College Football: Villanova and Widener Showcase Impressive Starts

Villanova dominates Lehigh in season opener, with DeeWil Barlee and Jalen Jackson both surpassing 1,700 career rushing yards.

DeeWil Barlee, a former student of Episcopal Academy, is now in his fifth season playing for Villanova due to an NCAA COVID exemption. In the opening game of the 2023 season against Lehigh University, Barlee rushed 11 times for 102 yards and scored a touchdown, helping the Wildcats secure a dominant 38-10 victory at Goodman Stadium in Bethlehem.

In addition to his impressive performance, Barlee also surpassed the milestone of 1,700 career rushing yards, now ranking 16th in Villanova history with a total of 1,732 career rushing yards. Another player who achieved this feat was Jalen Jackson, a sixth-year eligible back, who carried the ball eight times for 144 yards and scored two touchdowns, contributing to the Wildcats' strong ground game against the Engineers.

Villanova coach Mark Ferrante expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the game, praising the team's preparation during the preseason and offseason. He emphasized the importance of winning the opener, highlighting the progress made since the previous season and the role played by the upperclassmen in mentoring the freshmen during summer training and the preseason.

The experience advantage of Villanova was evident on both sides of the ball. The defense made impactful plays, recovering a fumble (courtesy of junior linebacker Richie Kimmel, an Archbishop Carroll graduate) and intercepting two passes. The offense capitalized on these turnovers, converting them into scoring drives.

Senior quarterback Connor Watkins, the team's starter, completed 13 of his 23 pass attempts for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Rayjuon Pringle was the recipient of both touchdown passes. Despite being intercepted twice, Lehigh quarterback Brayten Silbor managed to complete 23 of his 38 passes for 206 yards, including a touchdown pass to receiver Gaige Garcia.

In another game, Widener faced Lycoming and emerged victorious with a score of 42-21. Quarterback Chase 'The Real' Diehl had an outstanding performance, completing 29 of his 42 passes for 366 yards and five touchdowns, setting the tone for the Pride's success in the opener. Wide receivers Isaac Hostetter and Jordan Baxter each had eight receptions, accumulating 145 and 99 receiving yards respectively. Zack Vanscovich contributed with six receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown. Shawn Thompson carried the ball 18 times for 51 yards.

Lycoming quarterback Will Fish faced challenges, being intercepted three times, but he did manage to connect with Dawson Debebe for a touchdown pass. Defensively, five Lycoming players, Zannder White, Jordan Rhinehart, Hunter Campbell, Austin Rowley, and David Schley, each contributed seven tackles. Colin Murt stood out for Widener, being involved in nine tackles.

Overall, both Villanova and Widener showcased their strength and skill in their respective games, securing victories and setting the tone for their seasons ahead.