In a closely contested game, Hofstra was able to overcome the odds and upset No. 7 James Madison, 24-17. The win marks the first time the Pride beat a top 10 opponent since 2007.

The Pride defense neutralized the JMU (2-2) offense, holding them to a season-low of 192 yards. This is down from an average of 360.8 yards per game.

Important to Hofstra’s (3-2) success was defensive lineman Deron Mayo. During the game, Mayo accumulated nine total tackles; six of them were solo tackles. He also posted a sack in the fourth quarter, able to curtail the Duke’s attempt at a comeback. Mayo’s accolades against JMU earned him Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week.

Hofstra was also able to find success on offense as well, tallying 287 total yards. The Pride used a two-quarterback system to get the upper hand over JMU. Quarterbacks Cory Christopher and Steve Probst combined for 15 of 28 and two touchdowns. The Dukes were unable to stop the Pride and their running game either. As a team, they ran for 154 yards, averaging 3.8 yards per carry. JMU has a rough road ahead of them as they take on No. 1 Richmond on Saturday.

Villanova holds off fifth-ranked William & Mary

In a game pitting two teams in the top five, No. 2 Villanova beat No. 5 William & Mary, 28-17, extending their home winning streak to six straight games.

Right away, the Wildcats were able to set the tone for the rest of the game, as quarterback Chris Whitney connected with wide receiver Brandyn Harvey on a 57-yard touchdown pass, the first offensive play of the game.

Despite having an explosive offensive, the Tribe (4-1) did not a score a touchdown until the fourth quarter – a 3-yard pass from quarterback R.J. Archer. Instead, Villanova (5-0) limited William & Mary to three field goals earlier in the game. The Tribe collected a season high 472 total offensive yards, compared to the Wildcats’ 283 offensive yards.

Archer topped his performance from last week against Delaware and completed a season high 35 passes for 354 yards. He is averaging 226.6 yards per game.

William & Mary’s ultimate downfall was turnovers. Archer’s lone interception in the game led to an 80-yard drive down the field by Whitney for a touchdown in the first quarter. The Wildcats were also able to capitalize on a fumble by the Tribe, which also led to another Villanova touchdown.

Villanova will have another difficult game as they will face No. 6 New Hampshire. William & Mary will hope to return to their winning ways as they will travel to face Northeastern Saturday.

New Hampshire too much for Towson

No. 6 New Hampshire extended their winning streak over Towson to six straight with ease, winning 57-7.

The win marked a record in Johnny Unitas Stadium history for the largest margin of victory by an opponent.

The Wildcats were relentless in the first quarter against Towson, taking a 30-0 lead, scoring all 30 points in the span of 3:50 minutes. 

UNH (4-0) was solid on all sides of the ball as they blocked a Towson punt on their first possession of the game, which set up a seven-yard run by Chad Kackert. The Tigers’ next punt led to a safety from a botched snap. Kick returner Sean Jellison returned the free kick for an 81-yard touchdown return. The play earned him CAA Special Team Player of the Week.

Towson (1-2) was unable to overcome all of the turnovers it caused as their quarterbacks threw a combined six interceptions as well as a fumble.

In a game pitting two underachieving teams, Towson will travel to Kingston to take on Rhode Island.

Juan Pacheco can be reached at [email protected].