Villanova Visits JMU Saturday With CAA Title, Postseason Berth Still In Play
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The regular season finale for the Villanova Wildcats will see them travel down to Harrisonburg, Virginia to battle #12 James Madison in what is a huge Colonial Athletic Association match-up on Saturday.
The Wildcats come into this game with a chance to earn a share of the CAA title with a win and a William and Mary loss to Richmond. Villanova is also still very much in the conversation when it comes to the possibility of an FCS playoff berth.
Villanova improved to 6-4 on the season (5-2 in the CAA) this past weekend with an impressive 21-20 win over a nationally ranked Richmond team at Villanova Stadium.
"We were really excited to win this game because they were ranked ninth in the country and we needed to win to stay alive for a shot at the championship," Villanova head coach Andy Talley tells KYW Newsradio. "I think the big thing was our defense matched up pretty nicely with their 36-points-a-game scoring offense and we were able to keep them right at the 20 point level, which I thought going into the game if we could, we'd have a shot to maybe score three touchdowns. (Quarterback) Zach Bednarczyk played extremely well, we got some turnovers and we came out with really one of the better wins we've had in the last four or five years."
Listen to the entire interview with Villanova's Andy Talley
Bednarczyk, a redshirt freshman, finished 17 of 26 for 202 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Richmond. He did not throw an interception. He took over at quarterback in late September after John Robertson was lost for the season with a knee injury. That's one of a number of key injuries Villanova has had to overcome this season, making the fact that they still have so much to play for all the more impressive.
"Zach Bednarczyk's done a tremendous job improving as a quarterback and as a football team we came together after the Maine win (on Halloween)," Talley says. "It's really the beginning of our team really coming together with the kind of synergy that you need to win some close games. So that's been carrying us. Our coaching staff's done a terrific job this year trying to put the pieces together. It's like our saying is, year in and year out, 'Keep Tapping the Rock,' and that's basically what we've been doing, tapping the rock and I think that's why we are where we are."
James Madison is 8-2 on the season and they are also 5-2 in the CAA. The Dukes are coming off a come from behind, 24-21, win over Delaware last time out. The Dukes scored the winning touchdown in that game with just 17 seconds left on a 12-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Bryan Schor.
"(Schor's) stepped in for (injured quarterback) Vad Lee, done a terrific job," Talley says. "They've been averaging 45 points a game as an offense and they give up about (27) points a game. It's a typical JMU team with a lot of skill set. Playing down at JMU this is going to be probably as rugged a game as you could ask for."
Last season, Villanova beat JMU on the Main Line, 49-31.
Saturday's game in Harrisonburg will kickoff at noon.
