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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11/16/19 - Daniel Smith, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

Daniel Smith passed for 201 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another TD to help Villanova beat Long Island University 35-7 on Friday night. Changa Hodge had seven catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns for the Wildcats (8-3). Simon Bingelis and Jaaron Hayek also had TD receptions for Villanova. Bingelis opened the scoring with a 17-yard TD catch with 5:48 left in the first quarter. Hayek had a 7-yard TD catch on Villanova's next possession for a 14-point lead before the end of the quarter. Hodge caught both of his touchdowns in the second quarter and Smith ran in a 5-yard keeper in the middle of the third quarter. Malcolm Denbow scored on a 6-yard TD run between Hodge's TDs for Long Island's only points of the game. Jonathan DeBique ran for 91 yards on 24 carries for the Sharks (0-9), accounting for nearly half of the team's 183 yards of offense. - AP College Football

rSr/2022

QB Daniel Smith, Villanova
News Source: AP College Football
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11/11/19 - Drew Wiley, rSr/2020, Villanova + More +

NOV 11 CAA FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Drew Wiley, Sr., LB, Villanova (Pennington, N.J./Hopewell Valley),...Wiley recorded five tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception as Villanova rallied past Richmond, 35-28. The senior's interception at the VU 8-yard line stopped a drive in the third quarter and was part of a dominant second-half effort by Wildcats, who held UR to just 63 yards and no points in the final 30 minutes. - Colonial Athletic Association Football

rSr/2020

OLB Drew Wiley, Villanova
News Source: Colonial Athletic Association Football
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11/11/19 - Nowoola Awopetu, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

NOV 11 CAA FOOTBALL SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Nowoola Awopetu, Jr., KR/DB, Villanova (Staten Island, N.Y./Port Richmond),...Awopetu returned the opening kickoff of the game 100 yards for a touchdown in Villanova's 35-28 victory over Richmond. He's the first Villanova player since 2010 to return a kickoff for a touchdown and it's the seventh play of 100 yards or longer in Wildcats' history. Awopetu had just 61 kick return yards all season entering the game. - Colonial Athletic Association Football

rSr/2022

FS Nowoola Awopetu, Villanova
News Source: Colonial Athletic Association Football
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11/10/19 - Daniel Smith, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

2019 WALTER PAYTON AWARD WATCHLIST ADDITION: QB Daniel Smith, Villanova,...After nine games, Smith has completed 165-of-292 for 2,177 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has also rushed 55 times for 219 yards (4.0 avg.) and seven scores. In the latest NCAA statistics, Smith is tied for third in points responsible for with 180. Villanova has had three players win the Walter Payton Award throughout its program history, including wide receiver Brian Finneran (1997), running back Brian Westbrook (2001) and quarterback John Robertson (2014). - Villanova/STATS FCS Football

rSr/2022

QB Daniel Smith, Villanova
News Source: Villanova/STATS FCS Football
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11/09/19 - Justin Covington, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

Nowooola Awopetu returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and T.D. Ayo-Durojaiye capped a rally with a 20-yard scoring run midway through the fourth quarter to lead Villanova to a 35-28 victory over Richmond on Saturday. Dee Wil Barlee rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown and Daniel Smith ran for 105 yards and two scores for the Wildcats (7-3, 4-3 Colonial Athletic Association). Joe Mancuso threw two TD passes and ran for 89 yards and two scores for the Spiders (5-5, 4-2). After Awopetu's kick-return score, Mancuso had a 25-yard TD run to pull Richmond even. Smith scored on a 25-yard run to regain the lead for the Wildcats, but Mancuso raced 35 yards for a TD to knot the score at 14 after one quarter.

Mancuso put the Spiders up 21-14 with a 15-yard TD toss to Keyston Fuller just 1:36 into the second quarter. Barlee ripped off a 37-yard scoring run to tie the game at 21, but Mancuso and Fuller connected on a 4-yard score to send Richmond into the final quarter with a 28-21 lead. Smith evened the score at 28 with a 9-yard TD run with 11:45 left to play, setting up Ayo-Durojaiye's game-winning score with just under 9 minutes remaining. Richmond punted four times and had a drive end with an interception in the second half. Smith hit 20 of 28 pass attempts for 235 yards. - AP College Football

rSr/2022

RB Justin Covington, Villanova
News Source: AP College Football
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10/28/19 - Matt Mercurio, rSr/2024, Villanova + More +

OCT 28/WEEK 9 MOUNTAIN WEST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: MATT MERCURIO, SAN JOSE STATE, Freshman, Place-Kicker, Salinas, California/Palma HS,...Scored 14 points in San José State's 34-29 road victory over Army...As the only Mountain West kicker to score more than 10 points last weekend, connected on all four field goal attempts and a pair of PATs...Tied a single-game program record with four made field goals, converting on kicks from 30, 23, 38 and 28 yards...Has now made 10 consecutive field goals. - Mountain West Football

rSr/2024

K Matt Mercurio, Villanova
News Source: Mountain West Football
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10/08/19 - Forrest Rhyne, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

OCT 7 CAA FOOTBALL CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Forrest Rhyne, Jr., LB, Villanova (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro Area),...Rhyne recorded a career-high 15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in Villanova’s 35-28 road win at William & Mary. The 15 tackles were the most by a Villanova player since 2017 and the second-most by a CAA player this season. Rhyne was responsible for 2.5 of the Wildcats’ four sacks and his 3.5 TFL resulted in 25 yards in losses. - Colonial Athletic Association Football

rSr/2022

ILB Forrest Rhyne, Villanova
News Source: Colonial Athletic Association Football
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10/07/19 - Matt Mercurio, rSr/2024, Villanova + More +

OCT 7/WEEK 6 MOUNTAIN WEST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: MATT MERCURIO, SAN JOSE STATE, Freshman, Place-Kicker, Salinas, California/Palma HS,...Scored 14 points in San Jose State's 32-21 victory over New Mexico on Friday evening....Connected on a program record four field goals, hitting from 24, 33, 49 and 24...The 49-yard field goal was a career long...The 14 points are the most scored by a Spartan (any position) since Sept. 30, 2017. - Mountain West Football

rSr/2024

K Matt Mercurio, Villanova
News Source: Mountain West Football
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10/05/19 - Daniel Smith, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

Daniel Smith threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Dee Wil Barlee on fourth-and-goal with 1:59 left in the game and Villanova held off William & Mary 35-28 on Saturday. Villanova (6-0, 3-0 Colonial Athletic Association), ranked No. 8 in the FCS Coaches Poll and one of six remaining undefeated teams, had its hands full with the upset-minded Tribe (2-4, 0-2). Kilton Anderson staked William & Mary to a 7-0 lead with a 12-yard TD pass to Kane Everson, capping a 12-play, 77-yard game-opening drive. After forcing a Villanova punt, the Tribe turned the ball over on their first play from scrimmage when Drew Wiley forced an Everson fumble after a catch and Nowooola Awopetu returned it eight yards to the William & Mary 17-yard line. Two plays later Justin Covington scored on a 3-yard run to knot the score at 7.

The Wildcats took advantage of a 22-yard punt by Will Michael to grab a 14-7 lead, scoring on Smith's 16-yard toss to Jaaron Hayek. Villanova stretched its lead to 21-7 on Barlee's 15-yard TD run, but Anderson connected with Zach Burdick for a 16-yard score sandwiched around a pair of missed field goals by Villanova's Drew Kresge and the Tribe trailed 21-14 at halftime. William & Mary knotted the score at 21, using a marathon 17-play drive that covered 76 yards and took 7:36 off the clock with Bronson Yoder scoring on a 2-yard run. Villanova recaptured the lead at 28-21 when Smith hooked up with Hayek for a 37-yard score, but Anderson again pulled the Tribe even when he hit Everson for a 20-yard TD on fourth-and-1 with 9:56 remaining in the game. - AP College Football

rSr/2022

QB Daniel Smith, Villanova
News Source: AP College Football
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09/24/19 - Daniel Smith, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

SEPT 23/WEEK 4 CAA FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Daniel Smith, Jr., QB, Villanova (Leesburg, Va./Tuscarora),...Smith accounted for 349 yards of total offense and six touchdowns to lead No. 18 Villanova to a 52-45 overtime win at No. 5 Towson. The junior quarterback completed 25-of-42 passes for 279 yards and four TD's and ran for 70 yards and 2 TD's on seven carries. Smith engineered a 65-yard drive in the final 1:38 to set up a game-tying field goal and then scored the game-winning TD on a 2-yard run in overtime. - Colonial Athletic Association Football

rSr/2022

QB Daniel Smith, Villanova
News Source: Colonial Athletic Association Football
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09/22/19 - Daniel Smith, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

Daniel Smith raced into the end zone on a bootleg from the 2 and Villanova edged Towson 52-45 in overtime in a game where two teams, unbeaten and ranked in the FCS top 20, traded score for score Saturday night. Towson, ranked No. 5 in the FCS coach's poll, rallied for a 45-42 lead after Aiden O'Neill's 34-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining. But 18th-ranked Villanova (4-0, 1-0 Colonial Athletic Association), starting at its own 7, forced overtime when Drew Kresge kicked a 45-yard answering field goal with 10 seconds left. Towson won the coin toss and elected to play defense in OT.

Justin Covington tore 23 yards to the 2 to begin overtime and Smith scored on the next play. Covington gained 194 yards and has rushed for more than 100 yards in every game this season. Towson (3-1, 1-1) was unable to answer as Tom Flacco threw incomplete on fourth-and-1 from the 7. Smith passed for 279 yards and four touchdowns. He was picked off twice, including when Towson's Robert Heyward caught a deflected short pass and returned it 49 yards for a score that lifted Towson into a 42-42 tie. Flacco threw for 304 yards and a TD, ran 110 yards and another score. Yeedee Thaenrat picked up 32 yards on 10 carries, three of them for touchdowns. The teams combined for 1,044 yards of offense and 10 touchdowns. - AP College Football

rSr/2022

QB Daniel Smith, Villanova
News Source: AP College Football
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09/14/19 - Daniel Smith, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

Daniel Smith threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as Villanova took an early lead and held it to beat Bucknell 45-10 on Saturday. Smith had 109 yards passing for the Wildcats (3-0). Justin Covington ran for 119 yards on seven carries. The Wildcats scored 35 unanswered points, starting with Jaquan Amos' 34-yard interception return of a John Chiarolanzio pass on the third play of the game. Smith fired a 23-yard score to Todd Summers for a 14-0 lead and followed up on the team's next drive with a 3-yard keeper for another touchdown with 13:19 left in the second quarter.

A second Chiarolanzio interception, this time by Drew Wiley, led to another Villanova scoring drive as Smith found Changa Hodge on a 6-yard touchdown throw and the Wildcats led 28-0 at halftime. Smith opened the second half with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Dez Boykin for a 35-0 advantage and Villanova cruised to the win. The Wildcats held Bucknell to just 46 rushing yards. Chiarolanzio finished with 134 yards passing for the Bison (0-3). - AP College Football

rSr/2022

QB Daniel Smith, Villanova
News Source: AP College Football
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09/07/19 - Daniel Smith, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

Daniel Smith threw touchdowns to three different receivers and Villanova overwhelmed Lehigh 38-10 on Saturday. After a scoreless first quarter and a Lehigh field goal, Smith threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Jaaron Hayek to end a six-play, 72-yard drive in 2½ minutes. Villanova (2-0) forced the Mountain Hawks to turn it over on downs and added a field goal. After the kickoff, Elijah Trent picked off Tyler Monaco and it returned for a 37-yard score and the route was on. Monaco completed a 42-yard touchdown pass to Jorge Portorreal for Lehigh's lone touchdown of the game. Monaco threw for 253 yards, but the Mountain Hawks (0-2) were held to 89 yards rushing on 33 carries (2.7-yard average). For Villanova, Justin Covington ran for 109 yards on eight carries and a score and the Wildcats tallied 227 yards on the ground. Smith threw his other TD passes to Dez Boykin and Todd Summers. - AP College Football

rSr/2022

QB Daniel Smith, Villanova
News Source: AP College Football
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08/24/19 - Daniel Smith, rSr/2022, Villanova + More +

Junior quarterback Daniel Smith (Leesburg, Va.) threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns in his Wildcats debut, junior cornerback Jaquan Amos (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored his third career touchdown on a pick-six and Villanova (1-0) opened the 150th season of college football in America with a 34-14 win over No. 13 Colgate (0-1) at Andy Kerr Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The game was the first of four Week Zero games to kick off on Saturday's national schedule and the Wildcats scored 27 unanswered points in the second quarter en route to the victory.

Villanova began its 122nd season of varsity football in strong fashion on both sides of the ball. The offense put up 444 total yards and the defense gained a pair of turnovers which turned into 14 points. Jackson caught an 18-yard touchdown pass less than a minute into the second quarter and Amos returned an interception 27 yards just over a minute later to put the Wildcats in front 14-0 with 13:16 left before halftime. Later in the period, Smith found Hodge for a 45-yard touchdown reception in the right corner of the end zone with 2:07 on the clock and Perez scored on his first career reception with 12 seconds left before the intermission. - Villanova Football

rSr/2022

QB Daniel Smith, Villanova
News Source: Villanova Football
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07/28/19 - Drew Wiley, rSr/2020, Villanova + More +

2019 PRESEASON CAA FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION (MEDIA/COACHES): Drew Wiley, LB, Villanova,...Wiley started all 11 games last season and had 55 tackles, a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one interception and two pass break-ups. His best game of the 2018 campaign came at Delaware in the season finale when he had eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception. - Villanova Football

rSr/2020