HAMPTON, Va. — A crucial 4-yard touchdown run by Brendan Bell in the third quarter propelled Villanova to a hard-fought 20-14 victory over Hampton, helping them maintain their pursuit of the Coastal Athletic Association title.

The Wildcats, now at a record of 7-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference, remain one game behind the leaders, Rhode Island (8-1, 5-0) and Richmond (6-2, 4-0), with only three games left in the regular season.

Hampton began the game strong, with quarterback Chris Zellous connecting on a 6-yard touchdown pass to Kymari Gray during their opening drive, giving the Pirates an early 7-0 advantage. However, Hampton struggled to find the end zone again, only scoring once more when Zellous rushed in from a yard out with just a minute left in the third quarter. This touchdown narrowed Villanova’s lead to the final score margin.

Villanova’s special teams had a mixed performance; Ethan Gettman missed a 42-yard field goal attempt early in the game but managed to recover with successful kicks from 29 and 40 yards. Additionally, David Avit ended a short offensive drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, allowing the Wildcats to take a 10-7 lead at halftime.

Offensive production was quite limited for both teams. Villanova amassed a total of 241 yards, just surpassing Hampton. The Wildcats recorded 11 first downs, while the Pirates garnered one less. Connor Watkins of Villanova completed 9 of 22 pass attempts for 149 yards, while Avit carried the ball 26 times, gaining 76 yards and scoring a touchdown.

On the other side, Zellous completed 5 of his 11 passes for 79 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and Ja’Quan Snipes had a strong game on the ground, rushing 14 times for 85 yards.