Box Score Sept. 20, 2014

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VILLANOVA, Pa. - Junior quarterback John Robertson (Paramus, N.J.) had a career-best passing performance and No. 8 Villanova (2-1, 1-0 CAA) scored 28 unanswered points in the second half to surge past James Madison (2-2, 0-1 CAA) by a final score of 49-31 at Villanova Stadium on Saturday afternoon. A crowd of 10,781 on Parents' Weekend saw the Wildcats overcome a 10-point deficit early in the third quarter and win the CAA Football opener for both teams.

Robertson threw for a career-high 337 yards and matched a career high with four passing touchdowns. He completed his first 15 attempts of the game and finished the day 22-of-27 through the air. He connected with eight different receivers, including four who had at least 68 receiving yards on the afternoon. Senior tight end Earnest Pettway (Long Beach, Calif.) caught a pair of touchdown passes in the third quarter, with the latter score giving Villanova the lead for good. Five different players had a touchdown for the Wildcats, with Pettway and senior running back Kevin Monangai (Roseland, N.J.) each scoring twice. Monangai ran for 129 yards on 15 carries.

The teams combined for 1,131 yards of total offense, with the Dukes owning a slight edge (568-563) in that category. The total yardage in the game was just 36 yards off the single-game school record for combined total offense between Villanova and its opponent. In addition to the 337 yards passing by Robertson, the Wildcats also ran for 226 yards. Villanova has scored 99 points in its last two games, which matches the team's highest two-game scoring output in 17 years.

Junior wide receiver Mike Burke (Columbia, Pa.) finished the game with a team-high five receptions for a career-high 79 yards, while senior wideout Poppy Livers (Seaside, Calif.) caught four passes for 85 yards. Junior wide receiver Kevin Gulyas (Allentown, Pa.) added 68 yards on four receptions. The running duo of Monangai and senior running back Austin Medley (Franklinville, N.J.) produced 180 yards and three scores. Medley ran for 51 yards on 10 carries.

Both sides traded touchdowns and big plays early on. There were three scores in a two-minute span early in the second quarter and the score was tied 14-14 with 12:52 remaining before halftime. Burke scored his first career touchdown on a six-yard pass from Robertson in the first quarter and Monangai scored on a career-long 62-yard run on the first play of a Villanova drive in the second period.

James Madison took its first lead of the game, 21-14, on a Deane Cheatham 18-yard touchdown reception with 5:44 to play in the first half. Two lost fumbles in the final nine minutes before intermission cost the Wildcats a chance to answer the Dukes go-ahead score, and James Madison eventually extended its lead to 24-14 with 10:39 to play in the third quarter on a 33-yard field goal by Connor Arnone. By the time the Dukes scored again, the game was well out of reach.

The critical play in the Villanova comeback came on 4th-and-5 from the James Madison 38-yard line. On third down Robertson threw a short pass which was dropped, and the Wildcats then decided to go for it on fourth down. Robertson ran for 16 yards and a first down to keep the drive going, Monangai and Medley combined for another 18 yards on three successive runs and Robertson finally threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Pettway which pulled Villanova to within 24-21 with 7:08 left in the third quarter.

After the Dukes were forced to punt on their next possession, Robertson engineered a 12-play, 86-yard drive over the next 3:39 and Pettway's seven-yard touchdown catch with 1:54 to go in the third period gave the Wildcats a 28-24 lead.

The third quarter ended with senior safety Joe Sarnese (Ventnor, N.J.) intercepting James Madison quarterback Vad Lee at the Villanova 29-yard line. Monangai scampered in for a three-yard touchdown on the Wildcats drive to begin the fourth quarter and then Sarnese picked Lee off again just two plays in the ensuing Dukes possession. Sarnese returned his second interception of the day 36 yards down to the James Madison 4-yard line and Medley scored on a two-yard run as Villanova opened a 42-24 lead with 11:03 left in the game.

A one-yard touchdown run by Lee snapped the Wildcats scoring burst but the Dukes final scoring drive of the day consumed 5:27 of clock during a 16-play, 76-yard possession. James Madison narrowed the deficit to 42-31 on Lee's touchdown but Villanova had one more big play left. Robertson's shovel pass to junior running back Gary Underwood (Cincinnati, Ohio) turned into a 69-yard score and the Wildcats sealed the outcome with a 49-31 lead and just 4:03 left to play.

Junior linebacker Don Cherry (Trumbull, Conn.) had a game-high 11 tackles to record the first double-digit tackle game by a Villanova player this season. Junior linebacker Dillon Lucas (Medford, N.J.) and senior linebacker Joey Harmon (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) added nine tackles apiece and Sarnese had the two interceptions in another strong performance for the Villanova defense.

Lee was the focal point of the Dukes offense and finished the day with 478 total yards. He was 23-of-43 through the air for 406 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, while also running for 72 yards and a score on 28 carries. Cheatham had 109 receiving yards for James Madison, Daniel Brown added 95 yards on four catches and Ishmael Hyman had 80 yards and a touchdown.

Villanova returns to action next Saturday afternoon when it visits Penn for a 3 p.m. kickoff.