Villanova's Jarrett McClenton
CAA Football Rewind - Sept. 1
Rob Washburn
Villanova 19, Temple 17
Box Score
Quarterback Zach Bednarczyk completed 29-of-40 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns, including a game-winning 30-yard strike to Jarrett McClenton with 7:17 to go, to lead Villanova past Temple, 19-17. It was the Wildcats' fourth win all-time over an FBS opponent and third victory over the Owls since 2003. Villanova took an early 13-3 advantage on a pair of first-quarter TD passes from Bednarczyk, but Temple moved in front 17-13 after three quarters. That set the stage for the winning play, which came on 4
th-and-9 at the 30-yard line as Bednarczyk was chased as far back as the 45-yard line before he unleashed a pass from the 40 which McClenton jumped up for and caught at the 13-yard line before running into the end zone for the score.
Along with Bednarczyk's performance, Aaron Forbes rushed for 111 yards on only 16 carries. Tight end Ryan Bell made eight receptions for 81 yards and a TD. The Wildcats' defense limited Temple to 251 total yards.
NC State 24, James Madison 13
Box Score
James Madison gave ACC foe NC State all it could handle before dropping a 24-13 decision. The Dukes jumped out to a 7-0 first-quarter lead on a 5-yard TD from Ben DiNucci to Riley Stapleton, but the Pack used a 17-point second quarter to move on top for good. JMU drove inside the NCSU 5-yard line twice in the second half, but settled for a pair of 19-yard field goals by Ethan Ratke. NC State put the game away on a touchdown with 1:05 to go. Making his first JMU start, DiNucci finished 23-of-27 passing for 197 yards and a TD and also ran for a team-best 79 yards on 14 carries. He completed his first 15 passes. Stapleton made nine receptions for 88 yards. Defensively, Adam Smith made a team-best 10 tackles and Dimitri Holloway added nine stops and a forced fumble.
Air Force 38, Stony Brook 0
Box Score
Air Force piled up 333 yards on the ground and blanked Stony Brook, 38-0. The Falcons scored on their opening possession and then returned an interception for a touchdown to take command early. The Seawolves offense was limited to 75 total yards and four first downs. Offensively, Donald Liotine ran for 31 yards on 12 carres. On defense, Noah McGinty recorded a career-high 14 tackles and E.J. Fineran added a career-high seven tackles and recovered two fumbles.
Pitt 33, UAlbany 7
Box Score
Freshman wide receiver Dev Holmes caught nine passes for 148 yards and TD in his collegiate debut, but UAlbany fell 33-7 at Pitt. The Great Danes fell behind 19-0 before Holmes caught a 9-yard scoring pass from Vince Testaverde late in the first quarter. Pitt tacked on two more TD's in the second quarter and neither team scored over the final 30 minutes. Testaverde was 18-of-29 passing for 263 yards in his UAlbany debut. Defensively, Levi Metheny recorded 13 tackles in his first career start at linebacker.
William & Mary 14, Bucknell 7
Box Score
Shon Mitchell connected with DeVonte Dedmon on a game-winning 75-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to lift William & Mary to a 14-7 victory at Bucknell. Mitchell finished 21-of-32 passing for a career-high 267 yards, and also had a 2-yard rushing TD in the first quarter. Dedmon, who missed most of last season with an injury, caught three passes for 125 yards. The Tribe's defense held Bucknell to 257 total yards in the game. Arman Jones registered a team-best 10 tackles and Isaiah Laster had five stops and an interception.
Towson 36, Morgan State 10
Box Score
Quarterback Tom Flacco completed 18-of-28 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns in his Tigers' debut, leading Towson to a 36-10 victory over Morgan State in the Battle for Greater Baltimore. After falling behind 7-0, Towson reeled off 24 unanswered points to gain control. Kobe Young added 66 yards and a TD rushing on only seven carries. Aidan O'Neill was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals and became the school's all-time leader in field goals made. The Tigers' defense was dominant, limiting MSU to just 167 total yards. Keon Paye and Robert Hayward each made seven tackles and Diondre Wallace had five stops, a sack and an interception.
USF 34, Elon 14
Box Score
USF jumped out to a 31-0 lead early in the second half and went on to a 34-14 triumph over Elon. The Phoenix tallied a pair of second-half touchdowns as quarterback Jalen Green scored on a 12-yard run late in the third quarter and Brelynd Cyphers added a 2-yard TD run early in the fourth period. Freshman running back Jaylan Thomas had a team-high 87 yards on only nine carries and Malcolm Summers added 62 yards on 15 attempts. All-America linebacker Warren Messer made a team-high nine stops defensively.
Virginia 42, Richmond 13
Box Score
Richmond got off to a fast start but suffered a 42-13 setback at Virginia. The Spiders went on top 7-0 midway through the first quarter as Dale Matthews, Jr. returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown. After the Cavaliers tied the game, the Spiders regained the lead, 10-7, on a 42-yard field goal by Griffin Trau. However, UVA responded with 28 unanswered points and pulled away. Quarterback Kevin Johnson passed for 194 yards, with Tyler Wilkins making four catches for 75 yards. Maurice Jackson had a big game for the UR defense with 10 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks.