VILLANOVA, Pa.—After playing on the road three weeks in a row, No. 23/22 Villanova (2-2, 1-1 PL) returns home for the first time since its season opener to host rv/No.23t Colgate (3-1, 2-0 PL) in the friendly confines of Villanova Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. and the game can be seen live on ESPN+ during Family Weekend on campus. Saturday's game is presented by Tomm's Tavern + Tap.
Villanova is wearing its navy jerseys and navy pants for Saturday's game along with white helmets as part of a White-Out theme for the day. It is also the Wildcats annual LEVEL game. Fans are encouraged to wear their favorite white Villanova apparel to the game.
THE MATCHUP
It is Family Weekend on campus and Villanova returns home for the first time since the season opener to host Colgate on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Villanova Stadium as the teams meet for the fourth straight year and 10th time overall. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with
Jake Starr and
Nick Mantegna calling the action in the booth, and
Tessa Peloso on the sidelines. The radio call with
Ryan Fannon and
Michael Marcantonini on the Villanova Sports Radio Network can be found on the iHeart radio app.
ABOUT VILLANOVA
The first month of the 2026 season has been an aberrant one for Villanova. The four games played thus far have included three night games, two Friday night contests, two straight league games to start the year, and three straight road games since the season opener. It goes without saying that the Wildcats will be looking forward to the friendly confines of home this weekend. Villanova is 2-2 on the year and 1-1 in Patriot League play after tallying a 20-16 win over LIU in the closing minutes last week. The Wildcats continued to be nationally-ranked in both major FCS polls, including No. 23 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and No. 22 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.
ABOUT COLGATE
Colgate is undefeated against FCS competition this season and even held a lead into the fourth quarter at FBS member Central Michigan earlier this month. The Raiders are 3-1 overall and 2-0 in Patriot League play after a 20-7 win at home over Colgate last week. The start to the season has lifted the Raiders into a national ranking in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll (No. 23t) and to the third team receiving votes outside of the top 25 in the Stats Perform rankings.
SERIES HISTORY
Villanova has won eight of the previous nine meetings in the all-time series with Colgate, including a 24-17 victory at Villanova Stadium in the 2025 season opener. This is the fourth straight season that the teams are playing each other, but the first-ever matchup as conference opponents for the Wildcats and the Raiders. Six of the nine previous games in the series have taken place at Villanova Stadium. The only win by Colgate in the series came in the first-ever matchup between the teams. It took place in 1978 on the Main Line when the Raiders tallied a 20-14 victory.
ROAD WARRIORS
Villanova is coming off three straight road games over the last three weeks, but chances are the Wildcats don't mind the travel too much. That is because last week's 20-16 win at LIU was the team's seventh straight road win since last season over FCS opponents. Villanova's trend of success on the way from home looks even better when examining it over a longer stretch. The team is 28-12 (.700) on the road versus FCS competition since the start of the 2019 season. Going back even further, the Wildcats are 65-35 (.657) away from home against FCS foes since the beginning of the 2008 campaign.
NON-CONFERENCE DOMINANCE
Villanova has won 21 consecutive regular season non-conference games against FCS teams, a streak which continued last week with the Wildcats tallying a 20-16 win at LIU. The team's last regular season non-conference loss versus an FCS foe was back in 2015 when Villanova lost to Penn in the fourth game of that season. The streak of 21 straight wins began with the following year's season opener. In all, the Wildcats own a 29-6 (.829) mark against FCS non-conference opponents since 2016, including both the regular season and the playoffs.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
Villanova has won six of its last eight games in the state of New York, including the last three in a streak which was extended by the 20-16 win at LIU last week. The stretch of three straight wins also included victories at Colgate and at Stony Brook during the 2024 season. Head coach
Mark Ferrante, a native of upstate New York near Syracuse, is 7-4 in his home state as a head coach. The next road game for the Wildcats will be a return trip to the Empire State to play Fordham on October 17.
GAME-WINNING DRIVE
Villanova fell behind by a 16-13 score in the closing minutes of last week's game at LIU when the Sharks made a field goal with 2:44 to play. A penalty against the Wildcats on the ensuing kickoff led to VU starting from its own 15-yard line with 2:36 left. Sixth year quarterback
Pat McQuaide engineered an efficient game-winning touchdown drive as he marched the Wildcats down the field for 85 yards on eight plays. After throwing an incompletion on the first play of the drive, McQuaide completed six consecutive passes for 78 yards on the drive. He also escaped a sack and picked up seven yards on the ground to help keep the momentum going during the possession. The culmination of the drive was a 13-yard touchdown pass from McQuaide to junior running back
Ja'briel Mace with 1:08 to play.
POSITIVE SIGNS FROM THE LOUISVILLE GAME
There were positive signs for Villanova in its September 11 game against nationally ranked ACC member Louisville. Early in the game, the Wildcats engineered a 12-play, 58-yard scoring drive on their first possession which culminated in a 35-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3. It was only the third time in the last nine matchups against FBS teams that Villanova scored points in the first half. The Wildcats went on to amass 253 yards of total offense in the contest, the fourth time in the nine most recent FBS games that they have topped 250 yards.
MCQUAIDE AND MACE CONNECT FOR 65-YARD TD AT LOUISVILLE
Villanova has played 29 games against FBS competition since 1988 and, in those games, has run just shy of 2,000 total offensive plays from scrimmage (1,984 exactly). Only one of those plays has been for 60 yards or longer, and it came last week against Louisville when sixth year quarterback
Pat McQuaide hit junior running back
Ja'briel Mace along the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown. It is the longest reception of Mace's career and ties McQuaide's longest touchdown pass in a Villanova uniform. Prior to last week's game, the longest offensive play for the Wildcats in recent years against an FBS foe was a 52-yard pass from
Connor Watkins to
Rayjuon Pringle at Penn State in 2021.
THE POWER OF 10
In July, the Patriot League unveiled its football-specific brand identity and slogan, "The Power of 10," marking the beginning of A New Era of Patriot League Football as the League enters the 2026 season with 10 football-playing institutions for the first time in its 41-year history.
"The Power of 10" campaign reflects both the strength coming with expansion and the collective success that has long defined Patriot League football, creating one of the nation's premier FCS conferences.
Collectively, the Patriot League's 10 football members have won two FCS national championships, advanced to 12 FCS national semifinals and reached the quarterfinal round 22 times, earning 42 FCS postseason wins.
PATRIOT LEAGUE DEBUT
A transformational new chapter of Villanova football begins this season as the Wildcats make their highly anticipated debut as an associate member of the Patriot League. The match between Villanova and the Patriot League is a natural one both on and off the field, and the Wildcats were picked to finish atop the league standings in a preseason poll of league head coaches.
PLAYING THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
Villanova may be new to the Patriot League this season, but it has played eight of the other nine teams in the conference at least once since 2015. The only member of the conference that the Wildcats have not faced in a long time is Georgetown, who will visit Villanova Stadium in the regular season finale later this year. Despite their memorable matchups on the hardwood, the Wildcats and the Hoyas have not faced each other in football since 1950.
Villanova began the year having won its previous 20 games against the Patriot League since a 2013 loss to Fordham. The streak did not include games that the Wildcats played against Richmond and William & Mary when the teams were conference opponents in CAA Football.
POLLING PLACES
Villanova comes in this week at No. 23 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and No. 22 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. This season marks the 34th time in the last 39 years that the Wildcats have been nationally ranked at some point during the season.
Villanova has been ranked in each of the last 42 national polls dating back to the middle of the 2023 season (October 16 poll). This is the fourth-longest active streak among FCS teams.
Villanova ranks third among all teams in FCS history (since 1978) for the number of weeks appearing in the national media poll. In their 344 weeks being nationally ranked, the Wildcats have been in the top 10 for a total of 159 weeks (11th most all-time) and have been ranked in the top five for 67 weeks.
DOUBLE DIGIT WINS
Villanova is coming off a 12-3 season in 2025 which tied the second-most wins in a season in school history. It was the fourth time in the last five years that the Wildcats have won 10 or more games. The only two FCS teams with 10+ wins in four of the last five seasons are Villanova and defending national champion Montana State.
SUPER SIX
Villanova has been one of the dominant teams in the FCS over the last six seasons and has a 50-20 (.714) overall record in that span (2021-26). The .714 winning percentage ranks seventh among current FCS teams during this stretch.
YOU WILL REMEMBER ME (FOR A CENTURY)
The 2026 season is the 100th year of hosting intercollegiate athletic events in venerable old Villanova Stadium, which was officially dedicated on October 8, 1927. Villanova has an all-time record of 278-114-5 (.707) at Villanova Stadium, including a 29-4 home record over the last five years. A 100th birthday celebration for the venue is being planned for next season.
PRESEASON PATRIOT LEAGUE POLL
Villanova was picked to finish atop the Patriot League standings in its inaugural season in the league in a preseason poll of league head coaches. The Wildcats received seven first-place votes (Lehigh received the other three) and a total of 79 points in the poll to come in four points ahead of defending league champion Lehigh. Villanova defeated Lehigh, 14-7, in the second round of last year's FCS playoffs.
4,000 AND TOP 10 FOR MCQUAIDE
Through his first 19 games in a Villanova uniform, sixth year quarterback
Pat McQuaide has thrown for exactly 4,000 yards on the dot. McQuaide moved into 10th place in school history in career passing yards during last week's game at LIU. McQuaide is 304-of-509 (59.7%) through the air during his Wildcats career while throwing 30 touchdown passes compared with eight interceptions. He is the 11th passer in school history to reach the milestones of 300 completions and 30 touchdown passes.
McQuaide has thrown 37 completions over the last two games, including a season high 19 in the win at LIU last week (19-of-27, 223 yards, one touchdown). He led the Wildcats on an eight-play, 85-yard game-winning drive in the fourth quarter which culminated with his 13-yard touchdown pass to junior running back
Ja'briel Mace with 1:08 to play.
McQuaide's next pass completion will be the 700th of his collegiate career. His overall collegiate totals entering play against Colgate this week are 699-of-1195 for 8,414 yards with 57 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.
MACE IN YOUR FACE
Junior running back
Ja'briel Mace had his best game of the season in last week's win at LIU and he finished the day with 170 all-purpose yards. He rushed for a season best 97 yards and a touchdown, including a 20-yard scoring run in the second quarter, and later caught the game-winning 13-yard touchdown pass with 1:08 to play in the contest. Mace had 35 receiving yards and returned two kickoffs for a total of 38 yards in the game. He ranks seventh in school history with 1,126 career kickoff return yards.
1,600 AND TOP 20 FOR RAGLAND
Junior running back
Isaiah Ragland moved into 20th place in school history with 1,640 rushing yards at LIU last week. He reached the top 20 in the Villanova record book on a seven-yard run in the first quarter and finished the game with 11 carries for 43 yards. His career totals are 344 carries for 1,640 yards and eight touchdowns to go along with 26 receptions for 214 yards and one additional score. The next person that Ragland can pass on the Wildcats career rushing list is Anthony Cowsette (1993-96) who rushed for 1,689 yards. Ragland needs 310 rushing yards to crack Villanova's top 15 all-time and would need 360 yards to reach 2,000 rushing yards for his career.
BIG GAME BINKOWSKI
Sophomore wide receiver
Brandon Binkowski topped 100 receiving yards in a game for the first time in his collegiate career in last week's win at LIU. He had a career high six catches for 113 yards in the contest, including three receptions for more than 20 yards and two for a combined total of 38 yards on the Wildcats game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. It was the first time since the Elon game last season that a Villanova player had three catches for more than 20 yards in a single game.
Binkowski has nearly tripled his output from 15 games as a true freshman last season. He had 11 catches for 99 yards in 15 games played in 2025, but in just four games this year already has 18 receptions for 259 yards and a touchdown. Binkowski ranks third in the Patriot League in receiving yards this season, while he and fellow sophomore wide receiver
Braden Reed are tied for fourth in the league with an average of 4.5 receptions per game.
PUNT RETURNS APLENTY
The first drive of last week's game at LIU ended with a Sharks punt which sophomore
Braden Reed returned for 30 yards. It was the longest punt return of the season for Reed, who moved into 10th place in school history with 351 career punt return yards. Reed is averaging 14.0 yards per punt return on 25 returns for 351 yards. Reed's average of 14.0 yards per punt return ranks fourth in school history, while he needs 49 more punt return yards to become the seventh Villanova player with 400 or more career punt return yards.
BURSEY ONTO THE SCENE
Sophomore linebacker
Omari Bursey has emerged as one of the top defensive players in the FCS this season. He ranks second in the Patriot League and in the top 15 nationally in both total tackles (42) and solo tackles (25) through four games played. He averages 10.5 tackles per game and led the country through the first two weeks of the season with 29 total stops in games against William & Mary and Bucknell. Bursey was named the Stats Perform FCS Defensive Player of the Week and the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week after he made 14 stops at Bucknell.
CABALLERO'S CAREER DAY
Junior linebacker
Christian Caballero recorded his first career double digit tackle game in last week's LIU win. He made seven solo stops and three assisted tackles in the contest, including 3.0 tackles for loss. Caballero missed the second game of the season with an injury but still ranks second on the team with 26 tackles on the year.
SEALING THE OUTCOME
Sophomore safety
Jamie Tyson sealed the win at LIU last week when he intercepted a tipped pass with just over a minute to play. Tyson finished the day with five total tackles and the third interception of his career. Tyson has been a consistent player for Villanova in the early going of the 2026 season. He ranks third on the team with 22 total tackles.
A BOOST AT LINEBACKER
Villanova has gotten a lift in the past two games from the emergence of redshirt freshman linebacker
Walker Murray. The contests against Louisville and LIU in the past two weeks are the only two that Murray has played in during his collegiate career. Still, he made 15 total tackles in the two games, including eight at Louisville and seven last week. The three starters at linebacker for the Wildcats last week — Murray, sophomore
Omari Bursey and junior
Christian Caballero — combined for 25 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss against LIU.
HERE IS THE KICKER
Junior kicker
Dominic LeBlanc leads the Patriot League in field goal percentage (85.7%) and ranks second in the league with six field goals made through the first month of the season. LeBlanc made a pair of field goals and two extra points last week, while missing on what would have been a career long 49-yard attempt.
STRONG START FOR MYERS
Junior punter
Luke Myers is off to a strong start to the season in his first year in this role for the Wildcats. Myers has 16 times for an average of 41.4 yards per punt and six attempts which were downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. In the Louisville game two weeks ago Myers punted eight times for an average of 44.1 yards, including punts of 60 yards and 64 yards in the first half. He has three attempts for 60 yards or longer this season. Four of Myers' punts at Louisville were downed inside the 20-yard line, the first time that had happened in a Villanova game since the final contest of the 2024 season.
PLAYING WITH EXPERIENCE
The members of this year's Villanova roster have played a total of 1,151 games in their college football careers. There are 14 members of the roster who have appeared in 30 games or more and four who have appeared in 40 or more games. The team leaders in games played are the trio of running back
Julian Glantz, defensive end
Capri Martin and quarterback
Pat McQuaide who have each played in 43 career games.
WELCOME TO THE MAIN LINE
The newcomers to the Villanova roster this season include five transfers who all have previous college football experience. The five incoming transfers include cornerback
Mikey Allen (Southern Utah), linebacker
Tyler Cain (Slippery Rock), tight end
Brody Eaton (Marist), wide receiver
Jake Hilton (Wisconsin-River Falls) and kicker
Dominic LeBlanc (Tennessee Tech). All five players appeared on the Wildcats depth chart to begin the season.
DID YOU KNOW?
Villanova has played 1,235 games in its history and those contests have yielded 673 unique scores. It isn't hard to tell how much the game of football has changed over the years. The most commonly repeated score in school history is 6-0 which has occurred 23 times, including 11 Villanova wins by that score and 12 losses.
PRESEASON ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE
Villanova had five selections to the Preseason All-Patriot League team in the poll of league head coaches. The selections on offense include running back
Ja'briel Mace, wide receiver
Braden Reed and right guard
Chris McCullers, while the defensive selections are linebacker
Omari Bursey and defensive end
Capri Martin.
WALTER PAYTON AWARD WATCH LIST
Junior running back and kick returner
Ja'briel Mace is among 30 offensive players nationwide, including three from the Patriot League, who were named to the Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List. The watch list was announced by Stats Perform for the annual award which is presented to the national offensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football. This is the third straight year that Villanova has had a player named to the initial watch list for the Walter Payton Award.
NATIONAL PRESEASON ACCOLADES FOR MACE
In addition to being named to the Watch List for the Walter Payton Award, running back and kick returner
Ja'briel Mace was named a Stats Perform Preseason All-American and landed a spot on the 2027 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000. Last season Mace became the second player in Villanova history to average more than 30 yards on kickoff returns over a full season. He had 23 returns for 735 yards and an average of 31.96 yards per return, with both his total return yards and his average return ranking him second among all FCS players. Mace also was the first player in the country last season to return two kickoffs for touchdowns, a feat he accomplished twice in a three-game span with a 100-yard return against William & Mary on September 27 followed two weeks later by a 97-yard return for a score at Elon.
An explosive runner in any role on the field, Mace was the Wildcats leading rusher in a deep corps of running backs last season. He ran for 946 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 7.39 yards per carry, including three games with over 100 yards and three with two or more rushing touchdowns. Mace had a historic performance against Towson on November 8 last season when he broke Brian Westbrook's single game record for rushing yards. Mace had 291 yards and scored all four Villanova touchdowns in a 28-10 victory. He followed that performance two weeks later with 165 yards and two scores in the regular season finale against Sacred Heart, then had 151 rushing yards and a touchdown in an FCS playoff quarterfinal win at Tarleton State.
