VILLANOVA, Pa.—The running back tandem of redshirt freshman Isaiah Ragland (Alexandria, Va.) and true freshman David Avit (Potomac, Md.) combined to score three touchdowns and No. 6 Villanova (4-1) extended its home winning streak to 12 games with a 24-10 victory over LIU (0-5) on a rainy Family Weekend game at Villanova Stadium on Saturday night. Ragland rushed for two touchdowns in the first half and Avit scored his first collegiate touchdown on a five-yard run in the fourth quarter.
 
In addition to winning a dozen straight home games, the Wildcats have now won 19 straight regular season non-conference games against FCS opponents. Saturday evening's contest was the final such game this year for Villanova, which extended the streak with wins over Youngstown State (24-17), Colgate (28-3) and now the Sharks in the first five weeks of the 2024 season. The average margin of victory in the 19 wins has been 26.1 points.
 
"Winning is hard and we're excited that we came out with the win," Wildcats head coach Mark Ferrante said. "We were able to run the ball, especially early on. We controlled the heck out of the ball in the first half. We let them get a little close at the end there, but then were able to put it away in the end. The defense is still swarming to the ball, and we won the turnover ball, that's always huge. I don't get crazy with the other stats. Points for, points against and turnovers. We had more points than them and [forced] more turnovers so that's a good thing."
 
Villanova's defensive effort was indeed a terrific one, with LIU amassing only 26 total yards in the first half before eventually putting 10 points on the board in the fourth quarter. Two of the Wildcats three touchdowns came on possessions created by recovered fumbles. In the first quarter, fifth year player Timmy Furgeson (Gaithersburg, Md.) recovered a muffed punt which set up the possession leading to Ragland's first touchdown of the night on a 12-yard scamper.
 
Late in the third quarter, senior linebacker Shane Hartzell (Perkasie, Pa.) recovered a Sharks fumble and returned it 18 yards to give the offense a short field inside the red zone. Avit scored on a five-yard run just two plays later to make the score 24-0 with 14:55 left to play. On the flip side of the two fumble recoveries, the Wildcats offense played its fourth game in five outings this year without committing a single turnover. Villanova owns a plus-five turnover margin on the year.
 
Avit finished the night with 24 carries for 160 yards and the touchdown. It is the most rushing yards in a game for a Wildcats true freshman since Pat O'Brien had 173 yards against Delaware on October 15, 1977. This is also the second straight year that Villanova has had a true freshman record a 100-yard game, as Ragland himself did it last year versus Elon. Ragland wound up with 14 carries for 47 yards and the two scores on Saturday night.
 
Hartzell added to his fumble recovery with a team-high seven total tackles, including three solo stops. For really the first time all year the Wildcats dominated the time of possession battle, with the offense on the field for 37:05 in the game and 22:11 in the first half alone before a more even second half.
 
The tone was set from the beginning, as Villanova received the game's opening kickoff and proceeded to consume 6:55 of clock time on a 13-play, 84-yard drive which culminated with fifth year kicker Ethan Gettman (Daytona Beach, Fla.) making a 24-yard field goal at the 7:55 mark of the first quarter.
 
It will be all CAA Football opponents from here on out for the Wildcats, who will next travel to Stony Brook next Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. contest.