VILLANOVA, Pa.—Fifth year quarterback Connor Watkins (Williamsport, Pa.) rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another while amassing 331 yards of total offense to lead #8 seed and No. 6 Villanova (10-2) to a 45-28 victory over Youngstown State (8-5) in the second round of the Division I Football Championship at Villanova Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The victory advances the Wildcats to a quarterfinal matchup against #1 seed South Dakota State (12-0). The date and time of that contest will be announced later on Saturday night and will be played on either December 8 or 9 in Brookings, S.D.
 
The difference in the game came down to 21 unanswered points scored by Villanova in a stretch of nearly 16 minutes that spanned most of the second quarter and the early part of the third period. After the visiting Penguins – who had won the past four matchups against the Wildcats and three in the playoffs – went ahead 10-7 in the opening minute of the second quarter, Villanova answered with Watkins first touchdown of the game at the 11:36 mark of the period to take the lead for good at 14-10.
 
Watkins hit sophomore wide receiver Jaylan Sanchez (North Bergen, N.J.) in stride for a 64-yard touchdown pass six minutes later and sixth year running back Jalen Jackson (Richmond, Va.) scored his second touchdown of the game with 10:44 left in the third quarter. Jackson had 103 total yards on the day, including 81 on the ground and a 22-yard reception. Watkins rushed for 56 yards and went 12-of-21 through the air for 275 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
 
"I am really proud of our team," Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante said. "I have said it from Week 1 and all the way through that these guys have done a great job leading themselves. We got behind in the first quarter but we have been resilient and we just keep going; one step at a time, one drive at a time, one game at a time. I am proud of this player-driven team and whenever you go 1-0 in a playoff situation that's a good thing. We live to practice and stay together again next week, so I am proud of everyone that is in our locker room."
 
Earlier in the contest the Wildcats received the opening kickoff and marched down the field covering 88 yards on six plays to take a 7-0 lead on Jackson's five-yard touchdown run with 11:31 remaining on the first quarter clock. It marked the 11^th time in 12 games this year – every game except for the FBS contest at UCF – in which Villanova has gotten on the scoreboard first. The teams traded scores early on before the Wildcats eventually led by double digits for the final 41-plus minutes of the contest.
 
Sophomore linebacker Shane Hartzell (Perkasie, Pa.) led the Villanova defense with a season-high 14 tackles and senior linebacker Brendan Bell (Basking Ridge, N.J.) made nine total stops. Senior cornerback Isas Waxter (Newark, N.J.) and sophomore Christian Sapp (East Stroudsburg, Pa.) each had interceptions, with Waxter picking off a pass for the second straight game and third time this season. The team defensive effort for the Wildcats included six tackles for loss, three sacks, three pass breakups and six quarterback hurries.
 
Villanova improved to 14-13 all-time in the FCS playoffs and is headed to the quarterfinal round for the second time in the past three seasons. Two years ago the Wildcats hosted a quarterfinal contest against South Dakota State; this time around the Jackrabbits will welcome Villanova to Brookings, S.D. for the first time since the teams played a second round game there in 2016.
 
First there were playoff demons to vanquish against the Penguins however, who had eliminated the Wildcats from the playoffs during national championship runs in 1991 and 1997 to go along with a 1992 playoff victory and a 1999 regular season win at Villanova Stadium. The last time Villanova defeated Youngstown State was in 1978 prior to the Wildcats becoming an FCS program. The reversal of those trends earned the Wildcats their ninth season all-time with 10 or more victories, including the second time in the last three years.
 
Watkins and company were up to their usual tricks with big plays through the air. The 64-yard pass completion to Sanchez and later a 45-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Luke Daly (Rye, N.Y.) were the 18^th and 19^th pass plays for longer than 40 yards this season. Villanova had 10 total plays from scrimmage for 20 yards or longer on Saturday and has 74 such plays this season (6.2 offensive plays per game for 20+ yards).
 
During Ferrante's head coaching tenure the Wildcats are now 15-8 (.652) in the months of November and December. Villanova is now riding a seven-game winning streak – its longest since 2014 – and is averaging a margin of victory of 22.7 points during the streak. Saturday's game was the eighth time this year the Wildcats have scored 35 or more points.