptions for 197 yards and four touchdowns. STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: Judging by the stat sheet, the Villanova offense had its best day of the year in Saturday s 41-20 win over No. 12 William & Mary. In the victory, the Cats amassed a seasonhigh 541 yards of total offense with the yards coming via a balanced attack with 285 yards rushing and 256 yards through the air. This was just the second time this year that Villanova had more yards rushing than passing in a game. The Wildcats also managed this in the win over New Hampshire. For the year, Villanova is averaging 424.1 yards of offense per game which leads the Atlantic 10 Conference. GAINING GROUND: More often than not, the Villanova offense will do most of its damage by passing rather than by running. However, this was not the case in last Saturday s win over William & Mary. In the victory, Villanova rushed for 285 yards and threw for 256 yards for a seasonhigh 541 yards of total offense. The 285 yards on the ground is Villanova s second highest total this year and it is just the second time this season that the Wildcats have had more rushing yards than passing yards. Freshman Mo Gibson led the way versus William & Mary with 109 yards rushing, while senior Cameron Cross ran for a career-high 83 yards and sophomore Terry Butler tallied 73 yards on the ground. For the year, Villanova is averaging 94.7 rushing yards per game.
MO-MENTUM: The Villanova running game received a big boost last Saturday versus William & Mary with the emergence of true freshman Mo Gibson. In his first game of extended playing time at the running back spot, Gibson gained 109 yards on 12 carries (9.1 yards per rush), to go with a six-yard touchdown run. Two of Gibson s 12 runs were of 36 and 34 yards. Gibson also returned two kickoffs for 57 yards. This 100- yard rushing performance was just the second time this year that the Wildcats have had a back reach the century mark in rushing yards. Sophomore Terry Butler did it in week one when he gained 121 yards on 21 carries in the season opener at Rutgers. HEADING FOR SIXTH: Villanova s go-to performer at wideout has been senior Brian White. Despite missing the Maine and New Hampshire games and playing sparingly versus James Madison due to a hamstring injury, White has tallied a team-high 38 receptions for 432 yards and three scores. Entering play at Northeastern, White is just five catches shy of passing former Oakland Raider and Villanova standout Mike Siani on the school s all-time reception list. In the 2002 season opener at Rutgers, White registered a career-high 12 catches for a careerbest 165 yards and one touchdown. His effort versus Rutgers was good enough to earn him Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week honors and Sports Network National Offensive Player of the Week distinction. VILLANOVA CAREER RECEPTION LIST 1. Brian Finneran (1994-97) 265 2. Murle Sango (1998-2001) 233 3. Brian Westbrook (1997-2001) 214 4. Bob Brady (1986-89) 187 5. Josh Dolbin (1994-97) 169 6. Mike Siani (1969-71) 148 7. BRIAN WHITE (1999-present) 144 8. John Mastronardo (1973-76) 140 9. Scott Donald (1989-92) 127 10. Steve Ward (1997-00) 122 COMPLETE TURNAROUND: There is no question that the most improved aspect of the 2002 Villanova football team is the play of the defense. After nine games, the Wildcats are giving up 12.9 points per game (2nd in A10/7th in NCAA Division I-AA), 240.9 yards of total offense per game (1st in A10/4th in NCAA I-AA), 94.7 rushing yards per game (1st in A10/10th in NCAA I-AA) and 146.2 passing yards per contest (3rd in A10/18th in NCAA). Last year, Villanova gave up 27.8 points per game, 379.5 yards of total offense per contest, 137.7 rushing yards a game and 241.8 passing yards per game. SCORING EARLY: Villanova and Northeastern have both been sensational in first quarter of games this year and own almost identical first quarter scoring numbers. After nine games, Villanova has outscored its opponents in the first quarter by a 58-17 margin, while Northeastern owns a 59-17 advantage in the first stanza of games. The Wildcats have also been outstanding in the second quarter of games, outscoring the opposition 79-29 in the second quarter of games. All total, the Cats have outscored their opponents 137-46 in the first half this season. DOUBLE DIGIT TACKLER: Redshirt freshman linebacker Brian Hulea recorded another strong performance in last Saturday s win over William & Mary. Against the Tribe, Hulea made a game-high 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss. This was the sixth time in nine games that Hulea has led Villanova in tackles. After nine games of the 2002 season, Hulea has 64 total tackles (second on team), 6.5 tackles for loss (second on team), a team-high tying 5.5 quarterback sacks, five pass break-ups and one interception. He currently leads all Atlantic 10 freshmen in tackles and sacks. On Sept. 23, he was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week for his play versus New Hampshire where he recorded six tackles (five solo), two sacks and two tackles for loss. OVERTIME HISTORY: During head coach Andy Talley s tenure at Villanova, the Wildcats have played in nine overtime games and in those nine games the Wildcats are 6-3. Villanova has played five of the nine games in the last three seasons and have won four of the last five overtime contests. Of the nine overtime games, seven have been played at Villanova Stadium. Villanova played one extra session game last season and that came against James Madison in week four when the Cats outlasted the Dukes, 45-44, in double overtime. The last overtime game before the James Madison contest came in 2000 when the Wildcats suffered a 48-41 loss to William & Mary. In 1999, Villanova played two overtime games. On Oct. 16, 1999 Villanova defeated UConn, 48-45, in triple overtime in a game played in Storrs, Conn. In the 1999 season finale at Villanova Stadium, the Cats rallied from a 45-24 deficit with 8:37 remaining against Delaware to win a 51-45 thriller in one overtime. ALL-AMERICAN HISTORY: With standout Brian Westbrook being named first team All-American by virtually everyone last season, the Villanova football program has had a first team All-American in six of the last eight years. In the program s history, 20 different players have earned All-American distinction. 1994 LB Tyrone Frazier 1996 WR Brian Finneran 1997 WR Brian Finneran QB Chris Boden 1998 RB Brian Westbrook 2000 KR Brian Westbrook 2001 RB Brian Westbrook NOTE: In 1999, wide receiver Murle Sango was a second-team All- American. VILLANOVA PICKED SIXTH: The Villanova Wildcats were picked sixth in the 2002 pre-season Atlantic 10 Conference poll as voted on by coaches and media. 1. William & Mary (18) 2. Maine (8) 3. Massachusetts 4. Hofstra 5. Delaware 6. VILLANOVA 7. Richmond 8. New Hampshire 9. Rhode Island 10. Northeastern 11. James Madison
PLAYING ON SUNDAYS: Villanova running back Brian Westbrook became the first Wildcat player to be drafted since Howie Long in 1981 when he was selected in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. With Westbrook a member of the Eagles, Villanova now has two players currently playing in the NFL. Wide receiver Brian Finneran (Villanova 1994-97) is in his third season with the Atlanta Falcons in 2002. Westbrook and Finneran both won the Walter Payton Award, given to the top offensive player in NCAA I-AA football, during their seasons at Villanova. Finneran is currently the starter at flanker for the Falcons, while Westbrook is listed as the No. 3 running back on the Eagles depth chart. FOOTBALL WILDCATS ON THE RADIO: Every Villanova football game this season will be carried live by the Villanova Football Radio Network. The flagship station for the Wildcats this season will be WZZD 990-AM. Returning for his 16th season as Villanova s play-by-play man is Joe Eichhorn. Joining Eichhorn for a 10th consecutive year is Ryan Fannon. All 12 Wildcat gridiron contests will be broadcast live. ANDY TALLEY RADIO SHOW: Continuing in 2002, WZZD 990- AM will broadcast the Andy Talley Radio Show. The one-hour call-in show is hosted by color commentator Ryan Fannon and will provide a weekly recap of Villanova football games, as well as a preview of upcoming contests. The show will be held at the Conshohocken Marriott on Thursday evenings (7-8 p.m.) prior to away games and one hour following home contests. Throughout the one-hour program, Fannon and Coach Talley will take questions concerning all the teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference, as well as NCAA I-AA football on a national scene.
2002 GAME-BY-GAME RECAPS GAME ONE NO. 25 Villanova 37, Rutgers 19 Aug. 31, 2002 - Rutgers Stadium New Brunswick, N.J. PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - Brett Gordon passed for 321 yards and three touchdowns and Villanova beat Rutgers 37-19 on Saturday night for its first win over a Division I-A team since restoring football in 1985. Gordon threw a game-clinching 6-yard touchdown pass to Phil DiGiacomo after leading an 80-yard fourth-quarter march, and also connected with Brian White on a 45-yard scoring pass and Shaz Brown on a 50-yarder on a flea flicker. DiGiacomo also had a go-ahead 18-yard touchdown run and Terry Butler, who rushed for 121 yards, had a 41-yard TD run for the Division I-AA Wildcats, who had lost their previous seven meetings against I-A programs. White finished with 12 catches for 165 yards in the season-opening game as Villanova outgained Rutgers 476-269. Rutgers' Ryan Cubit ran 2 yards for a touchdown and threw TD passes of 6 and 21 yards to tight L.J. Smith in an embarrassing start to coach Greg Schiano's second season. The Scarlet Knights went 2-9 in Schiano's first season and this was supposed to be season where they started to make progress. They lost to a Division I- AA team for the first time. Villanova, which posted an 8-3 record in sharing the Atlantic 10 championship last season, had the better plays. All three of Rutgers' scores were set up by Wildcats mistakes. Gordon threw two interceptions and the Scarlet Knights' first touchdown was set up when a punt bounced off the leg of a Villanova player. Despite being badly outplayed, Rutgers still was in position to win in the second half. Trailing 24-13, an interception by linebacker Brian Hohmann set up Cubit's TD run with 1:30 left in the third quarter to cut the lead to 24-19. The Scarlet Knights missed the 2-point conversion. Rutgers' defense held on the next possession and the Scarlet Knights got the ball back at their own 47. They failed to get a first down, and Gordon, who hit 24 of 39 passes, drove the Wildcats 80 yards in 13 plays on a drive they overcame a second and 20 at their own 10-yard line. Butler, who is replacing record-setting halfback Brian Westbrook in the Villanova backfield, scored in the final minutes to make the score even more embarrassing. Villanova dominated the first half but only led 17-13 because it committed two costly turnovers that led to two touchdown catches by Smith. The Wildcats scored on their opening possession, going 63 yards in six plays. White went the final 45 yards on a short swing pass. Smith tied the game with a 6-yard TD catch with 4:54 left in the quarter. It capped a three-play, 17-yard drive that was set up when Nathan Jones recovered a punt that hit off the leg of Aaron Smith. DiGiacomo's second-quarter run capped a 69-yard drive and gave Villanova the lead for good. James' field goal stretched the margin to 17-7. Linebacker Gary Brackett got Rutgers back in the game, intercepting a questionable pass with 37 seconds left in the half. Cubit hit Smith for the TD with 13 seconds before halftime. Butler took a handoff on the flea flicker and tossed it back to Gordon, who found Brown all alone on the 50-yard trick play for a 24-13 lead. VILLANOVA VS. RUTGERS BOX SCORE (FINAL) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Villanova Wildcats.. 7 10 7 13-37 Record: (1-0) Rutgers... 7 6 6 0-19 Record: (0-1) Scoring Summary: 1st 09:50 VU - White, Brian 45 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 6-63 1:40, VU 7 - RUTGERS 0 04:59 RUTGERS - SMITH, LJ 6 yd pass from CUBIT, Ryan (SANDS, Ryan kick), 3-17 1:28, VU 7 - RUTGERS 7 2nd 11:39 VU - DiGiacomo, Phil 18 yd run (James, Adam kick), 9-69 3:12, VU 14 - RUTGERS 7 04:29 VU - James, Adam 21 yd field goal, 12-81 4:31, VU 17 - RUTGERS 7 00:13 RUTGERS - SMITH, LJ 21 yd pass from CUBIT, Ryan (CARTY, Sean pass failed), 4-48 0:24, VU 17 - RUTGERS 13 3rd 10:02 VU - Brown, Shaz 50 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 5-77 1:16, VU 24 - RUTGERS 13 01:30 RUTGERS - CUBIT, Ryan 2 yd run (CUBIT, Ryan pass failed), 5-15 1:18, VU 24 - RUTGERS 19 4th 05:38 VU - DiGiacomo, Phil 6 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick failed), 13-80 7:36, VU 30 - RUTGERS 19 01:29 VU - Butler, Terry 41 yd run (James, Adam kick), 3-41 1:03, VU 37 - RUTGERS 19 VU RUTGERS FIRST DOWNS... 21 17 RUSHES-YARDS (NET)... 38-155 34-85 PASSING YDS (NET)... 321 184 Passes Att-Comp-Int... 39-24-2 38-17-1 TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS... 77-476 72-269 Fumble Returns-Yards... 0-0 0-0 Punt Returns-Yards... 3-7 4-35 Kickoff Returns-Yards... 4-61 6-103 Interception Returns-Yards... 1-0 2-25 Punts (Number-Avg)... 4-39.8 7-41.4 Fumbles-Lost... 2-1 0-0 Penalties-Yards... 8-60 8-50 Possession Time... 31:40 28:20 Sacks By: Number-Yards... 5-14 1-10 RUSHING: Villanova Wildcats-Butler, Terry 21-121; DiGiacomo, Phil 4-30; Cross, Cameron 7-26; Team 1-minus 2; Gordon, Brett 5-minus 20. Rutgers-PITTMAN,Clarenc 9-37; FACYSON, Markis 11-33; JONES, Marcus 7-17; CUBIT, Ryan 7-minus 2. PASSING: Villanova Wildcats-Gordon, Brett 24-39-2-321. Rutgers- CUBIT, Ryan 17-38-1-184. RECEIVING: Villanova Wildcats-White, Brian 12-165; DiGiacomo, Phil 3-45; Chila, Matt 3-28; Brown, Shaz 2-56; Cross, Cameron 1-14; Dieser, John 1-9; Champen, Noble 1-3; Butler, Terry 1-1. Rutgers-SMITH, LJ 5-43; BAKER, Chris 4-54; ANDRE, Jerry 4-51; HOBBS, Josh 3-30; PILCH, Ray 1-6. INTERCEPTIONS: Villanova Wildcats-Greene, Darnell 1-0. Rutgers- HOHMANN, Brian 1-11; BRACKETT, Gary 1-14. FUMBLES: Villanova Wildcats-Team 1-0; Smith, Aaron 1-1. Rutgers-None. Stadium: Rutgers Stadium; Attendance: 20911 Kickoff time: 7:05 pm; End of Game: 10:24 pm Officials: Referee: J.Cramer; Umpire: R.Kumiega; Linesman: T.Gray; Line judge: J.Salmon; Back judge: G.Steed; Field judge: R.Sokolowski; Side judge: P.Garvey; Scorer: Rutgers; Temperature: 69 F Wind: 8 mph E Weather: Cloudy
2002 GAME-BY-GAME RECAPS GAME TWO NO. 15 Villanova 20, Colgate 0 Sept. 7, 2002 - Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, N.Y. HAMILTON, N.Y. (AP) - Quarterback Brett Gordon threw for 392 yards and a touchdown, leading Villanova past Colgate 20-0 on Saturday. Following an interception in the fourth quarter by Clarence Curry, the Wildcats (2-0) drove down the field and put the game out of reach with their second touchdown. Tight end Matt Chila, who finished with 6 receptions for 95 yards, caught a 33-yard pass. Halfback Terry Butler scored on a two-yard plunge. Butler scored at the end of the first quarter on a 43-yard catch. Gordon completed 27 of 39 passes. The Raiders (0-1) had difficulty generating offense against Villanova, which in the first half allowed only 11 yards and held quarterback Tom McCune to 1-for-7 passing. McCune finished the game 12-for-23 for 111 yards, including the late interception. Averaging 5 career yards per carry, Colgate tailback Nate Thomas was swarmed by Villanova defenders, struggling for 45 yards on 13 carries. A botched Villanova field goal attempt and two poor punt snaps gave Colgate opportunities, but the Raiders failed to turn them into scores. Adam James kicked field goals of 26 and 19 yards for the Wildcats. Villanova s 20-0 victory over Colgate marked the 'Cats third consecutive victory over the Raiders and first in upstate New York. More significant was the bottleneck Villanova created for the Colgate offense: The Raiders were held to 134 total yards and only 23 yards rushing. In contrast, Villanova produced 452 yards of total offense, including 377 through the air. Colgate was limited to nine first downs all afternoon while the 'Cats picked up 24. Villanova recorded two sacks and forced a pair of turnovers to go with them. VILLANOVA VS. COLGATE BOX SCORE (FINAL) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Villanova Wildcats.. 10 3 0 7-20 Record: (2-0) Colgate University.. 0 0 0 0-0 Record: (0-1) Scoring Summary: 1st 06:03 VU - James, Adam 26 yd field goal, 12-79 5:18, VU 3 - COLGATE 0 00:09 VU - Butler, Terry 43 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 7-62 3:31, VU 10 - COLGATE 0 2nd 00:00 VU - James, Adam 19 yd field goal, 5-12 0:23, VU 13 - COLGATE 0 4th 09:22 VU - Butler, Terry 2 yd run (James, Adam kick), 5-61 2:33, VU 20 - COLGATE 0 VU COLGATE FIRST DOWNS... 24 9 RUSHES-YARDS (NET)... 42-75 27-23 PASSING YDS (NET)... 377 111 Passes Att-Comp-Int... 41-28-0 23-12-1 TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS... 83-452 50-134 Fumble Returns-Yards... 0-0 0-0 Punt Returns-Yards... 3-20 3-18 Kickoff Returns-Yards... 1-18 4-81 Interception Returns-Yards... 1-0 0-0 Punts (Number-Avg)... 4-22.0 7-36.0 Fumbles-Lost... 1-1 2-2 Penalties-Yards... 6-41 1-3 Possession Time... 38:57 21:03 Sacks By: Number-Yards... 2-16 4-29 RUSHING: Villanova Wildcats-Butler, Terry 19-48; Ridley, Henry 4-20; DiGiacomo, Phil 4-14; White, Brian 2-8; Cross, Cameron 3-1; TM 1-minus 2; Gordon, Brett 9-minus 14. Colgate University- Thomas, Nate 13-45; Polk, Justin 4-4; McCune, Tom 9-minus 4; TM 1-minus 22. PASSING: Villanova Wildcats-Gordon, Brett 28-40-0-377; TM 0-1- 0-0. Colgate University-McCune, Tom 12-23-1-111. RECEIVING: Villanova Wildcats-Butler, Terry 6-103; Chila, Matt 6-95; Brown, Shaz 5-103; White, Brian 4-15; Cross, Cameron 2-15; DiGiacomo, Phil 2-9; Dieser, John 1-42; Champen, Noble 1-10; Lukash, Scott 1-minus 15. Colgate University-Gerald, J.B. 4-45; Lamb, Jamal 3-28; Graham, Luke 2-32; Frieser, John 1-6; Polk, Justin 1-2; Chrystie, Mike 1-minus 2. INTERCEPTIONS: Villanova Wildcats-Curry, Clarence 1-0. Colgate University-None. FUMBLES: Villanova Wildcats-Butler, Terry 1-1. Colgate University-Gerald, J.B. 1-1; TM 1-1. Stadium: Andy Kerr Stadium; Attendance: 6532 Kickoff time: 1:00; End of Game: 3:45 Officials: Referee: Bill Loftus; Umpire: Mark Glynn; Linesman: Dave Carter; Line judge: Bill Ward; Back judge: Bill Dixon; Field judge: Clyde McCarthy; Side judge: Ken Southworth; Temperature: 80 Wind: 3 MPH SE Weather: Clear and Sunny
2002 GAME-BY-GAME RECAPS GAME THREE No. 6 Maine 21, No. 11 Villanova 14 Sept. 14, 2002 - Villanova Stadium Villanova Stadium VILLANOVA, PA. - The No. 6 ranked Maine Black Bears rallied from a two touchdown second quarter deficit to defeat the 11th ranked Villanova Wildcats 21-14 on Saturday night at Villanova Stadium. The Black Bears reeled off 21 unanswered points and went ahead for good on a 31-yard run by James Henry with 12:12 remaining in the game. The Wildcats fell to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in Atlantic 10 play with the loss, while Maine improved to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in conference action. Villanova broke open the scoring with 34 seconds remaining in the first quarter as sophomore running back Terry Butler plunged in for a one-yard score to cap off a five-play, 59-yard drive in 2:04. Following a 20-yard punt by Maine's Mike Mellow, the Wildcats began their second scoring drive of the night at their own 32-yard line with 12:33 to go in the half. A 23-yard pass from quarterback Brett Gordon to wideout Noble Champen gave the `Cats a first down at the Maine 28. After a 17-yard scamper by Butler, Gordon found tight end Matt Chila for a 17-yard touchdown pass to increase Villanova's lead to 14-0. The Black Bears finally found the end zone with 4:21 to go before intermission, as quarterback Jake Eaton scored on a two-yard keeper. The score cut the Wildcat advantage to 14-7 at the break. Villanova had one more chance to increase its lead but a 46-yard field goal attempt by kicker Adam James was blocked at the half expired. It was the third miss for James in the first half, as he also had attempts from 42 and 37 yards sail wide. At the 9:05 mark of the third quarter, Maine got the ball back following James fourth miss of the day, this time from 32 yards out. The Black Bears charged 80 yards on just five plays in 2:34, scoring to tie the game at 14-14 on a 19-yard Eaton to Paris Minor touchdown pass. With the Wildcat offense going four and out on their first drive of the fourth quarter, Maine took over at their own 20-yard line with 14:40 left in the game. The Black Bears put together their second 80-yard scoring drive in three possessions. Needing only 2:28 of the clock, Maine went ahead 21-14 on a 31-yard rush by James. Villanova had several chances down the stretch but two key miscues in the final five minutes ended any chance of a comeback. With 2:27 left in the fourth quarter, a punt by Mellow struck the Wildcats' John Dieser in the foot and Maine recovered the ball at the Villanova 11-yard line. After the Wildcat defense held, the Black Bears attempted a 25-yard field goal to put the game away. Villanova's Jeremy Morgan leaped up to block the kick and keep the `Cats within one touchdown at 21-14. On the Wildcats' first play from scrimmage, Gordon had his pass intercepted by Dave Cusano with 32 seconds left in the game. Maine ran out the final 32 seconds and went back to Orono with a 21-14 victory. On offense for the Black Bears, Stefan Gomes caught 14 passes for 137 yards and one score. Eaton hurt the `Cats on the ground and in the air. He ran for 64 yards and one score and was 19-of-33 for 187 yards and one touchdown. In the loss for Villanova, wide receiver Shaz Brown caught five balls for 115 yards. Gordon was 25-of-41 for 261 yards to go along with one touchdown and one interception. VILLANOVA VS. MAINE BOX SCORE (FINAL) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Maine Black Bears... 0 7 7 7-21 Record: (3-0,2-0) Villanova Wildcats.. 7 7 0 0-14 Record: (2-1,0-1) Scoring Summary: 1sT 00:34 VU - Butler, Terry 1 yd run (James, Adam kick), \ 5-59 2:04, MAINE 0 - VU 7 2nd 10:14 VU - Chila, Matt 11 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 6-68 2:19, MAINE 0 - VU 14 04:21 MAINE - Eaton, Jake 2 yd run (Mellow, Mike kick), 14-72 5:53, MAINE 7 - VU 14 3rd 06:31 MAINE - Minor, Paris 19 yd pass from Eaton, Jake (Mellow, Mike kick), 5-80 2:34, MAINE 14 - VU 14 4th 12:12 MAINE - Henry, James 31 yd run (Mellow, Mike kick), 9-80 2:28, MAINE 21 - VU 14 MAINE VU FIRST DOWNS... 22 17 RUSHES-YARDS (NET)... 42-176 23-67 PASSING YDS (NET)... 187 261 Passes Att-Comp-Int... 33-19-1 41-25-1 TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS... 75-363 64-328 Fumble Returns-Yards... 0-0 0-0 Punt Returns-Yards... 2-15 2--1 Kickoff Returns-Yards... 3-75 4-105 Interception Returns-Yards... 1-0 1-0 Punts (Number-Avg)... 5-36.2 6-35.2 Fumbles-Lost... 3-1 1-1 Penalties-Yards... 6-59 8-82 Possession Time... 31:54 28:06 Sacks By: Number-Yards... 2-20 1-5 RUSHING: Maine Black Bears-Henry, James 17-86; Eaton, Jake 11-48; Williams, M. 10-27; Gelsornino, J. 2-7; Gomes, Stefan 1-6; Zyskowski, Mike 1-2. Villanova Wildcats-Butler, Terry 13-43; Cross, Cameron 7-32; DiGiacomo, Phil 1-12; Gordon, Brett 2- minus 20. PASSING: Maine Black Bears-Eaton, Jake 19-33-1-187. Villanova Wildcats-Gordon, Brett 25-41-1-261. RECEIVING: Maine Black Bears-Gomes, Stefan 14-137; Minor, Paris 3-48; Radulski, Josh 1-2; Gelsornino, J. 1-0. Villanova Wildcats-Dieser, John 6-41; Brown, Shaz 5-115; Chila, Matt 4-32; Cross, Cameron 4-27; Champen, Noble 3-51; DiGiacomo, Phil 2-minus 3; Butler, Terry 1-minus 2. INTERCEPTIONS: Maine Black Bears-Cusano, Dave 1-0. Villanova Wildcats-Harrison,Isaiah 1-0. FUMBLES: Maine Black Bears-Eaton, Jake 1-0; Gomes, Stefan 1-0; Gomes, J. 1-1. Villanova Wildcats-Dieser, John 1-1. Stadium: Villanova Stadium; Attendance: 8515 Kickoff time: 6:10pm; End of Game: 9:20pm Officials: Referee: W. Gosselin; Umpire: E. Keiffer; Linesman: G. Mace; Line judge: C. Gorson; Back judge: B. Conlon; Field judge: M. Mongoven; Side judge: J. Cole; Scorer: Blimm; Temperature: 75 Wind: S 12-15 Weather: Scattered showers
2002 GAME-BY-GAME RECAPS GAME FOUR No. 13 Villanova 45, New Hampshire 3 Sept. 21, 2002 - Villanova Stadium Villanova Stadium VILLANOVA, PA. - The Villanova offense ran wild on New Hampshire on Saturday afternoon at Villanova Stadium, rushing for 316 yards and amassing 484 yards of total offense in a dominating 45-3 victory. Sophomore Terry Butler rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns, as the `Cats improve to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in Atlantic 10 play. UNH fell to 0-4 overall and 0-3 in conference action with the loss. The Wildcats got on the board with 11:15 to go in the first quarter when Butler scampered into the end zone for a four yard touchdown run. 'Nova struck again early in the second quarter when Mike Tesei forced a fumble at the New Hampshire five yardline. Jeremy Morgan pounced on the ball, and one play later, Brett Gordon found Cameron Cross in the end zone to increase Villanova's lead to 14-0. New Hampshire then cut the deficit to 14-3 with a 32-yard field goal from Connor McCormick with 8:31 left to go in the half. Villanova took that 14-3 lead into halftime. Villanova came out strong in the third quarter when Leighton Zema blocked a New Hampshire punt, setting the 'Cats up at the New Hampshire 28-yard line. The Wildcats were able to cash in on the opportunity when Terry Butler tallied his second score of the afternoon on a five-yard carry. 'Nova's defense stiffened, allowing New Hampshire only six yards of total offense in the third quarter. After a three-and-out, Villanova took the ball 55 yards downfield, culminating in a Henry Ridley one yard touchdown run. Just two plays later, Jamison Young picked off a pass, setting up a 22 yard touchdown toss from Gordon to Cross. 'Nova got on the board early in the fourth quarter with a 37-yard Adam James field goal, putting the score at 38-3. Three plays later, redshirt freshman quarterback Joe Casamento drove the 'Cats down the field, handing off to Phil DiGiacomo for a 30-yard touchdown run. James' extra point was good, bringing the score to 45-3, where it would stand until the final whistle. Villanova dominated the game on both sides of the ball, collecting 31 fist downs to New Hampshire's 11. The Villanova defense continued to be tenacious, holding New Hampshire to just 32 yards rushing. For the year, the defense has only allowed seven fourth-quarter points and 43 total points. VILLANOVA VS. NEW HAMPSHIRE BOX SCORE (FINAL) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- New Hampshire... 0 3 0 0-3 Record: (0-4,0-3) Villanova Wildcats.. 7 7 21 10-45 Record: (3-1,1-1) Scoring Summary: 1st 11:15 VU - Butler, Terry 4 yd run (James, Adam kick), 7-71 3:45, UNH 0 - VU 7 2nd 12:30 VU - Cross, Cameron 5 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 1-5 0:04, UNH 0 - VU 14 08:31 UNH - McCormick, C. 32 yd field goal, 9-65 3:59, UNH 3 - VU 14 3rd 10:49 VU - Butler, Terry 5 yd run (James, Adam kick), 3-28 0:54, UNH 3 - VU 21 05:53 VU - Ridley, Henry 1 yd run (James, Adam kick), 7-55 2:50, UNH 3 - VU 28 04:22 VU - Cross, Cameron 22 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 4-34 0:55, UNH 3 - VU 35 4th 11:36 VU - James, Adam 37 yd field goal, 13-49 6:49, UNH 3 - VU 38 06:36 VU - DiGiacomo, Phil 30 yd run (James, Adam kick), 6-45 3:27, UNH 3 - VU 45 UNH VU FIRST DOWNS... 11 31 RUSHES-YARDS (NET)... 29-32 59-316 PASSING YDS (NET)... 99 168 Passes Att-Comp-Int... 21-10-2 20-14-1 TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS... 50-131 79-484 Fumble Returns-Yards... 0-0 0-0 Punt Returns-Yards... 0-0 4-32 Kickoff Returns-Yards... 4-78 2-44 Interception Returns-Yards... 1-0 2-0 Punts (Number-Avg)... 6-41.5 0-0.0 Fumbles-Lost... 1-1 2-2 Penalties-Yards... 4-34 3-72 Possession Time... 23:06 36:54 Third-Down Conversions... 2 of 10 7 of 12 Fourth-Down Conversions... 0 of 1 2 of 2 Red-Zone Scores-Chances... 1-1 5-7 Sacks By: Number-Yards... 0-0 6-37 RUSHING: New Hampshire-Lewis, Stephan 11-37; Isom, Malcolm 2-20; McKinney, Paul 3-3; McCoy, John 2-2; Hurley, Michael 1-minus 8; Granieri, Mike 10-minus 22. Villanova Wildcats-Butler, Terry 18-95; Ridley, Henry 8-57; Outlaw, J.J. 3-42; DiGiacomo, Phil 3-35; Gibson, Martin 8-31; Ramirez, C. 8-27; Cross, Cameron 5-22; Gordon, Brett 4-6; Casamento, Joe 1-2; Evans, Heath 1-minus 1. PASSING: New Hampshire-Granieri, Mike 10-20-2-99; Hurley, Michael 0-1-0-0. Villanova Wildcats-Gordon, Brett 14-20-1-168. RECEIVING: New Hampshire-Lewis, Stephan 5-19; Taylor, Michael 4-74; Bailey, David 1-6. Villanova Wildcats-Champen, Noble 4-59; Chila, Matt 3-44; Cross, Cameron 2-27; DiGiacomo, Phil 2-20; Dieser, John 1-14; Outlaw, J.J. 1-12; Ridley, Henry 1-minus 8. INTERCEPTIONS: New Hampshire-Tallman, Alan 1-0. Villanova Wildcats-Johnson, Gary 1-0; Young, Jamison 1-0. FUMBLES: New Hampshire-Lewis, Stephan 1-1. Villanova Wildcats- Gordon, Brett 1-1; Butler, Terry 1-1. Stadium: Villanova Stadium; Attendance: 11019 Kickoff time: 12:08; End of Game: 2:50 Officials: Referee: T. McCreesh; Umpire: J. Akers; Linesman: T.Considine; Line judge: J.Butcher; Back judge: B.Thomas; Field judge: M. Plummer; Side judge: S. Kirck; Scorer: Blimm; Temperature: 83; Wind: S 5-10 Weather: P. sunny, 80% hum'ty
2002 GAME-BY-GAME RECAPS GAME FIVE No. 8 Villanova 30, No. 23 James Madison 26 Sept. 28, 2002 - Bridgeforth Stadium Harrisonburg, Va. HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) - Brett Gordon threw for 421 yards and four touchdowns, including the tie-breaker with 11:14 to play, and Villanova rolled up 530 yards of offense and beat surprising James Madison 30-26 Saturday night. Gordon completed 40 passes, a record for a Dukes opponent, in 57 attempts. He connected with John Dieser on TD passes of 33 and 25 yards, the latter to break a 23-all tie. He also hit Matt Chila from 5 yards and Anthony Wright from 2 yards. Villanova (4-1, 2-1 Atlantic 10) came in ranked No. 8 in Division I-AA, and James Madison (3-2, 2-1) was No. 23 after an overtime win at Hofstra last weekend. The Dukes led 20-16 after Trey Townsend returned a blocked field goal 80 yards for a touchdown with 9:21 to go in the third quarter. But Gordon hit Wright with 2:48 left in the quarter, and Burke George's 42-yard field goal tied it at 23-all with 14:06 left. Gordon's second TD pass to Dieser capped a seven-play, 66-yard drive. Dieser caught six passes for 136 yards, and Shaz Brown caught eight for 100 yards. VILLANOVA VS. JAMES MADISON BOX SCORE (FINAL) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score Villanova Wildcats.. 6 10 7 7-30 Record: (4-1,2-1) James Madison... 0 6 14 6-26 Record: (3-2,2-1) Scoring Summary: 1st 04:10 VU - Chila, Matt 5 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick blockd), 12-64 5:23, VU 6 - JM 0 2nd 14:44 VU - James, Adam 36 yd field goal, 10-55 2:24, VU 9 - JM 0 09:24 JM - Chris Iorio 5 yd run (Burke George kick failed), 6-38 2:44, VU 9 - JM 6 07:59 VU - Dieser, John 33 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 4-65 1:25, VU 16 - JM 6 3rd 12:19 JM - Casime Harris 30 yd pass from Alan Harrison (Burke George kick), 6-72 2:41, VU 16 - JM 13 09:21 JM - Trey Townsend 80 yd missed FG return (Burke George kick),, VU 16 - JM 20 02:48 VU - Wright, Anthony 2 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 9-67 4:16, VU 23 - JM 20 4th 14:06 JM - Burke George 42 yd field goal, 6-17 1:39, VU 23 - JM 23 11:14 VU - Dieser, John 25 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 7-66 2:52, VU 30 - JM 23 06:00 JM - Burke George 23 yd field goal, 12-74 5:14, VU 30 - JM 26 VU JM FIRST DOWNS... 33 16 RUSHES-YARDS (NET)... 34-109 40-149 PASSING YDS (NET)... 421 143 Passes Att-Comp-Int... 57-40-1 25-10-1 TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS... 91-530 65-292 Fumble Returns-Yards... 0-0 0-0 Punt Returns-Yards... 2-27 2-57 Kickoff Returns-Yards... 6-103 3-63 Interception Returns-Yards... 1-20 1-17 Punts (Number-Avg)... 4-39.5 7-37.4 Fumbles-Lost... 3-1 0-0 Penalties-Yards... 7-76 5-37 Possession Time... 33:02 26:58 Third-Down Conversions... 10 of 17 3 of 14 Fourth-Down Conversions... 0 of 1 0 of 1 Red-Zone Scores-Chances... 0-0 0-0 Sacks By: Number-Yards... 0-0 0-0 RUSHING: Villanova Wildcats-Butler, Terry 18-64; DiGiacomo, Phil 2-21; Ridley, Henry 7-18; Cross, Cameron 3-11; Team 2-minus 1; Gordon, Brett 2-minus 4. James Madison-Brannon Goins 20-77; Rondell Bradley 14-54; Chris Iorio 3-10; Matt LeZotte 2-4; Mike Connelly 1-4. PASSING: Villanova Wildcats-Gordon, Brett 40-57-1-421. James Madison-Matt LeZotte 9-24-1-113; Alan Harrison 1-1-0-30. RECEIVING: Villanova Wildcats-Champen, Noble 9-58; Brown, Shaz 8-100; Dieser, John 6-136; Chila, Matt 5-48; Cross, Cameron 4-27; Ridley, Henry 3-24; Butler, Terry 3-16; White, Brian 1-10; Wright, Anthony 1-2. James Madison-Alan Harrison 4-66; Mark Higgins 3-31; Casime Harris 2-33; Sean Connaghan 1-13. INTERCEPTIONS: Villanova Wildcats-Morgan, Jeremy 1-20. James Madison-Rodney McCarter 1-17. FUMBLES: Villanova Wildcats-Gordon, Brett 1-1; Champen, Noble 1-0; Cross, Cameron 1-0. James Madison-None. Stadium: Bridgeforth Stadium; Attendance: 9153 Kickoff time: 6 p.m.; End of Game: 9:15 pm Officials: Referee: Jack Winter; Umpire: Michael Rattley; Linesman: John Swartz; Line judge: James Gleason; Back judge: Bruce Williams;Field judge: James Smith; Side judge: Brian Sullivan; Temperature: 70; Weather: Mostly Sunny
2002 GAME-BY-GAME RECAPS GAME SIX No. 7 Villanova 35, Hofstra 7 Oct. 5, 2002 - Villanova Stadium Villanova, Pa. The 7th ranked Villanova football team capped off the Homecoming festivities with a dominating 35-7 win over Atlantic 10 foe Hofstra on Saturday, Oct. 5, at Villanova Stadium. The Wildcats controlled the game, keeping the ball for over 36 minutes, and senior quarterback Brett Gordon had yet another outstanding game completing 26-of-35 passes for 234 yards and four touchdowns. The `Cats improve to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in Atlantic 10 play with the win, while the Pride fall to 2-4 overall and 2-3 on conference action. With time running down in the first quarter, Villanova linebacker Brian Hulea intercepted Ryan Cosentino and returned the ball seven yards to the Hofstra 15 yard line. The Wildcats took the first lead of the contest on a 16-yard scoring strike from Gordon to Brian White. The Villanova offense opened up the flood gates in the second quarter, punching in three more scores as Gordon tossed touchdown passes of 13 yards to Shaz Brown, three yards to Phil DiGiacomo, and six yards to Anthony Wright. Gordon's scoring strike to Wright came with just 38 seconds to go before the half, and gave the Wildcats a 28-0 advantage at intermission. In the third quarter, Villanova picked up right where it left off. Getting the ball at their own three-yard line at the 12:53 mark, the Wildcats marched 97 yards on 13 plays in 4:47, scoring on a 12-yard run by senior fullback Cameron Cross. The Villanova defense looked to be on its way to a shutout, but Hofstra found the endzone for the first time with only 1:12 remaining in the game, as Andrew English completed a 33-yard scoring pass to Devale Ellis. That was as close as the Pride would come, as the Wildcats went on for the 35-7 victory. The Wildcat offense put on a dominating performance, recording 397 total yards with 234 coming in the air and 178 on the ground. With 26 first downs, Villanova has now amassed 90 first downs in the last two contests combined. The Sports Network's National Player of the Week, Gordon was impressive yet again and is 66-of-92 for 655 yards, eight touchdowns and only one interception the last two weeks. Gordon completed passes to 10 different targets on Saturday, with Cross catching six passes for 51 yards, Brown catching four passes for 41 yards and one touchdown, and White making four receptions for 36 yards and one score. On the ground for Villanova, Terry Butler rushed 17 times for 95 yards, while Cross had five carried for 50 yards and one touchdown. The Wildcat defense was just as impressive, holding the Hofstra offense to 259 total yards of offense including only 165 yards in the air. Hulea made seven tackles and had one interception to lead the way, while senior linebacker Jamison Young had four tackles and one sack. On offense for the Pride, Cosentino completed 14-of-28 for 122 yards and one interception. English came in the game in the fourth quarter and completed two-of-five passes for 43 yards and one score. VILLANOVA VS. HOFSTRA BOX SCORE (FINAL) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Hofstra Pride... 0 0 0 7-7 Record: (2-4,2-3) Villanova Wildcats.. 7 21 7 0-35 Record: (5-1,3-1) Scoring Summary: 1st 00:45 VU - White, Brian 16 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 3-15 0:54, HOFSTRA 0 - VU 7 2nd 12:11 VU - Brown, Shaz 13 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 7-53 2:36, HOFSTRA 0 - VU 14 03:49 VU - DiGiacomo, Phil 3 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 15-76 5:44, HOFSTRA 0 - VU 21 00:38 VU - Wright, Anthony 6 yd pass from Gordon, Brett (James, Adam kick), 6-33 2:07, HOFSTRA 0 - VU 28 3rd 08:06 VU - Cross, Cameron 12 yd run (James, Adam kick), 13-97 4:47, HOFSTRA 0 - VU 35 4th 01:14 HOFSTRA - Ellis, Devale 33 yd pass from english,andrew (ONORATO, CHRIS kick), 4-47 1:52, HOFSTRA 7 - VU 35 HOFSTRA VU FIRST DOWNS... 18 26 RUSHES-YARDS (NET)... 24-94 40-163 PASSING YDS (NET)... 165 234 Passes Att-Comp-Int... 33-16-1 36-26-0 TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS... 57-259 76-397 Fumble Returns-Yards... 0-0 0-0 Punt Returns-Yards... 3-5 0-0 Kickoff Returns-Yards... 1-16 2-61 Interception Returns-Yards... 0-0 1-7 Punts (Number-Avg)... 7-38.6 5-29.0 Fumbles-Lost... 1-0 1-0 Penalties-Yards... 4-33 6-54 Possession Time... 23:58 36:02 Third-Down Conversions... 5 of 13 12 of 17 Fourth-Down Conversions... 0 of 1 0 of 0 Red-Zone Scores-Chances... 0-0 5-5 Sacks By: Number-Yards... 1-8 2-10 RUSHING: Hofstra Pride-Dimmie,trevor 9-42; Bukula, Vemba 8-34; irby, isaac 2-15; Perry, Jamaal 1-9; english,andrew 2-4; cosentino, ryan 2-minus 10. Villanova Wildcats-Butler, Terry 17-91; Cross, Cameron 5-49; Ridley, Henry 5-12; Outlaw, J.J. 2-9; Gibson, Martin 4-6; DiGiacomo, Phil 2-0; Casamento, Joe 1- minus 1; Gordon, Brett 4-minus 3. PASSING: Hofstra Pride-cosentino, ryan 14-28-1-122; english,andrew 2-5-0-43. Villanova Wildcats-Gordon, Brett 26-35-0-234; White, Brian 0-1-0-0. RECEIVING: Hofstra Pride-irby, isaac 4-36; Bryant, Ricky 4-28; Perry, Jamaal 3-20; Ellis, Devale 2-43; Colston,Marques 2-23; Dimmie,trevor 1-15. Villanova Wildcats-Cross, Cameron 6-51; Brown, Shaz 4-41; White, Brian 4-36; Dieser, John 3-33; Champen, Noble 2-23; Chila, Matt 2-19; DiGiacomo, Phil 2-11; Ridley, Henry 1-14; Wright, Anthony 1-6; Butler, Terry 1-0. INTERCEPTIONS: Hofstra Pride-None. Villanova Wildcats-Hulea, Brian 1-7. FUMBLES: Hofstra Pride-Thomas, Robert 1-0. Villanova Wildcats- Cross, Cameron 1-0. Stadium: Villanova Stadium; Attendance: 7507 Kickoff time: 12:08; End of Game: 3:00 Officials: Referee: Thomas Tomczyk; Umpire: Daniel Worrell; Linesman: Andrew Smith; Line judge: Chris Gorson; Back judge: Bartley Conlon; Field judge: Mike Mongoven; Side judge: James Cole; Scorer: Mike Blimm; Temperature: 82; Wind: W 10-15; Weather: Sunny, warm