ZACH BEDNARCZYK LED VILLANOVA TO THE UPSET (Villanova University photo)

Villanova’s Zach Bednarczyk found Jarrett McClenton for a 30-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter to lift the Wildcats to a 19-17 upset of Temple at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday afternoon in the season opening contest for both schools. The game-winning score came on a fourth-and-nine play where the Owls put pressure on Bednarczyk, who avoided the rush by moving to his left, threw across his body and connected with McClenton, who was streaking across the field with the play at around the 10-yard line.

“I just rolled out to my left and gave myself a chance to throw it to somebody,” said Bednarczyk, who was making his first start since a season-ending knee injury in game five of 2017. “Jarrett said he saw me the whole time. I just had to figure out a place to put it because there was a guy defending him pretty well. Being a lefty [the throw] is not that tough. I had a split second to figure out where to put it so that was the hardest part.”

“I just had to keep running across the field to get in his vision,” said McClenton, who starred in high school for Archbishop Wood.

“The big thing defensively is we could not get off the field on third down,” said Temple head coach Geoff Collins about the Owls, who have lost three straight season openers. “They did a nice job converting on third downs and the few times we did get stops and they went for it on fourth down, they were three-for-three. You know how important the money down is to us and obviously we did not get that done today.”

The Owls final two possessions ended with interceptions and Villanova had their first win over an FBS team since a 2009 victory over the Owls.

The running game was also a problem for the Owls, both their attack and trying to stop the Wildcats. Temple could muster just 46 yards as a team (it’s the ninth time since that start of 2017 that the ‘Nova defense has held a team under 100 yards rushing). The Wildcats ran for 151 yards on a clock chewing 37 carries led by Aaron Forbes 111 yards.

“If I make some of those throws,” said Temple quarterback Frank Nutile, who was 18-of-32 for 185 yards with a touchdown and the two interceptions, “the run game is a little bit easier. They have a great scheme, they’re very stingy on defense so we knew it was going to be tough to run the ball going into it.”

The Wildcats scored on their first two times with the ball, marching 70 and 76 yards. The first drive ended with a one-yard pass from Bednarczyk to tight end Ryan Bell. The second score was a 17-yard pass where Bednarczyk, who was 29-of-40 for 254 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, avoided the rush and hit Brandon Chadbourn in the end zone. A 46-yard field goal by Temple’s Aaron Boumerhi was sandwiched between the two Villanova touchdowns however Drew Kresge missed the extra point after the second Wildcats touchdown and it 13-3.

After getting the ball back, the ‘Cats were on the move again but the drive stalled and a 31-yard field goal try by Kresge was blocked by Quincy Roche. Kimere Brown scooped it up and bolted 74 yards for the score. With the momentum, the Owls defense got off the field in three plays but the offense could only manage 17 yards before turning it over on downs at the ‘Nova 40-yard line. The ‘Cats drove into the red zone but ran out of time in the first half.

The Owls took the lead in third quarter when Isaiah Wright adjusted nicely in the corner of the end zone on a 15-yard pass from Nutile.

ISAIAH WRIGHT ABOUT TO CATCH A TOUCHDOWN PASS FROM FRANK NUTILE (photo by Tom Kearney)

On the ensuing possession, Nutile and Wright connected again on a 22-yard pass to move the ball to the Villanova 18 but two of Nutile’s next three passes were incomplete and Boumerhi missed on a 29-yard field goal. From there, the Wildcats started the game-winning drive with a 14-yard completion to Bell, who finished with a game-high 81 yards, and a 15 yarder to Jevon Jones the keys plays before Bednarczyk and McClenton’s fourth down heroics. Roche blocked the extra point so the Owls still had a chance to win it with a field goal but first Jeff Steeb then Elijah Trent intercepted Nutile.

“Our guys made some mistakes along the way,” said Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante “but like we talk to them all the time, be resilient, keep tapping the rock – that’s our motto. We’re super excited, I can’t tell you how much this means to our program. We’re going to enjoy it.”

E-mail Rock Hoffman at rock@footballstories.com