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Both of these squads have a ton of talent and potential when looking at the rosters on paper. Villanova returns a ton of production from last season, especially on defense, and appears to have a more balanced team overall. On the other hand, YSU will lean on their offensive line and give the defense some time to discover their identity.
I actually think YSU has the advantage in terms of motivation and having the necessary fuel to ignite an upset week one. The returning players are still livid about how the 2023 season concluded and the fashion in which they went out. Nova straight up throttled YSU in the trenches, resulting in a blowout loss for the Penguins and a second-round playoff exit. The sour taste in the mouths of the seasoned returnees is contagious and will spread to the new portal additions.
Whoever wins this critical matchup will receive a ton of praise from the media and favor in the rankings. Nova has lofty preseason expectations and most likely would be scrutinized heavily and questioned more if they were to lose to YSU. The 'Guins are "supposed" to lose this matchup and wouldn’t receive much criticism unless they got demolished by Nova. The pressure is on Nova to finish the job.
I think offensively YSU is going to play conservative and attempt to find a knockout punch on an explosive pass play later in the game. Early on, YSU will challenge Nova’s front seven by pounding the rock, getting creative to throw off the Wildcats' seasoned linebackers, and letting young QB Beau Brungard ease into the contest. RPO/Jet motion will be utilized to give Beau a feel for the game and to see if anything busts open.
On defense, YSU will emphasize the importance of limiting Connor Watkins and generating pressure up the gut. In their playoff loss last year, YSU's edge rushers and linebackers struggled to identify who had the ball on running plays and didn’t seem to know what gap to attack. This unit will be more disciplined and focus on fundamentals but won’t hit full stride in this game.
For Villanova, I strongly believe that they will throw a ton at YSU's defense early on offense and try to get a gauge on how the Penguins handle adversity. A blend of fake handoffs, deep balls, and QB draws are all on the table. Expect them to lean on whatever works and make adjustments as needed.
Defensively, the Wildcats are going to come out aggressive, attempting to slow YSU's running game and apply pressure on Beau. If Nova's D-Line is struggling to get penetration, it wouldn’t shock me if DC Ross Pennypackers loads the box and takes the risk of getting burnt over the top. Ultimately, this game is going to come down to who is more physical up front and what team is better at limiting chunk plays.
I think this game is going to be extremely close and will come down to a last-second field goal. YSU grabs momentum in the first half and plays sharp but Villanova makes adjustments and throttles the 'Guins late in the contest. Nova wins 27-24 and backs high preseason expectations.
