When it came to Lehigh vs. Villanova on Saturday at Goodman Stadium in the second round of the NCAA FCS Championship , one team with a Philly connection had to lose.
Lehigh had opened the scoring early in the third quarter. Villanova then tied the game with a one-yard plunge by Ja’briel Mace.
After a scoreless first half and a 7–7 deadlock through the 3rd quarter , Villanova would take the lead with a 28-yard connection between Pat McQuaide and Braden Reed with just over three minutes left in the contest. On the very next possession, Villanova’s defense came up big again, stopping a Lehigh drive when Obinna Nwobodo stripped Mountain Hawks Quarterback Hayden Johnson to preserve the upset of #5 Lehigh.
Last weekend — Villanova (10–2), hosting historic Harvard (9–2) at home, completely dominated the first round of the FCS Championship Playoffs — with the Wildcats going up 31–0 before Harvard got onto the board.
In the season finale against Scared Heart on Saturday, that included a mesmerizing performance on the ground from Ja’briel Mace, including 165 yards and two scores on nine carries, including an 80-yard scamper and a receiving touchdown in the 34–10 win. A week before, in an overtime win against Stony Brook with David Avit out due to a knee injury , Isaiah Ragland ran the ball for nearly 100 yards.
Next up for the Wildcats — a trip to Tarleton State for the next round of the NCAA FCS Championship.
Michael Thomas Leibrandt
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