Oct. 29, 2005

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VILLANOVA, Pa. - Senior wide receiver John Dieser (Bethlehem, Pa.) and senior running back Martin Gibson (District Heights, Md.) each established career highs and Villanova (4-4, 2-3 Atlantic 10) surprised No. 9 William & Mary (5-3, 3-2 A-10) to the tune of a 35-21 score on Saturday evening at Villanova Stadium.

The Wildcats entered the fourth quarter with a 28-7 lead but then watched as the Tribe scored twice in the fourth quarter to close to within 28-21 with just over two minutes remaining. With the score 28-14 and time running down, William & Mary returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown with 2:05 remaining to make the closing minutes interesting.

After Villanova went three-and-out with only 31 seconds running off the clock, the Tribe got the ball back with 1:32 remaining for one final chance. However, a 42-yard punt by senior Adam James (Marietta, Ga.) pinned William & Mary at their own three-yard line. On the second play of the drive, junior defensive back Rodney Badger (San Marcos, Calif.) came away with an interception at the 15-yard line and returned it for a touchdown to seal the victory.

Dieser posted career highs in receptions and receiving yards with 11 and 182, respectively. He caught a 47-yard pass in the first quarter that led to the Wildcats first score and also caught a 23-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. Gibson, meanwhile, racked up a career-high 34 rushing attempts and accumulated 176 yards, also a career high. Sophomore quarterback Frank Jankowski (Berwick, Pa.) was 25-of-35 and threw for 325 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

Jankowski engineered two scoring drives in the first half to give the Wildcats a 14-0 lead heading into the intermission. His 15-yard pass to senior wide receiver J.J. Outlaw (Columbia, Md.) with 4:49 left in the first quarter opened the scoring, while sophomore wide receiver Anton Ridley (Laurel, Del.) caught a 14-yard throw with 2:45 remaining in the half.

Josh Lustig made five catches for 92 yards and a touchdown and Elijah Brooks carried 14 times for 78 yards to lead the Tribe. Jacob Phillips was 13-for-33 for 137 yards and one touchdown.

The Wildcats have a 1 p.m. game at Towson next Saturday.

NOTES: Villanova defeated a ranked team for the first time since its 22-16 victory over Lehigh on Sept. 11, 2004 ... Gibson notched his second 100-yard rushing game of the season and seventh of his career.