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Joey Harmon named CAA Defensive Player of the Week, Pat Haggerty & Matt McCann Injury Updates

By Brian Ewart
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

According to Villanova coach Andy Talley, the Wildcats got sloppy on offense in the second half of Saturday's 24-14 loss at Boston College. What didn't get sloppy was the play of junior linebacker Joey Harmon, who played very well after the intermission to record a career-high 15 tackles, including 11 solo tackles.  He was also instrumental in forcing the fumble that helped the Wildcats regain possession after a trick play resulted in an interception.

That play came near the end of the second quarter and helped the 'Cats to hold a 14-7 lead over BC at halftime.

After the halftime break, Harmon seemed to be flying around the field and getting in on almost every play, which was especially important after fellow starting outside linebacker Pat Haggerty went down with an injury on a special teams play. Haggerty was one of two defensive players injured this week, along with starting strong safety Matt McCann. The senior linebacker will likely miss the remainder of the season, while McCann will go for an MRI to uncover the extent of his injury.

Third-year star linebacker Dillon Lucas was also sidelined for the opener with an apparent leg injury. The Haggerty injury will push Corey Majors into a bigger role, and the 'Cats who were expected to have a lot of depth at linebacker look a bit thinner.

Of the Boston College game, Talley said the following on today's teleconference:

The full CAA Football weekly awards went to:

Offensive Player of the Week: Terrance West, Jr., RB, Towson
West picks up his eighth weekly conference honor after a stellar two-touchdown effort in Towson's season-opener at UConn on Thursday. CAA Football's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, West ran in for a six-yard score at the 5:14 mark in the fourth quarter to give the Tigers a 26-10 lead before adding some insurance with a five-yard score on fourth-and-goal in the closing seconds to lead Towson to the 33-18 victory, its first-ever over an FBS opponent. The fifth-leading rusher in program history has rushed for nearly 2,500 career yards and is now just one score shy of tying the all-time program record of 47 touchdowns.

Defensive Player of the Week: Joey Harmon, Jr., LB, Villanova
Harmon earns his second CAA Football weekly honor in as many years after finishing with 15 tackles and a forced fumble in Villanova's hard-fought 24-14 loss to Boston College on Saturday. The junior's career-high 15 tackles included 11 solo stops and helped the Wildcats hold the Eagles to just 128 rushing yards on the afternoon. Harmon's forced fumble was recovered by Nova late in the first half to solidify a 14-7 halftime advantage for the Wildcats.

Special Teams Player of the Week: Dae'Quan Scott, Sr., PR/RB, James Madison
Scott's fifth conference weekly honor comes on the heels of a solid all-purpose performance in JMU's convincing 38-14 win over Central Connecticut State. The senior finished the season-opener with 197 all-purpose yards, including a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown that represented the first such score for him and the 15th for the Dukes in Bridgeforth Stadium history. Scott would add 15 carries for 120 yards and a reception for 14 yards in the win.

Rookie of the Week: Taylor Reynolds, R-Fr., CB, James Madison
Playing in not only his first collegiate contest but his first game on the defensive side of the ball after making the transition from quarterback to cornerback in the spring, Reynolds racked up six tackles to go with an impressive 51-yard interception return for a touchdown in JMU's win over the Blue Devils on Saturday. The rookie's pick-6 was the Dukes' first since their final game of the 2011 season.

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