VILLANOVA, Pa.—The T-D stood for touchdown as fifth year running back TD Ayo-Durojaiye (Damascus, Md.) rushed for a career-high three scores – the only three touchdowns in the game – to help lead Villanova (5-2, 3-1 CAA Football) to a 21-0 victory over Elon (3-4, 3-1 CAA Football) at a rain-soaked Villanova Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Ayo-Durojaiye was just one part of the Wildcats dominant running game as Villanova rushed for 440 yards in its first shutout victory since a win at Elon two years ago.
 
Freshman running back Isaiah Ragland (Alexandria, Va.) had a breakout game with 126 rushing yards on 15 carries and fifth year quarterback Connor Watkins (Williamsport, Pa.) rushed 13 times for 125 yards. It is the first time in 46 years that the Wildcats have had two players rush for at least 125 yards in the same game. It last happened on October 29, 1977 against West Virginia when Vince Thompson (162 yards) and Pat O'Brien (146 yards) each did so.
 
The steady rain and damp conditions made it a difficult day for either team to throw the ball. Watkins was 3-of-10 through the air for just 36 yards and two Phoenix quarterbacks combined to go 5-of-13 for 46 yards. It didn't matter for Villanova however, as the Wildcats surpassed the 400-yard mark on the ground for the first time since their 2009 national championship season when they ran for 410 yards in a game against Northeastern. Sixth year running back Jalen Jackson (Richmond, Va.) ran 17 times for 83 yards and Ayo-Durojaiye had 78 yards on 11 carries, including a 50-yard run on fourth down for one of his three touchdowns.
 
An early indication as to how the game would unfold might have come on the very first play of the game. Villanova received the opening kickoff and Ayo-Durojaiye returned it 35 yards to give the Wildcats good field position at their own 41-yard line to start the game. The 35-yard return is the longest by a Villanova player this season and the Wildcats proceeded to go 59 yards on 10 plays for the first points of the game. The opening drive culminated with Ayo-Durojaiye – on his first offensive snap of the game – scampering for a one-yard touchdown to get Villanova on the board.
 
There were pivotal plays on fourth down on each of the game's next two possessions. The Phoenix went for it on fourth-and-two from the Wildcats 41-yard line on their first drive of the day but were stopped by senior linebacker Brendan Bell (Basking Ridge, N.J.) for a turnover on downs. Just three plays later the Wildcats had fourth-and-one at midfield and Ayo-Durojaiye burst up the middle and through the defense for a 50-yard touchdown run which made the score 14-0 at the 5:33 mark of the first quarter. Amidst the dreary conditions that would stay the score until past the midpoint of the third quarter when another one-yard run by the aptly named TD accounted for the game's only other points.
 
Villanova's defensive effort was as impressive as its running game and the Wildcats limited Elon to just 99 total yards and five first downs. It is the first time since a contest against Bucknell in 2021 that Villanova has allowed fewer than 100 total yards in a contest. Bell had a team-high seven total tackles while linebackers Shane Hartzell (Perkasie, Pa.) and Danny Abraham (Randolph, Mass.) each recorded sacks. It isn't an easy feat to allow only 99 total yards in a game without forcing a turnover, but the Wildcats did exactly that thanks to stifling the Phoenix into an average of just 2.6 yards per play. In the last two meetings (out of just five total) between Villanova and Elon, the Wildcats have outscored the Phoenix by a combined score of 56-0.
 
The persistence of the running game also kept the Villanova offense on the field for the bulk of the day. The Wildcats had possession of the ball for more than 40 minutes (40:49) with a nearly equal breakdown of 20:14 in the first half and 20:35 in the second half. Over the past two weeks against North Carolain A&T and now Elon the Wildcats have an advantage of 51-13 in first downs and 78:16-41:44 in time of possession.
 
Villanova is heading into its bye week and will return to action for another home game when it hosts Stony Brook on October 28 at 2 p.m.