Draft Scout Villanova Player News, College Football: Villanova

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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Villanova

Previous 15 Notes

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09/22/21 - Daniel Smith, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

SEPT 20 CAA CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Dan Smith, Gr., QB, Villanova (Leesburg, Va./Tuscarora),...Smith compiled 369 yards of total offense and four touchdowns as Villanova rallied for a 34-27 CAA victory over Richmond. The grad student led the Wildcats to 21 points over the final 5:01, scoring on a 2-yard run before firing a game-tying 44-yard TD pass with 2:02 remaining and a game-winning 47-yard TD strike with 38 seconds left. He finished 26-of-40 through the air for 350 yards as VU moved to 3-0. - Colonial Athletic Association Football

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QB Daniel Smith, Villanova
News Source: Colonial Athletic Association Football
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09/18/21 - Daniel Smith, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

Daniel Smith led a three-touchdown blitz in the final five minutes and Villanova stunned Richmond 34-27 on Saturday in the Colonial Athletic Association opener for both of the FCS-ranked teams. The Wildcats had a 13-0 first-half lead obliterated by a 24-point deluge by the Spiders in the third quarter. Jake Larson added a fourth-quarter field goal with nine minutes left in the game. Then Smith and the Wildcats went to work with the quarterback finishing a 10-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, then throwing a 44-yard TD pass to Jaaron Hayek followed by a 47-yard score to Rayjoun Pringle to take the lead with 38 seconds left.

Richmond drove into Villanova territory, but Joe Mancuso was intercepted by Darius Pickett to save the Wildcats' victory. Aaron Dykes returned the second-half kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown to begin Richmond's big third quarter. Following Dykes' return, Xavier Marshall recovered a fumble by Villanova (3-0, 1-0). That led to Mancuso's 28-yard TD toss to Isaac Brown. On Richmond's next possession, Mancuso threw 33 yards to Connor Deveney for a touchdown. Aamir Hall's interception in the end zone led to Larson's 43-yard field goal and it was 24-13 after three quarters. In the first half, it was the Wildcats who used two Richmond (2-1, 0-1) turnovers to score 10 points, including Smith's 6-yard run right after a Spiders fumble. Cole Bunce kicked two field goals for Villanova. - Villanova/AP College Football

rSr/2022

QB Daniel Smith, Villanova
News Source: Villanova/AP College Football
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09/11/21 - Daniel Smith, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

Daniel Smith passed for three touchdowns, ran for another and Villanova defeated Bucknell 55-3 on Saturday night, holding the Bison to less than 100 yards of offense. Villanova out-gained the Bison 378-89. Smith opened the scoring with a 1-yard keeper, then fired a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jaaron Hayek, a 10-yarder to Jaquan Allen and a 9-yarder to Rayjoun Pringle as the Wildcats (2-0) built a 28-0 lead just five seconds into the second quarter.

Villanova, ranked No. 11 in the FCS coaches poll, had six receivers combine for 145 yards and four touchdowns. The Wildcats gained 233 yards on the ground led by Jalen Jackson's 70 on 11 carries, including a 5-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. Nick Semptimphelter threw for 32 yards for the Bison (0-2), was intercepted twice and sacked twice for a loss of 18 yards. Bucknell's ground game gained 21 yards on 25 carries. Villanova out gained Bucknell 129 to minus-3 in the opening quarter. Darius Pickett, Ethan Potter and Jake Green each had four of Villanova's 51 tackles. The Wildcats made 12 tackles for loss. Bucknell, shut out in its season opener, got on the board with Ryan Schatzel's 35-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. - AP College Football

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QB Daniel Smith, Villanova
News Source: AP College Football
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09/07/21 - Cole Bunce, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

SEPT 6 CAA FOOTBALL SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cole Bunce, Gr., PK, Villanova (San Jose, Calif./Bellarmine College Prep),...Bunce went 3-for-3 on field goals and accounted for 14 points in Villanova's 47-3 win at Lehigh on Saturday. The graduate student hit field goals from 35 and a career-best 49 yards to give the Wildcats an early 6-0 advantage and added a 30-yarder in the third quarter. He was also 5-for-5 on extra points. - Colonial Athletic Association Football

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K Cole Bunce, Villanova
News Source: Colonial Athletic Association Football
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03/15/21 - Cole Bunce, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

MARCH 15 CAA FOOTBALL SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cole Bunce, Sr., PK, Villanova (San Jose, Calif./Bellarmine Prep),...Bunce accounted for 13 points in Villanova's 40-37 setback to Rhode Island, converting 3-of-3 field goals and 4-of-4 extra points. Bunce made kicks of 21 and 25 yards before booting a 45-yard field goal in overtime. The 45-yard field goal was tied for the longest in the CAA this season. - Colonial Athletic Association Football

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K Cole Bunce, Villanova
News Source: Colonial Athletic Association Football
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03/08/21 - Rayjoun Pringle, rSr/2024, Villanova + More +

MARCH 8 CAA FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Rayjoun Pringle, So., WR, Villanova (Dumfries, Va./Hayfield Secondary School),...Pringle made a career-best nine receptions for a career-high 171 yards and a touchdown in #5 Villanova's 16-13 win at Stony Brook on Saturday. The sophomore's biggest play came in the second quarter when he caught a 49-yard scoring pass from Daniel Smith to give the Wildcats a 13-0 advantage. - Colonial Athletic Association Football

rSr/2024

WR Rayjoun Pringle, Villanova
News Source: Colonial Athletic Association Football
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12/21/20 - Matt Mercurio, rSr/2024, Villanova + More +

San Jose State's Matt Mercurio tied an FBS record for field goals made in a single quarter during the Mountain West Conference championship game. Mercurio made four second-quarter field goals, as he connected on kicks from 24, 36, 26 and 32 yards out. He became the fifth FBS player to make four field goals in one quarter. The last person to do it was Oregon State's Jose Cortez against California in 1998. - AP College Football

rSr/2024

K Matt Mercurio, Villanova
News Source: AP College Football
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12/16/20 - Matt Mercurio, rSr/2024, Villanova + More +

2020 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL HONORABLE MENTION (COACHES): Matt Mercurio, PK,...Mercurio, an honorable mention honoree for the second consecutive year, converted all of his 23 extra-point tries and is 5-of-6 kicking field goals. - San Jose State Football

rSr/2024

K Matt Mercurio, Villanova
News Source: San Jose State Football
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07/30/20 - Malik Fisher, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

2020 PHIL STEELE/DRAFTSCOUT All-CAA FIRST TEAM: Malik Fisher, Villanova, Sr.,...Pre-Playoffs...Fisher has been a force at defensive end where he has made 27 total tackles (14 solo, 13 assisted) in 2019, including six sacks. He began the year by recording a sack in four straight games and having at least half a sack in six of the first seven contests. - Villanova Football

rSr/2022

DE Malik Fisher, Villanova
News Source: Villanova Football
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07/30/20 - Colin Gamroth, rSr/2023, Villanova + More +

2020 PHIL STEELE/DRAFTSCOUT All-CAA SECOND TEAM: Colin Gamroth, Villanova, Sr.,...Paul Grattan and Colin Gamroth have been mainstays on a Villanova offensive line which has been one of the Wildcats biggest team strengths. The line has given up just 12 quarterback sacks for a total loss of 84 yards all season, an average of one sack allowed per game. That ranks Villanova first in the CAA and seventh nationally in fewest sacks allowed. - Villanova Football

rSr/2023

C Colin Gamroth, Villanova
News Source: Villanova Football
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07/30/20 - Daniel Smith, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

2020 PHIL STEELE/DRAFTSCOUT All-CAA FIRST TEAM: Dan Smith, Villanova, Sr.,...Pre-Playoffs: The transfer from Campbell has thrown for 2,991 yards and 31 touchdowns while also running for 367 yards and a team-high 11 rushing touchdowns. - Villanova Football

rSr/2022

QB Daniel Smith, Villanova
News Source: Villanova Football
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07/30/20 - Forrest Rhyne, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

2020 PHIL STEELE/DRAFTSCOUT All-CAA FIRST TEAM: Forrest Rhyne, Villanova, Sr.,...Pre-Playoffs: Rhyne has had a breakout campaign in his first year as a starter at linebacker. He leads the team and ranks fifth in the CAA with 105 tackles (50 solo, 55 assisted) on the season, including a team-high 6.5 sacks. Rhyne is second on the squad with 13.5 tackles for loss and has recorded six double-digit tackle games on the year. - Villanova Football

rSr/2022

ILB Forrest Rhyne, Villanova
News Source: Villanova Football
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07/30/20 - Nathan Fondacaro, rSr/2023, Villanova + More +

2020 PHIL STEELE/DRAFTSCOUT All-CAA FIRST TEAM: P Nate Fondacaro, Villanova, Jr.,...Pre-Playoffs: Fondacaro has been the best punter in the CAA in 2019 and leads the league with an average of 44.5 yards per punt. He has recorded 40 punts on the year, including eight of 50 yards or longer and 13 which were downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. - Villanova Football

rSr/2023

K Nathan Fondacaro, Villanova
News Source: Villanova Football
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07/30/20 - Justin Covington, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

2020 PHIL STEELE/DRAFTSCOUT All-CAA THIRD TEAM: Justin Covington, Villanova, Sr.,...Covington was enjoying a dominant 2019 season as Villanova's top running back when we sustained a season-ending injury in the first half of the William & Mary game on October 5. At the time of the injury, Covington was leading the FCS in rushing with 727 yards. He had topped the 100-yard mark in five straight games to open the year while averaging 8.1 yards per carry and 121.2 yards per game. - Villanova Football

rSr/2022

RB Justin Covington, Villanova
News Source: Villanova Football
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07/29/20 - Forrest Rhyne, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

2020 PHIL STEELE/DRAFTSCOUT CAA PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: LB Forrest Rhyne, Villanova, Sr.,...2019 Pre-Playoffs...Rhyne is another tri-captain for the Wildcats this season and has had a breakout campaign in his first year as a starter at linebacker. He leads the team and ranks fifth in the CAA with 105 tackles (50 solo, 55 assisted) on the season, including a team-high 6.5 sacks. Rhyne is second on the squad with 13.5 tackles for loss and has recorded six double-digit tackle games on the year. - Villanova Football

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