Football 11/23/2016 12:00:00 AM

Wildcats Host Saint Francis in Playoff Opener on Saturday Afternoon

Nov. 23, 2016

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF SATURDAY'S FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF GAME AGAINST SAINT FRANCIS

VILLANOVA, Pa. - In the first round of the FCS playoffs this Saturday afternoon, No. 9 Villanova (8-3) will host Saint Francis (7-4) in a game that can be seen live on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Villanova Stadium, and the game will also air live on 610 Sports WTEL-AM. Tickets for Saturday's game can be purchased online here. This is the sixth time in the last nine years that the Wildcats have earned a berth in the Division I Football Championship. The winner of Saturday's opening round contest will advance to a second round game against #8 seed South Dakota State.

In its 12th appearance all-time in the FCS playoffs, Villanova will open against a Red Flash team that is playing in the postseason for the first time in program history. During the regular season, the Wildcats won eight games and finished in a tie for second place in the CAA Football regular season standings. Saint Francis went 5-1 in the Northeast Conference and tied for first place with Duquesne, then earned the league's automatic bid to the playoffs by virtue of a win over the Dukes earlier in the year. The programs have never met on the gridiron.

Villanova is 11-10 (.524) all-time in the playoffs and has won eight of its last 12 postseason games during a nine-year span that started with the 2008 season. During this stretch, the Wildcats own a 74-38 (.661) overall record and have made six playoff appearances while winning the 2009 national championship and advancing to the semifinals in 2010.

The playoff opener between Villanova and the Red Flash will be a matchup of two strong defensive squads. Through the end of the regular season, the Wildcats led CAA Football in six different defensive categories and ranked in the top five in the nation in three different metrics. Villanova ranks third among all FCS teams in both scoring defense (14.9 points allowed per game) and total defense (265.1 yards allowed per game), in addition to being fourth in red zone scoring percentage (64.7%).

Senior linebacker Tanoh Kpassagnon (Ambler, Pa.) is having a terrific season for the Wildcats defense and was named the CAA Football Defensive Player of the Year earlier in the week. Kpassagnon is only the second Villanova player to win the league's top defensive honor, joining two-time winner Curtis Eller (1991, 1992). Five of the nine Wildcats who earned CAA Football All-Conference honors were defensive players, including Kpassagnon, senior linebacker Austin Calitro (Danbury, Conn.) and junior safety Rob Rolle (Newfield, N.J.) on the first team. Junior linebacker Ed Shockley (Millville, N.J.) and senior defensive end Bryan Osei (Abington, Pa.) were honored on the third team.

Saint Francis has held its opponents to 18.8 points per game on the season and has limited the opposition to an average of 304.9 total yards per contest. In their 11 games, the Red Flash have held their opponent to 10 or fewer points on four occasions. Senior linebacker Solomon Leaeno leads the team with 92 total tackles on the season, including 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

The bracket of 24 teams for the Division I Football Championship was revealed last Sunday, one day after the Wildcats closed the regular season with a 41-10 win over Delaware in the annual Battle of the Blue rivalry game. Junior running back Matt Gudzak (Toms River, N.J.) rushed for a career-high 123 yards and a touchdown in the win, in addition to hauling in a 54-yard touchdown pass and amassing a career-high 194 all-purpose yards. Sophomore quarterback Zach Bednarczyk (Wallington, N.J.) threw for 195 yards on 13-of-17 accuracy and registered a career high four touchdown passes.

Bednarczyk has been a steady presence for Villanova in his first full season as a starter. He has thrown for 1,684 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions on the season, and during the win over the Blue Hens became the 12th quarterback in school history to surpass 3,000 career passing yards. He currently ranks 11th in school history with 3,080 passing yards, as well as 10th with 4,055 yards of total offense.

Villanova is currently averaging 25.4 points and 373.5 yards of total offense per game, including a strong running game which has racked up 212.7 rushing yards per contest. Senior left tackle Brad Seaton (Bronx, N.Y.), a mainstay on the Wildcats offensive line with 28 consecutive starts, was named a second team all-conference selection. Sophomore running back Aaron Forbes (Newburgh, N.Y.) and junior tight end Ryan Bell (Basking Ridge, N.J.) were each named to the all-conference third team. Forbes leads the team with 745 rushing yards and is tied for the team lead with seven rushing touchdowns. Bell has tallied 24 receptions for 269 yards and a team-high five receiving touchdowns on the year.

The top eight seeds in the Division I Football Championship earned a first round bye and will host second round games on Saturday, December 3. Either the Wildcats or Saint Francis will advance to face South Dakota State on that date at 3 p.m. Eastern time.

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