BETHLEHEM, Pa.—Several of the most veteran members of the Wildcats roster showcased what they are capable of during a dominant first half and Villanova (1-0) rolled to a 38-10 victory over Lehigh (0-1) in the season opener for both teams at Goodman Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Sixth year running back Jalen Jackson (Richmond, Va.) and fifth year wide receiver Rayjuon Pringle (Woodbridge, Va.) each scored two early touchdowns as the Wildcats built a 31-3 lead in the first 30 minutes.
 
Villanova looked to be in midseason form on both sides of the ball in the opening half. The defense came up with two interceptions and a fumble recovery while the offense turned all three of those forced turnovers into touchdowns. By comparison, the Wildcats scored only five touchdowns all of last season on drives that started after a forced turnover. Starting safeties Ty Trinh (Owings Mills, Md.) and Tyrell Mims (Philadelphia, Pa.) each had first half interceptions to go along with a fumble recovery by junior linebacker Richie Kimmel (Holmes, Pa.).
 
There is no denying the veteran experience that has a chance to be Villanova's trademark this season. The 93 members of the Wildcats roster began the season with a combined 1,064 collegiate games played, including 369 starts. The roster features 19 players in their fifth or sixth seasons of college football, including Jackson who erupted for 144 rushing yards on eight carries while only playing the first half. He is the third player in school history and the first since 1947 to have as many as 140 rushing yards on eight or fewer carries. Pringle had three catches for 40 yards and the two scores in the first half.
 
"I am happy with the outcome," Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante said. "Our guys prepared well in the preseason and the offseason. They came out and got it done on the field today. It is always good to win your opener. It shows that you have done good things from whenever last season ended and the upperclassmen have done a good job of bringing along the freshmen in summer training and the preseason."
 
Villanova and Lehigh played each other in the season opener for the third straight year. It is the seventh straight full season (excluding the 2021 spring campaign) in which the teams have faced each other in one of the first two games of the year. The Wildcats have won 11 straight head-to-head matchups with the Mountain Hawks and lead the all-time series by a 14-5 margin.
 
STARTING STRONG

• Villanova won its season opener for the seventh straight year, a streak whose start coincides with the start of the Mark Ferrante head coaching era. The seven consecutive season-opening wins was tied for the third-longest current streak in the FCS as of the end of the game, pending the outcome of other games around the country on Saturday. 
• Today's game marked the first time since the 2021 spring season and only the second time in the last five season openers that Villanova scored a touchdown of any kind in the first quarter of a season opener. It was only the first time since 2018 that the Wildcats scored two touchdowns in the first quarter of their season opener.
• It is the first time since 2013 that Villanova had both a rushing and a receiving touchdown in the first quarter of a season opener. Jackson opened the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run at the 3:58 mark of the opening period and Pringle caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Connor Watkins (Williamsport, Pa.) with 1:53 left in the quarter. Watkins finished the day 13-of-23 through the air for 119 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Last season he made his first career start in the game against Lehigh and set a Villanova record for passing yards in a first career start when he threw for 298 yards and three scores.

 
GROUND GAME

• Jalen Jackson and DeeWil Barlee each surpassed 1,700 career rushing yards during the game. Barlee now ranks 16^th in school history with 1,732 career yards, while Jackson is just behind him in 17^th place with 1,711 yards. 
• Jackson and Barlee each topped the 100-yard mark in Saturday's game. Jackson rushed for 144 yards on just eight carries while Barlee had 10 attempts for 103 yards. It is the fourth career game for both players going over the century mark in a game.
• Villanova finished the day with 284 rushing yards, its most in a season opener in at least the past 20 years based on immediately available data at the end of the game.

 
FORCING TURNOVERS

• Villanova recovered three Lehigh turnovers in the first half after having only one game all of last season where the defense forced as many as three turnovers. Ty Trinh recorded his second career interception and Tyrell Mims registered his third career pick. Richie Kimmel was credited with his first career fumble recovery. In his last two games played dating back to last season, Kimmel has come up with a blocked punt and now a fumble recovery.
• "Like a lot of teams it is probably a point of emphasis," Ferrante said. "There is really no secret to it. It comes from rushing to the ball and when you get a tipped pass or a ball up for grabs [the turnovers] are the end result."

 
PATRIOT LEAGUE SUCCESS

• Since becoming an FCS program in 1985, the Wildcats are 40-4 against the teams that currently make up the Patriot League. That record includes 16 consecutive wins against the league since a 2013 loss to Fordham.

 
UP NEXT

• Villanova plays its home opener against another Patriot League team when it faces Colgate next Saturday (September 9) at 6 p.m.. It will be the Raiders first visit to Villanova Stadium since the first round of the 2008 FCS playoffs when the Wildcats tallied a 55-28 victory. The teams last faced each other in the 2019 season opener in Hamilton, N.Y.