VILLANOVA, Pa.—Two conference teams who are relatively unfamiliar with each other will meet on Saturday afternoon when No. 13 Villanova (6-2, 3-1 CAA Football) travels to Hampton (5-3, 2-2 CAA) for a 1 p.m. kickoff. It will be the first trip to Armstrong Stadium in Norfolk, Va., for the Wildcats, who will be taking on the Pirates for only the third time ever. The teams last meet in Hampton's inaugural season in CAA Football two years ago.
 
Saturday's game airs on FloFootball, while the radio broadcast on the Villanova Sports Radio Network can be found on the iHeart radio mobile app with Ryan Fannon and Kevin Reilly calling the action. Villanova is headed on the road for the third time in its last four games, although the Wildcats are coming off a home victory, 14-6, in a defensive struggle against New Hampshire last week. Villanova is 2-1 on the road against FCS teams this year and has posted a winning road record versus FCS foes in nine of the last 11 seasons.
 
Long before the Wildcats and Hampton became conference foes, they played each other for the first time at Villanova Stadium in the 2003 season opener. On that day, Villanova amassed 520 yards of offense in a 41-6 victory, the first game of what would turn out to be a 7-4 season. The only other matchup between the teams was the aforementioned 2022 conference game, a 24-10 victory for the Wildcats in which starting quarterback Connor Watkins (Williamsport, Pa.) rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns while amassing 291 yards of total offense.
 
It has been the defense which has been Villanova's strength this season. Entering play this week, the Wildcats lead CAA Football in both red zone defense (65.4%) and scoring defense (17.5 points allowed per game). Those figures rank fourth and 10^th, respectively, among all FCS teams. Villanova ranks second in the CAA and 23^rd nationally in total defense (319.6 yards allowed per game), as well as third in the conference and 22^nd in the country in passing defense (179.9) and third in the league in defensive passing efficiency (121.84).
 
Starting linebackers Shane Hartzell (Perkasie, Pa.) and Brendan Bell (Basking Ridge, N.J.) each had monster games in the New Hampshire win last week. Hartzell broke out for a career-high 20 tackles, including 13 in the first half alone, while Bell had 4.5 tackles for loss among his nine total stops for the day. It was the most tackles for loss in a single game by a Villanova player since Greg Miller had 5.5 TFL against Richmond in 2008, while Bell added to his performance with a forced fumble that he himself recovered.
 
On the offensive side, Watkins threw touchdown passes to fifth year wide receivers Devin Smith (Durham, N.C.) and Lucas Kopecky (Rocky Hill, N.J.) to provide the only scoring the Wildcats needed. It marked just the fifth win for Villanova in the last 25 games it has been held below 20 points, although the Wildcats have two such wins this season against Towson (14-13) and New Hampshire (14-6). Watkins was 7-of-13 for 112 yards and two touchdowns last week, while a 20-yard run on a 99-yard drive in the fourth quarter helped get Villanova into position for its second touchdown of the game which iced the victory.
 
Kopecky has become one of the best storylines on the Wildcats roster this season. He played four years of lacrosse at Villanova before walking on to the football team this season. Kopecky was previously a two-time all-league and honorable mention all-state football player at Montgomery (N.J.) High School during his scholastic career but had not played football for four years prior to this season. He made his college football debut against FBS and Big Ten foe Maryland on September 21, and beginning with that game has tallied at least one reception in five straight contests.
 
The emergence of Kopecky includes his first collegiate touchdown at Stony Brook, season highs of four receptions and 43 yards in the Maine game and his second touchdown reception against New Hampshire last week. For the season overall he has made eight catches for 112 yards and the two scores.
 
After this week's game, the Wildcats will return home to play North Carolina A&T on November 9 at 1 p.m.