Matt Szczur threw for a TD, ran for three, and caught another as the Villanova Wildcats advanced to the semi-finals of the FCS championship with a dominating 42-24 road victory over Appalachian State. The Appalachian St. Mountaineers had been the top ranked team in the FCS coming into this game, but they ran into an absolute buzzsaw in Matt Szczur and the Villanova offense.
The Wildcats set the tone early as Matt Szczur, lined up in the wildcat, dropped back to throw and hit Norman White, who pulled the ball on one-handed for a 54 yard TD. That put the Wildcats up 14-10, a lead they would not surrender. It was an afternoon to remember for Szczur who accounted for five of Villanova's six touchdowns on the day.
Nova has now gone on the road and blown out the #1 and #5 ranked team in the FCS. They look like a team on a mission to defend their National Title and with Matt Szczur back they certainly look like the favorite to do so.
The Wildcats will next take on the the winner of the Eastern Washington vs North Dakota State game on December 17th or 18th.