Maine vs. Villanova: Winners & Sinners

Maine put up a pretty good fight for a couple of quarters, but in the second half Villanova imposed their will on the way to a 41-20 victory on Saturday afternoon. For the fourth straight game, the Wildcats offense put 40+ points on the board and the defense was able to shut down a Maine offense that had begun to find its way in recent games.

Offensive coordinator Sam Venuto has a ton of weapons at his disposal, and despite some key injuries to Austin Medley, Mike Burke and Ross Hall, Villanova has been flexing their depth and not missing a beat. That's a sign of a well-run program and one that should continue to find success in the coming years.

Without further ado, here are your winners and sinners from Saturday.

Winners

John Robertson - Despite throwing his first INT of the season, Robertson was otherwise spectacular yet again. 16-25, 285 yards and 4 TDs will continue to keep him at the forefront of the Walter Payton conversation. It's apparent he's getting more confident running again too - he had a huge 4th down conversion that was a throwback to his first two seasons in charge.

Gary Underwood - Likely deserving of the title of biggest playmaker on the roster. He consistently breaks off a couple of long runs every game, and his 8 carries for 70 yards featured a couple of runs to remember. First a direct snap in the Wildcat set up a TD, and then he had an 18-yard TD run late in the game that can only be described as #BEASTMODE.

Don Cherry - If there is a better linebacker in the country, I'd like to see him. Cherry's 12 tackles, 3 sacks and forced fumble led the way for a defense that was dominant after the half. And the best part about him is his demeanor. He rarely celebrates, instead choosing to run back to the huddle to go ahead and do it again.

Aaron Wells - Wells' biggest asset is his speed, which he used well on Saturday. He's been a decoy on end-around's to start the season but got several touches and made the most of them. If he can get some blocking on the second level, he's going to take one to the house this season.

Poppy Livers - Only 3 catches but he made them count. An exasperated Maine commentator at one point exclaimed, "I just don't know how you can leave Poppy Livers that open!" Livers did a great job finding space and then taking the ball for more yardage on multiple occasions, one resulting in a 23-yard TD.

Lincoln Collins - Tip of the cap for your first career touchdown, which came on a beautiful catch. More please!

Hard Hittin' D - It's a testament to Maine that the 'Nova defense didn't force more turnovers on Saturday, because they were getting shellacked on a regular basis. Andy Talley likes to talk about the speed of his D, and that's real, but when these guys arrive at the ball they are looking to inflict some punishment. That's the mark of a defense that plays with swagger.

Sinners

Chris Gough - There's just no excuse at this point. Gough missed another PAT, and the only thing I can think of is that it's a total lack of concentration. He did almost make up for it with a good effort on the fake field goal attempt, but his primary job is kicking and waiting for the mistake is a weekly exercise.

Kevin Monangai - His statline wasn't pretty but I thought he looked good out there. He had several negative runs that were due to good penetration by Maine. He's down here because he fumbled the ball, and right after Villanova had forced a turnover no less.