PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Villanova University football team has advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs. The Wildcats will visit Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday.
Villanova beat Eastern Kentucky 22-17 in the first round to advance, and the Wildcats will be facing an Incarnate Word squad that is 10-2 and averaging 37 points per game.
Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante said it’s not hard to see why they are so potent offensively.
“Their quarterback is elite,” he said of Zach Calzada. “He played at Texas A&M, I believe, and then Auburn and now he’s at Incarnate Word. So he has played on the big stage and he can make all the throws. He's a good-sized guy and he can move. It’s not like he’s just a pocket passer; gets the ball out quick. They’re big up front. They do rotate different backs.”
Villanova has a fine quarterback as well — Connor Watkins — who has thrown 13 touchdowns and rushed for eight more.
The Wildcats have never played Incarnate Word before. Ferrante said if their opponent resembles any familiar foes from the Coastal Athletic Association, it’d be Monmouth.
“When you look at them offensively, I guess that would equate them to Monmouth,” he said. “Monmouth was the leading offensive scoring team, probably right around the same points as what these guys have been doing, and their quarterback was very elite, at least in our game. He’s the offensive player of the year in our league.”
The winner of this game will play the winner of the Montana-South Dakota State match in the quarterfinals.
The Wildcats kick off against Incarnate Word at 2 p.m.