Over its first six games, the Massachusetts football team showed the college football world that it possessed a solid and methodical running game, a consistent and sometimes fantastic passing attack and a strong defense that was up to any challenge.

What it showed the world on Saturday was that it also has a flare for the dramatic.

Anton McKenzie blocked a potential game-winning 38-yard field goal with 43 seconds remaining to hold off the fourth-ranked Villanova Wildcats (6-2, 3-2 Atlantic 10) in one of the best games in McGuirk Alumni Stadium’s history.

“I knew they didn’t expect me to go, so I told [Massachusetts] Coach [Mark Whipple] to let me go. Lamarr [Monterrio] was outside of me, and kept the wing wide,” McKenzie said. “[Jeremy] Cain kept the end inside, so I just had the gap in the middle and had to make the play.

“It was a great call at the right time. I hadn’t gone the whole game on an extra point or field goal block.”

The field goal block was an enormous relief for the Minutemen (5-2, 3-1 A-10) after backup quarterback Tim Day shocked everyone by throwing an interception on 2nd and 10 with less than two minutes to go, giving the Wildcats the ball at the 28 yard line.

“[Anton] saved me big time,” Day said. “I made a mistake and these guys picked me up. All the older guys told me they would pick me up and were behind me. I’m not going to make any excuses, it was a stupid decision, and I apologize for giving anybody a heart attack.”

The interception shocked even Coach Whipple, who called an entirely different play.

“At the end I called the play and I said, ‘You’re running the ball,’ and he nodded his head at me,” Whipple said. “When he let go of the ball, that’s the most shocked I’ve ever been in my career of coaching.

On the previous drive, Villanova moved the ball methodically downfield, throwing mostly short passes and running the ball to combat the south-north wind which was gusting throughout the game in upwards of 30 mph. After the Minuteman defense forced the Wildcats into fourth and goal from the 13 yard line, Nova quarterback Brett Gordon threw a high ball to top receiver Brian White, who made a one-handed circus catch and stayed in bounds to score the touchdown and trim the deficit to 17-16.

“That’s a “Sportscenter” highlight and that’s A-10 football,” Whipple said. “He made a great play.”

But the snap for the extra point was low, the hold was not perfect, and Adam James’ extra point attempt glanced off the left upright to preserve the UMass lead.

“Obviously you walk away feeling pretty good about your defense and pretty bad about your offense,” Villanova Head Coach Andy Talley said. “We did not execute our offense today, turning the ball over. All you can ask your football team is to give you a chance to win the game at the end or go to an overtime at the end in this league. We had that chance and we didn’t pull it out.”

“It was just a great game,” Whipple said. “Both teams played really hard and both teams made a bunch of plays. Our guys just had to hang in there, Timmy Day did a really super job, and our defense knew we were going to have to play unbelievable, and they did, they stepped up big.”

Day was filling in for junior Jeff Krohn, who appeared to suffer a concussion in the first quarter, when he rolled out and scrambled, but instead of going out of bounds or sliding, went headfirst into the Wildcat linebacking corps. Day went three-for-eight for 27 yards and rushed for 17 more on a day where any pass that traveled more than 10 yards north-south was likely to be shifted by a great margin.

The key to the game for the Minutemen was the defense, who allowed Nova just 54 yards rushing on 33 carries. While Brett Gordon, arguably the A-10’s best quarterback, threw for 209 yards on 31-of-43 passing, the Maroon and White shut down the flat passing attack with quick reactions and strong open field tackles.

“The thing I liked about our guys is there was no look in their eyes like they weren’t going to win the game,” Whipple said. “They had the confidence that we were going to win.”

Both UMass touchdowns were set up by key interceptions. One came in the first by linebacker Mike Ziccardi, which gave the Minutemen the ball at the Villanova six. The other occurred in the third by sophomore DB Steve Costello, who killed two birds with one stone by thwarting a solid Wildcat drive, picking the ball off at the visitors’ 27 and returning it 47 yards to put the Maroon and White in scoring position. Costello also blocked a punt in the first quarter.

“We got two huge plays on defense by Mike Ziccardi and Steve Costello,” Whipple said. “We wanted to get Steve Costello in because we felt that he was a guy who was making plays in the little time that he was playing.”

The win, which came in front of more than 11,000 fans, was obviously another step for the Minutemen, who have beaten top five teams in each of the past two weeks and now are in a position to control their own destiny for the A-10 title.

“The great thing was the effort and the atmosphere,” Whipple said. “I think the people in the stands really helped us. Our kids just got better as the game went on. Outside the playoffs, this is as good as we’ve had. With the home win and the atmosphere this was as good as any.

“These kind of wins are what you can build a year on and build a program on,” he continued. “We’ve got a long way to go, but this was a solid step, as solid a step as we’ve taken all year.”

His players agreed.

“I’ve got a feeling that this win is going to lead to a lot of good things down the road and in the playoffs,” Day said.

“We believe we’re a very good team,” McKenzie said. “We have to come out and play UMass football and we decide whether we’re going to win or lose.”

But perhaps more was responsible for this victory than just hard work and good plays.

“I think the magic of McGuirk again helped us,” Whipple said.