DURHAM, N.H.—Sixth year running back
Jalen Jackson (Richmond, Va.) rushed for 100 yards in the second half alone and No. 17 Villanova (7-2, 5-1 CAA Football) outlasted New Hampshire (4-5, 2-4 CAA Football) for a 45-33 win on Saturday afternoon. After there were four lead changes in the first half, the visiting Wildcats led 24-20 at halftime and never gave up the advantage the rest of the way. Villanova won its first road game in Durham in 20 years and defeated New Hampshire for the first time since the 2009 playoffs.
Jackson finished the way with 19 carries for a season-high 145 yards to move into 10
th place in school history with 2,185 career rushing yards. He passed
Chris Whitney (2006-09) and
Curtis Sifford (1994-97) during the game while tallying his fifth career game and second this season going over 100 yards. Jackson and fifth year quarterback
Connor Watkins (Williamsport, Pa.) each rushed for two touchdowns and fifth year wide receiver
Rayjuon Pringle (Woodbridge, Va.) had 104 receiving yards and a score.
Villanova's defense forced a season-high four turnovers, as many as the Wildcats had forced in the last seven games combined. Leading the way was senior linebacker
Brendan Bell (Basking Ridge, N.J.) who tied a career high with 12 tackles in addition to recording both a forced fumble and an interception. The latter two plays were each the first of his career and the forced fumble led to a 41-yard return by fifth year safety
Elijah Glover (Pleasantville, N.J.) to set up a Villanova touchdown which tied the score at 10-10 in the second quarter.
The turning point of the game was a wild sequence in the third quarter in which there were three interceptions in a span of five snaps. Bell picked off New Hampshire quarterback Max Brosmer with 5:59 to play in the third period but Villanova committed its only turnover of the game two plays later when Watkins was hit as he went to throw and intercepted at the VU 37-yard line with 5:07 to play in the quarter. New Hampshire's ensuing possession lasted just two plays as sophomore linebacker
Shane Hartzell (Perkasie, Pa.) picked off Brosmer to set Villanova up at its own 44-yard line with 4:15 remaining on the third quarter clock.
Villanova led 31-27 at that point in the game after each team had scored a touchdown earlier in the third period. With the outcome hanging in the balance, Watkins and company found immediate momentum on their drive after the Hartzell interception. Jackson ran for 18 yards on the first play of the drive and Watkins connected with sophomore receiver
Jaylan Sanchez (Ramsey, N.J.) for a 15-yard completion which moved the ball to the 23-yard line. Five plays later Watkins scampered into the end zone on a six-yard run which made the score 38-27.
At the 10:43 mark of the fourth quarter the host Wildcats cut the margin to 38-33 on Dylan Laube's two-yard scoring run. Laube led all players in the game with 310 all-purpose yards. A two-point try by UNH after the touchdown was no good on an incomplete pass and Villanova answered with a big play from Watkins to Pringle which extended the lead to the final margin of 45-33 with 9:53 left to play. On just the second play of the VU drive, Watkins passed to Pringle for a 68-yard touchdown. It put Pringle over 100 yards for the eighth time in his career and third time this season, while also moving him into ninth place in school history with 2,264 career receiving yards.
Villanova forced a three-and-out by the New Hampshire offense after going up by two scores and was able to manage the remaining possessions in the closing minutes of the game. Saturday's meeting was only the third between the mascot namesakes in the last 10 seasons. Villanova snapped a string of five straight losses to New Hampshire and six consecutive setbacks in Durham since a 48-14 win here in 2003.
