Nov. 4, 2006

Box Score

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Senior quarterback Marvin Burroughs (Atlantic City, N.J.) and junior running back Matt Dicken (Cape May, N.J.) each rushed for at least 120 yards and Villanova (4-5, 3-3 Atlantic 10) held off a late comeback bid by No. 15 Richmond (5-4, 2-4) on Saturday evening at Villanova Stadium.

The Wildcats started off the game in dominant fashion and led 28-0 before needing to stall a rally attempt by the Spiders in the fourth quarter. Villanova scored on the first drive of the game as Burroughs carried in for one yard to cap a 62-yard drive. Early in the second quarter he scored again with a career-best 37-yard run.

Richmond fumbled four times in the opening half and the Wildcats scored twice in a span of 1:28 midway through the second period. Dicken had a three-yard touchdown run and Burroughs threw a 21-yard pass to senior Matt Sherry (Rumford, R.I.) for another score.

Villanova had 179 yards on the ground by halftime and held the Spiders to just 10 rushing yards. However, Richmond began its rally back in the third quarter when Arman Shields caught a pair of five-yard touchdown passes seven minutes apart to cut the Wildcats lead in half.

Early in the fourth quarter, Josh Vaughan ran in from one yard to get the Spiders to within 28-21. However, sophomore Joe Marcoux (Campbell Hall, N.Y.) ended an eight-play drive with a 34-yard field goal with 7:57 left in the game that stretched the lead back to double digits at 31-21.

On its ensuing possession, Richmond was again pressing down field when Villanova senior Allyn Bacchus (Hampton, Va.) intercepted a long pass to return the ball to the Wildcats at their own five-yard line. The Spiders used their second timeout of the half to try and get the ball back in good field position, but Burroughs had an eight-yard carry on third-and-five with 6:57 remaining. Villanova then maintained possession of the ball until there was less than one minute left.

Burroughs finished with 126 yards rushing and Dicken ran for 124 yards. The Wildcats established season highs with 289 rushing yards and 404 yards of total offense. Burroughs also was 10-of-17 for 115 yards, while Sherry made three catches for 58 yards.

Richmond quarterback Levi Brown entered the game in the second quarter and threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns, going 24-of-36 with the one late interception. Shields had 124 receiving yards while Matt Hale and Tim Hightower each tallied seven receptions. The Spiders had just 12 net rushing yards.

Villanova is at home next Saturday at 1 p.m. against James Madison.

NOTES: Burroughs and Dicken each registered their first career games with at least 100 rushing yards ... Their performances were the two highest rushing figures for Wildcat players this season ... Previously, senior DeQuese May (Shelbyville, Ky.) ran for 112 yards on 17 carries in a win over Penn on Sept. 23 ... The last time two Villanova players rushed for over 100 yards in the same game was on Sept. 27, 2003 when Terry Butler and Moe Gibson each had over 100 yards on the ground ... The Wildcats won their first home game in four tries on the season ... Villanova leads the all-time series with Richmond by a 10-8 margin and has won four of the past five meetings ... The 289 rushing yards for the team were the most since the Wildcats ran for 295 yards against New Hampshire on Sept. 13, 2003 ... Bacchus finished the game with a team-high 11 tackles to go along with the interception and one fumble recovery.