2017 Villanova Football Schedule

VILLANOVA, Pa.--Five home games at Villanova Stadium and the first meeting in five years with local FBS foe Temple highlight the 2017 football schedule, which was announced on Friday afternoon. Director of Athletics Mark Jackson and first-year head coach Mark Ferrante announced the 11-game schedule the Wildcats will play in their 124th season on the gridiron. Villanova begins the 2017 campaign presented by Independence Blue Cross, with a road game at Lehigh on September 2, and will host its home opener versus Lafayette on September 16..

The annual game against an FBS opponent is against Temple on September 9 at Lincoln Financial Field. It will be the first time since 2003 that the Wildcats play their FBS game during the second week of the season. Villanova and Temple last played each other in 2012, and will be meeting for the 33rd time overall. The all-time series is tied at 15-15-2, with the Wildcats most recent victories coming in 2003 and 2009.

Villanova will face both Lehigh and Lafayette in the non-conference schedule for the second straight year. This past season saw the Wildcats tally a 26-21 home win against Lehigh in addition to posting a 31-14 road victory over Lafayette in the first meeting between the teams in 96 years. Villanova boats a 29-4 all-time record against Patriot League opponents.

After the home opener against Lafayette on September 16, the Wildcats will turn to the CAA Football schedule and play eight conference games over the next nine weeks. The first two league contests are on the road, as Villanova travels to both Albany (September 23) and Towson (September 30). The first home conference game is against Maine (October 7), and that contest will be followed by a trip to defending national champion James Madison (October 14).

The bye week for the Wildcats comes on October 21, and it will be followed by three home games during the final month of the regular season. Villanova hosts Elon (October 28) and Richmond (November 4) in consecutive weeks, travels to Rhode Island (November 11) and then returns home for the final week of the regular season to host the Battle of the Blue game versus Delaware (November 18).

Villanova is coming off a season in which it went 9-4 and reached the FCS playoffs for the sixth time in the last nine years. Among the returning players in 2017 will be five CAA Football All-Conference performers, including first team selection Rob Rolle and third team choice Ed Shockley from the nation's top-ranked defensive squad. The defense for the Wildcats allowed just 15.0 points per game and 259.8 yards of total offense per contest to the opposition in 2016, with both marks the best in the country among FCS teams.

Also returning for Villanova next season are third team all-conference selections in running back Aaron Forbes and tight end Ryan Bell, along with punter John Hinchen. Forbes was the team's leading rusher in 2016 with 799 yards and eight touchdowns, while Bell led the team with seven receiving touchdowns and totaled 434 yards on 33 catches.

All game times for the 2017 schedule will be announced following the release of the CAA Football television schedule in late spring.