“The bottom line is we played terrific football against JMU and lost,” he said referring to 23-19 loss to the Dukes, who scored on a 35-yard pass with no time left. “We played lousy football today and won the game.”

It started off poorly for the Wildcats (8-2, 6-1 CAA), they were pentlized on their first two plays from scrimmage – a week ago against New Hampshire they were not flagged once, the first time that has happened in 40 years. Their second possession ended when usually reliable kicker Joe Marcoux, missed on a 24-yard field goal attempt that was set up by a 59-yard punt return by Brandyn Harvey.

On their next two chances with the ball, the Tigers scored to go up 10-0 after one quarter. Finally, Villanova got on the board when quarterback Chris Whitney hit Harvey with a four-yard pass but any momentum that might have been gained by the sluggish ‘Cats was lost when after a three-and-out by Towson, the punt hit off Villanova’s James Pitts and the Tigers recovered and would go on to a 17-7 lead.

Pitts would atone for his error, after Villanova cut the disadvatage on the first of Aaron Ball’s two three-yard touchdown runs. Towson was driving with time running out in the first half when their senoir quarterback, Sean Schaefer, made a mistake. While in the grasp of Villanova defensive end Greg Miller, Schaefer threw the ball up. Pitts, a freshman from Montclair, NJ, made an easy interception, returned it 65 yards for a touchdown and gave Villavova a 20-17 halftime advantage.

The teams traded touchdowns coming out of halftime and Villanova extened their lead early in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by Louis Adeyemi to cap a drive that saw Whitney complete two big passes. One was 35 yarder to Norman White and the other was a great catch by Matt Szczur for 31 yards that gave the ‘Cats a first-and-goal.

Despite their record, there was plenty of fight in the Tigers, they marched to the Villanova 12 but a 29-yard field goal attempt by Mark Bencivengo was blocked by Tim Kukucka. Then a 66-yard punt by Zach Ugarte pinned the Tigers at their 9-yard line but Schaefer took them on a 91-yard drive and the Villanova lead was only three with 5:12 left in the game.

However, the Wildcats were able to run out the clock including converting a fourth-and-five from the Tigers 25-yard line.

“I didn’t want to give the ball back to Schaefer with like a minute to go,” Talley said following his 99th career CAA coaching win, which is the most of all-time.

Whitney finished 14-of-23 for 212 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t have an interception nor was he sacked. Szczur ran eight times on direct snaps for 68 yards to bolster the ‘Cats running game which gain 174 yards after gaining more than 200 yards a game for six games in a row. Phil Atkinson, who caught the fourth down conversion late in the fourth quarter, finished with seven receptions for 78 yards.

Schaefer, who has thrown for more than 11,000 yards in his career and went over 1000 completions in his career during the game, was 35-of-47 for 326 yards with four touchdowns and the interception.

Next week, Villanova travels to Newark to face their rival Delaware. With eight wins, the Wildcats should be a lock to return to the NCAA FCS playoffs for the first time since 2002 but Talley wants to remove any doubt.

“I don’t want this year to be the year the committe says we’re not taking an 8-3 team.”