VILLANOVA, Pa.—The big-play potential of the Wildcats offense was in top form on Homecoming Weekend as fifth year quarterback Connor Watkins (Williamsport, Pa.) threw for a career-high 361 yards and No. 19 Villanova (6-2, 4-1 CAA Football) had three different receivers top 100 yards in a 48-13 win over Stony Brook (0-8, 0-6 CAA Football) on Saturday afternoon. Watkins had eight completions for 20 yards or longer, including big strikes of 76 yards and 75 yards to fifth year receiver Rayjuon Pringle (Woodbridge, Va.) who had a career-high 196 yards on just five catches.
 
Over the last three games the Wildcats have averaged 523.0 yards of total offense per game. Saturday's total of 556 yards versus the Seawolves was the highest yet and it came thanks to 10 plays from scrimmage of at least 20 years. Watkins amassed his 361 yards on 13-of-19 passing and tied a career high with four touchdowns. Fifth year receiver Jaaron Hayek (Wayne, N.J.) matched Pringle with five catches and totaled season highs of 102 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Jaylan Sanchez (North Bergen, N.J.) added four catches for another 103 yards and a score.
 
It is the first time since November 18, 2000 against Delaware that Villanova had three different players top 100 receiving yards. There was plenty more to the team's offense than just the passing game, however. Sixth year running back Jalen Jackson (Richmond, Va.) rushed for a game-high 77 yards and a touchdown while becoming the seventh player in school history to surpass 2,000 career rushing yards. Jackson now has a career total of 2,040 yards in 41 games played. Fifth year running back TD Ayo-Durojaiye (Damascus, Md.) and redshirt freshman Isaiah Wright (Douglassville, Pa.) also rushed for touchdowns.
 
"It was great to see our guys come out and play well early," Wildcats head coach Mark Ferrante said. "I wasn't sure with a week off, the bye week and all that if maybe we would be a little rusty but it looked like we were fresh and well-rested. It was good to get [Rayjuon Pringle] and [Jaaron Hayek] back involved. We ran the ball so well against Elon that I think [Stony Brook] loaded up the box against us. It was good to have the passing game going today and get the running game going later. I am proud of the guys. It all starts up front with our protection, and the defense did a great job."
 
MILESTONE WATCH
 
With the performances in today's game Villanova now has a 2,000-yard rusher and a 2,500-yard receiver on the active roster. In addition to Jackson reaching 2,000 rushing yards, Hayek became the seventh player in school history to top 2,500 career receiving yards. He finished the day with a total of 2,513 career yards in 43 games played.
 
BIG PLAYS
 
In eight games played this season Watkins has thrown 30 completions for 20 yards or longer, including 13 pass plays of at least 40 yards and three of 75 yards or longer. His performance in Saturday's contest added up to a 297.5 passer rating on the day. Watkins began the game leading all FCS signal callers with an average of 17.07 yards per completion, a number that will increase after he averaged 27.8 yards per completion on his passes against Stony Brook.
 
SCORING BURST
 
Villanova pulled away from a 7-7 deadline late in the first quarter with three touchdowns in a span of just over nine minutes. Hayek hauled in a 43-yard touchdown pass with 2:43 remaining in the first quarter to give the Wildcats the lead for good at 14-7, then caught another 20-yard touchdown pass at the 10:59 mark of the second period. Villanova got the ball back less than two minutes later on a punt by the Seawolves and needed just two plays to go 64 yards and open up the score to 28-7 with 8:28 left before halftime. The first play of the drive was a 20-yard completion to Hayek and the next snap saw Jackson break away for a 44-yard scoring run.
 
75, 75, 75
 
Watkins is the first quarterback in school history to have three passes for over 75 yards in a single season. On the Wildcats second offensive possession of the game, he connected with Pringle for a 75-yard gain which set up Villanova with first-and-goal from the five-yard line. Late in the first half, he and Pringle connected again for a 76-yard touchdown with 1:11 remaining in the second quarter. A missed PAT by the Wildcats – snapping a streak of 65 consecutive made PATs by sixth year kicker Matt Mercurio (Salinas, Calif.) – sent the game to halftime with Villanova leading 34-7.
 
ACTING DEFENSIVE
 
Villanova received the game's opening kickoff and tried to convert on fourth-and-one from its own 34-yard line on the fourth offensive snap of the game. It didn't gain any ground and the Seawolves took over with advantageous field position for their first possession of the day. The defense stood strong for the Wildcats, forcing Stony Brook to stall at the 17-yard line after six plays which were followed by a missed 34-yard field goal attempt.
 
Sophomore linebacker Shane Hartzell (Perkasie, Pa.) and senior safety Tyrell Mims (Philadelphia, Pa.) led the defense with six tackles apiece. Fifth year defensive lineman Jake Reichwein (Doylestown, Pa.) and redshirt freshman linebacker Turner Inge (Williamstown, N.J.) each recorded sacks, with Reichwein making a game-high two tackles for loss.
 
HOMECOMING FESTIVITIES
 
Villanova improved to 37-21 (.638) all-time in Homecoming Weekend games with the win and won for the 17^th time in its last 23 games after a bye week. There were several Homecoming festivities across campus during the weekend, highlighted by Wildcats legend and former Philadelphia Eagles standout Brian Westbrook being honored on the field for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame this December.
 
NEXT UP
 
With two home games on either side of the Wildcats bye week, Villanova has not played a road game since October 7 at North Carolina A&T. That will change this week when the Wildcats travel to New Hampshire to play their mascot namesakes next Saturday at 1 p.m. in Durham, N.H.