It was an exciting weekend for local college football. Temple beat UMass 29-21 in a good game while Penn State not only dominated but showed their depth vs Georgia State in a 56-0 win. Further up the road, Villanova dismantled Lafayette 59-0. Here are the Game Balls for Nova, Temple and Penn State.
Temple:
Quincy Roche, DE
The 3-star defensive end had a monster game. Roche was the animal that became a nightmare for UMass. The Maryland native recorded 8 tackles, 3 sacks, and 4 tackles for a loss. The Temple defense displayed why having Coach Collins will make this team a menace on defense all year, Roche is one of many hell raisers on temple’s defense. He now has 13 tackles 4 sacks and a forced fumble on the year.
Logan Marchi, QB
Marchi displayed the talent that landed him the starting quarterback role. Marchi completed 22 of 37 passes for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns. The 6-1 Connecticut talent showed he can command this team with his tough play, completing passes to 10 different receivers vs UMass.
Villanova :
Ryan Bell, TE
Ryan Bell continues to display why he is one of the best tight ends in the country. Bell caught 5 passes for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns for an average of 17.8 yards per catch. Bell has been Villanova’s most consistent receiving target; he has caught 16 passes for 285 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season averaging 95 receiving yards a game.
The Defense
Villanova’s defense didn’t just dominate Lafayette, they snatched the soul out of the Leopards offense. Lafayette’s running game was non-existent as Villanova shut them down to a total of -12 yards on -0.7 yards per carry. Villanova exiled the passing game as they only allowed 89 passing yards with 5.6 yards per catch, that’s a total of 77 yards with a 1.5 average gain per play.
The Wildcat defensive unit also totaled 3 sacks and 3 interceptions with 2 of those being returned for touchdowns. This Villanova defense is vicious and deep as plenty of new faces stepped up vs Lafayette. Julian Williams is a 6-3 safety that can be a force for this team; Williams had 6 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, and 1 interception.
Sophomore linebacker Gabe Cohen had 3 tackles and all were for losses, while talented sophomore linebacker Keeling Hunter had a pick six.
The talent of the no.1 recruiting class in the CAA was on display vs Lafayette as freshman Linebacker Josh Patrick recorded 3 tackles and freshman linebacker Forrest Rhyne had 2 tackles and a sack. Freshman defensive end Malik Fisher recorded a sack and one of Villanova’s top recruits safety Jaquan Amos had a big game registering 3 tackles, 1 pass break-up, and 1 interception which he returned 35 yards for a touchdown.
Penn state:
Trace McSorley, QB
I have been waiting for McSorley to show the type of play that makes him a Heisman trophy candidate, this game he did just that. McSorley completed 18 of 23 passes for 309 yards and 4 touchdowns with a 98.7 passer rating. McSorley displayed why he is such a dangerous quarterback by not only showing he can throw on the move and extend the play but also by rushing 3 times for 24 yards and 1 touchdown.
Daniel Joseph, DE
6-3 240 lbs, redshirt freshman Daniel Joseph is a 2016 4 star defensive end, he was the 12th rated defensive end in that class and a top 300 player. In this game he displayed the talent that made him the 3rd rated prospect in Illinois. Joseph recorded 4 tackles for 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for a loss. His pass rush ability was on full display as well as his ability to be a menace against the run game, Joseph performance not only put Franklins great recruiting on display but the depth on the Wild Dog D-Line rotation.
Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
