Villanova linebacker Austin Calitro (Villanova Athletics photo)

The Villanova Wildcats had no trouble with visiting Rhode Island as they took down the Rams 35-0 at a damp Villanova Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats (5-1, 3-0 CAA) scored on their first four possessions, each score was by a different player.

Javon White got it started, he scored his sixth touchdown of the season on a 16-yard run. Tight end Ryan Bell scored the first touchdown of his career on a 36-yard catch and run, Aaron Forbes ran 67 yards up the middle for a score and Zach Bednarczyk found Taurus Phillips in the right corner of the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown pass.

“I’ve had two long runs like that,” said Forbes, who finished with a team high 90 yards rushing, “and I was chased down and caught. In the locker room, when you have guys teasing you a little bit about getting caught, you have more motivation and determination when you get another run like that. I thought, ‘don’t get caught,’ the whole time.”

In addition to pitching a shut out, the defense held the Rams (1-5, 0-3 CAA) to just 103 yards total offense including just 28 on the ground. It’s the third game in a row the ‘Cats defense held an opponent under 100 rushing yards. Also, it’s the second-straight game the opposing team gained just six first downs.

“We are all unselfish. We have a job and we all do it,” said linebacker Austin Calitro when asked about the play of the defense, “If you put our film on, you’ll see eight or nine Villanova jerseys at the ball. You don’t teach that, that is something that has been instilled the past three or four years. If you don’t have that drive and you’re not going to hustle to the ball, you just won’t play.”

Things get tougher here on out for the Wildcats, in their final five games of the regular season, they will play teams that are ranked in the the top 25 and/or on the road. Next, they’re on the road at Richmond, a top 10 team, host a ranked Albany team, go on the road to Maine, host another top 10 school in James Madison and finish at rival Delaware.

“I think this is the easiest schedule we’ve ever had in my years here,” said head coach Andy Talley referring to the first half of the season. “Starting out we had a chance to take a team with some older guys and blend in some young guys with a positive force. At 5-1, now you got the confidence to go hit the challenge of your schedule so we’ll find out what we are down in Richmond.”