COLLEGE PARK, Md.—Playing its annual game against an FBS opponent and facing a current Big Ten foe for only the second time in the last 67 years, FCS No. 5 ranked Villanova (3-1) used two touchdowns and two field goals in the final 23 minutes of the game to account for its highest point total in the last 10 matchups with FBS teams. Following a scoreless first half, the Wildcats built some late momentum and wound up falling to Maryland (3-1) by a final score of 38-20 at SECU Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
 
Two graduate transfers on the Villanova roster accounted for the team's first 10 points of the game just over three minutes apart in the third quarter, beginning with a 33-yard field goal by Ethan Gettman (Daytona Beach, Fla.) with 7:17 to play in the period and followed by a 17-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Devin Smith (Durham, N.C.) at the 4:15 mark of the quarter. Smith caught three passes for 42 yards on the day and Gettman added a 37-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Junior quarterback Tanner Maddocks (Reading, Pa.) rushed for a touchdown with 1:11 to play in the game which capped the scoring.
 
"We challenged the guys at halftime to go out there and forget about everything that occurred in the first half, forget about what the scoreboard says, just go out and play a good second half," Wildcats head coach Mark Ferrante said of the team's late offensive momentum. "I think our guys responded and did that, so this will help us down the road."
 
Villanova played Big Ten opponent Penn State in 2021 but prior to that contest had not faced a current member of the conference since taking on Indiana in 1957. Saturday's announced attendance was 38,006 on Family Weekend at Maryland.
 
"It's a great environment and it gets your adrenaline flowing even more when you get a chance to come into a place like this," Ferrante said. "We have a fairly mature team at a lot of positions, but we bring the whole team on these trips [against an FBS opponent] so for the guys who are redshirting and might only travel once during the year they know what to expect down the road."
 
Starting quarterback Connor Watkins (Williamsport, Pa.) was 12-of-29 for 106 yards and the touchdown pass to Smith, while Maddocks was 4-of-4 for 50 yards in addition to his eight-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter. As the backup to Watkins over the past two seasons, Maddocks has completed 10-of-10 career passes for 94 yards and rushed six times for 23 yards. His touchdown in Saturday's game were the first points he has been responsible for in his career.
 
"We just have to keep striving for consistency [on offense]," Ferrante said. "Our offense only has one returning skill player from the previous two years so the timing for the wideouts and the running backs for our veteran QB is still a work in progress. We have some young guys up front too, so the timing is still something we need to work on but if we get better timing then consistency will come with that. The defense is playing well and I am proud of how they rallied to the ball and played physically today."
 
Five of the seven members of the Wildcats roster who hail from the state of Maryland saw action in Saturday's contest, including a pair of fifth year starting safeties who each had big games. Ty Trinh (Owings Mills, Md.) recorded his third career interception in the third quarter which he returned 24 yards to set up the first Villanova points of the game four plays later. Ethan Potter (Chesapeake City, Md.) led all players with a game-high 10 tackles.
 
True freshman running back David Avit (Potomac, Md.), whose brother Ezequiel is a wide receiver for the Terrapins, had seven carries on Saturday while long snapper Timmy Furgeson (Gaithersburg, Md.) and backup defensive back Newton Essiem (Frederick, Md.) also saw time.
 
Trailing 24-0 at halftime, the Wildcats received the opening kickoff of the second half and had 4^th-and-4 from the Maryland 26-yard line. Watkins appeared to connect with junior wide receiver Jaylan Sanchez (North Bergen, N.J.) for a touchdown, but the play was overturned and deemed an incomplete pass upon review. The Terrapins took over from their own 26-yard line and Trinh intercepted the first play of that possession after sixth year safety Jalen Goodman (Narberth, Pa.) hit Maryland quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. as he dropped back to pass.
 
Villanova has one more non-conference game remaining and will return home next week to face LIU for a 6 p.m. kickoff during Family Weekend on campus.