Oct. 20, 2003

VILLANOVA, PA. - The Villanova football team moved up one spot to No. 2 in the latest The Sports Network/CSTV I-AA Top 25 poll released on Monday. The Wildcats enjoyed a bye week on Saturday and stand at 6-0 on the season.

This marks the second-highest ranking in the history of the Wildcat program. Villanova earned the No. 1 ranking and held it for the last six weeks of the regular season in 1997.

McNeese State still sits at No. 1 in the poll and garnered 91 first-place votes compared to 11 for Villanova. Delaware moved up one spot to No. 3 after a 55-10 defeat of Rhode Island. Southern Illinois jumped up three places to No. 4, while Massachusetts went from No. 6 to No. 5.

With Villanova, Delaware and Massachusetts, the Atlantic 10 has three teams ranked in the top five.

The No. 2 Wildcats host No. 5 Massachusetts at Villanova Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Both teams enter the weekend with unblemished 4-0 records in conference play.