In Final CAA Game Villanova Works Overtime but Gets Victory over Stony Brook

Tagged under: News, Pennsylvania Colleges, pfn

Willie McGonigle | November 16, 2025

RADNOR: There’s a popular saying that says All Good things must come to an end. For the Villanova Wildcats football team. That was the case Saturday when they marked the end of an era by participating in their final regular-season Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) game. Beginning in 2026, the Wildcats will be a member of the Patriot League for Football. The Wildcats began in the CAA all the way back in 1988, when it was known as the Yankee Conference before it became known as the Atlantic 10 in 1997, before becoming the CAA in 2007. The Wildcats entered play Saturday with 184 wins in the CAA. They had to work overtime, but they got their 185-conference win in walk-off fashion, defeating the Stony Brook Seawolves 30-27, extending their home winning streak to 21 games, which is currently the longest active in all of FCS.

One person has been a part of that every single CAA the Wildcats ever played, and that’s Head Coach Mark Ferrante, who first joined then Head Coach Andy Talley’s staff back in 1987 before taking over the program upon Talley’s retirement following the 2016 season.

“We wanted to get a little extra time in there since it’s our last regular season CAA game,” Ferrante joked with reporters postgame. Ferrante went on to say about the Wildcats’ time in the CAA, “It’s been great, we started in ’88 with the Yankee conference, then the A10, then CAA, that’s a long history with the same league, but you know things you see it throughout the whole country, I’m just glad we could finish the relationship with the CAA on a positive note.”

The Wildcats’ offense came out firing, marching 73 yards on four plays before Pat McQuaide connected with Braden Reed for the 37-yard touchdown. The touchdown marked the first one in the career of Reed. The true Freshman from Pope John Paul II has made an impact as a punt returner for the Wildcats

McQuaide couldn’t be happier for Reed, saying, “It was good to get him in the endzone, he’s a heck of a player and heck of a worker.” Adding “he works as hard as anybody I’ve ever been around. It’s honestly a surprise that it took this long to get him in the endzone.

Those sentiments were echoed by Ferrante who said “Braden is probably one of the hardest workers we have on the team and has we said you put in the work, you work hard eventually good things are going to happen, so for him to get his first collegiate touchdown today everyone is happy for him because of the effort he put forth every day in practice, pre-practice, after practice he’s one of the last ones out there so real excited about him. He’s done a great job solidifying our punt return team.

The Seawolves quickly countered, needing only 55 seconds and three plays to drive 80 yards, with Quinn Boyd connecting with Jayce Freeman for the 64-yard touchdown, tying the game up at 7.

Jack Barnum put the Wildcats in the lead with 3:57 left in the 1st quarter with his 39-yard field goal. The Wildcats had a chance to add to their lead with 6:45 left in the 2nd quarter, but Barnum’s 40-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left. Keeping it at 10-7 in favor of the Wildcats at halftime.

On their third possession of the second half, the Seawolves took the 14-10 lead when Roland Dempster rumbled his way in from 2 yards out. Setting the stage for a wild fourth quarter.

The fireworks started a mere four seconds into the fourth quarter when McQuaide connected with Luke Colella for a 10-yard touchdown that capped a 12-play 72-yard drive that gave the Wildcats the 17-14 lead.

Back came the Seawolves on their ensuing drive, marching 75 yards on ten plays with Dempster capping the drive with his one-yard touchdown run on 4 and goal.

The ensuing Wildcats drive ended with a turnover on downs. On the Seawolves’ first play on their next drive, Dempster took a big hit from Christian Sapp, causing the ball to come out, which Matthew Maiava fell on for the Wildcats, giving them possession at their own 46 with 5:40 left to play.

It didn’t appear as if the Wildcats’ offense would let the turnover go to waste, but then, facing 4th and 10, McQuaide connected with Lucas Kopecky for a 22-yard gain that put them at the Seawolves 22. McQuaide capped the drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Colella, putting the Wildcats up 24-21 with 2:49 left in regulation.

Back came the Seawolves on their ensuing drive, converting a fourth and five with 1:31 left when Boyd connected with Freeman for 7 yards. On the following play, Boyd connected with MarQeese Dietz for 35 35-yard pick-up that put the Seawolves at Wildcat 12. On 3rd down, Boyd attempted a pass to the endzone, but Zahmir Dawud was there to break it up for the Wildcats, forcing the Seawolves to settle for Michael Mannion’s 23-yard field goal with 42 seconds to play.

Ja’Breil Mace returned the ensuing kickoff 54 yards, giving the Wildcats the ball at the Seawolves’ 40 and a chance to win the game in regulation, but the Seawolves’ defense stepped up, forcing the Wildcats to turn the ball over on downs with 5 seconds left to play. Boyd took a knee, sending the game into Overtime.

The Wildcats won the toss and elected to go on defense first, and their defense quickly forced the Seawolves to settle have to settle for a 43-yard field goal by Mannino putting the Seawolves up 27-24. Near disaster struck on the Wildcats’ first play of overtime when McQuaide couldn’t get a handle on the shotgun snap and fell on the ball, resulting in a loss of 11 yards. But McQuaide rebounded, connecting with Kopecky for 15 yards on 3rd and 15 that put the ball on the 15. On the next play, Mace was brought down in the backfield by Sebastian Regis. On the next play, McQuaide called ball game, finding TE Antonio Johnson in the endzone for the walkoff 17-yard touchdown.

The Wildcats will close the regular season with a non-conference game at home vs Sacred Heart on November 22 kickoff scheduled for 1 pm.

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews