VILLANOVA, Pa.—Senior running backs
Isaiah Ragland (Alexandria, Va.) and
Ja'briel Mace (Somers Point, N.J.) combined for five rushing touchdowns but, after four lead changes in the fourth quarter, a field goal attempt as time expired was no good as Villanova (2-4) fell to Morgan State (4-1) by a final score of 38-35 on Saturday afternoon. The teams combined for nearly 1,000 yards of total offense in the game and each side had two touchdowns in a momentous final 15 minutes.
Ragland scored a career-high three touchdowns on 12 carries for 76 yards, and Mace rushed 13 times for 103 yards and two scores. It is the first time since 2024 against Stony Brook that the Wildcats scored five rushing touchdowns. The five scores backed up a season-high 457 yards of total offense from Villanova, including sixth year quarterback
Pat McQuaide (Solon, Ohio) going 22-of-28 through the air for 266 yards. Eight different receivers caught a pass, including sophomore wide receiver
Braden Reed (Pottstown, Pa.) having six receptions for the third time this year.
The seesaw final quarter started with Ragland finding the end zone from 22 yards out with 14:12 to play as the Wildcats took a 28-24 lead, their first advantage of the game. The touchdown capped off a nine-play, 97-yard drive which was Villanova's longest since a 99-yard drive at New Hampshire nearly two years ago. Ragland's third touchdown of the day was the first of three scores by the two teams in a span of 140 seconds.
In just their second-ever visit to the Main Line, the Bears answered with a 64-yard touchdown pass at the 13:27 mark of the fourth quarter to retake the lead at 31-28. Mace countered for the Wildcats with a 52-yard run for a touchdown and a 35-31 advantage for Villanova with 11:52 remaining. The rest of the fourth quarter dramatics began to unfold in the closing minutes.
After the Wildcats stopped Morgan State on fourth down with 2:45 to play, Villanova got the ball back at its own 20-yard line. That possession failed to generate any momentum however, and the Bears took over from their own 44-yard line with 1:51 left. Five consecutive pass completions, including two in a row for 38 yards and 11 yards, brought Morgan State to the two-yard line and quarterback Cameron Edge rushed for a two-yard score with 36 seconds to play.
McQuaide and the Wildcats weren't done yet. The veteran signal caller went 4-of-6 in the closing seconds, and Villanova called its final timeout with two seconds on the clock. It set up a 47-yard field goal attempt for junior
Dominic LeBlanc (Dawsonville, Ga.) to force overtime. The length would have tied LeBlanc's longest career field goal, and his kick had the length and looked good in the air before missing just wide right to end the game.
Veteran linebackers
Omari Bursey (Broomfield, Colo.) and
Christian Caballero (Niceville, Fla.) each had nine tackles for the Wildcats, with Bursey recording a sack for a loss of nine yards. Sophomore safety
Jamie Tyson (Somers Point, N.J.) recorded his fourth career interception and third this season from the end zone on the fourth down stop the Wildcats forced with 2:45 to go.
After playing its only back-to-back home games of the season, Villanova heads into its bye week and will next play on October 17 in a road game at Fordham.
