Flash Points:

• Saint Francis football's incredible 2016 season ended on Saturday with a 31-21 loss at Villanova.
• The Red Flash ends its season, which included its first ever NEC Title and FCS Playoffs game, with a 7-5 overall record.
• WR Kamron Lewis (Fresno, Calif./Edison) caught six passes for 128 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown.
• CB Jalen Wells (Westerville, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) had a 78-yard interception return for a touchdown.
• Villanova quarterback Zach Bednarczyk threw for three touchdowns on the day, incluiding two to tight end Ryan Bell.

VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Saint Francis football team fell 31-21 at No. 9 Villanova in its first ever FCS Playoff game on Saturday at Villanova Stadium.  The Red Flash outscored the Wildcats, 14-0, in the second half. 
 
Saint Francis, led by Head Coach Chris Villarrial, ends an incredible season, which included an NEC Regular Season Title and an FCS Playoffs Bid, both firsts in program history, with a 7-5 overall record.  Villanova improved to 9-3 overall and will face No. 8 South Dakota State next Saturday.
 
The Red Flash gained 264 total yards, but was held to a season-low 27 yards rushing.
 
Quarterback Zack Drayer (Hershey, Pa./Hershey ) completed 14-of-25 passes for 237 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions and added a rushing touchdown. 
 
With his passing touchdown in the first quarter, Drayer threw for his 22nd touchdown of the season, breaking a tie with Anthony Doria (2005) for the SFU single-season record.  Drayer also ends the year with 2,594 passing yards, the second-most in a season at SFU.
 
Receiver Kamron Lewis (Fresno, Calif./Edison), the FCS leader in receiving yards, caught six passes for 129 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown in the first quarter.  Lewis also had a 24-yard reception in the fourth quarter.
 
Lewis ends the year with a Saint Francis and NEC season-record 1,478 receiving yards.  On the day, he passed Michael Caputo's 1,433 yards in 2005.  Lewis also caught his 11th touchdown, the second-most in a season at SFU.
 
Freshman Cyrus Holder (Uniondale, N.Y./Milford Academy) added two catches for 47 yards, while running back Marcus Bagley (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) had 26 yards on eight carries and Jymere Jordan-Toney (Philadelphia, Pa./Franklin) had four carries for 22 yards.
 
On the defensive side, the biggest play for the Red Flash came on a 78-yard pick six by Jalen Wells (Westerville, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) in the fourth quarter.  It was Well's second pick-six of the year as he also had a 40-yard return against Bryant.
 
Safety Delondo Boyd (Indian Head, Md./Henry E. Lackey) led Saint Francis with 10 tackles, seven solo, with one for loss and a pass breakup.  Linebacker Sean Orsini (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) had eight stops, while defensive end Austin Gray (Egg Harbor Township, N.J. /Egg Harbor Township) had seven.  Safety Lorenzo Jerome (Sunrise, Fla./J.P. Taravella) and linebacker Zane Stewart (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) each had six tackles, with one for loss. 
 
Linebacker Solomon Leaeno (Kapolei, Hawaii/James Campbell) recorded a sack, giving him 10.5 for the year and 14 for his career.  Leaeno had the second-most sacks in a season at SFU and ends his career tied with Matthew Parker (2007-10) for fifth all-time.
 
On special teams, punter Andrew Zecca (Berkeley Heights, N.J./Gov. Livingston) had seven punts for 324 yards, an average of 46.3 yards per kick.  In the fourth quarter, Zecca crushed a 73-yard punt, the longest in program history and the first over 70 yards.  He hit a 47-yard punt in the third quarter, that was downed inside the one yard-line.
 
Villanova totaled 495 yards on the day, with 254 coming through the air.
 
Quarterback Zach Bednarczyk completed 18-of-27 throws for 254 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.  Tight end Ryan Bell caught five passes for 110 yards and two scores, while Jarrett McClenton had three grabs for 65 yards and a touchdown.  McClenton added 50 rushing yards on eight carries.  Matt Gudzak had 14 carries for 62 yards and five catches for 55 yards, while Aaron Forbes had eight rushes for 42 yards and a score.
 
Linebacker Jeff Steeb led Villanova with six tackles, including 1.5 sacks, while fellow linebacker Ed Shockley had five stops, with one for loss. CAA Defensive Player of the Year, defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon recorded five tackles and 2.5 sacks.  Bryan Osei had two sacks, while Jason Ceneus and Rob Rolle each had an interception.
 
The Wildcats got on the board first, with a 23-yard field goal by Gerard Smith.  The field goal completed a 12-play, 69-yard drive by Villanova.  The drive included a 17-yard run by McClenton and a 24-yard pickup by quarterback Bednarczyk on a scramble.  However, SFU's Luke Weiss (Verona, N.J. /Verona) stopped a run two straight runs at the line of scrimmage to force the field goal attempt. Villanova led 3-0 with 9:11 to go in the 1st quarter.
 
Villanova added to its lead on a three-yard touchdown run by Forbes with 1:37 to go in the opening quarter.  The score completed a 10-play, 91-yard drive covering 5:19.  An 18-yard run by Gudzak and a 31-yard catch by Bell helped to setup the score.
 
However, Saint Francis answered with a 74-yard touchdown pass from Drayer to Lewis on the first play of the drive.  Drayer hit Lewis on a crossing route over the middle and Lewis took it the rest of the way up the right sideline and into the end zone.  Lance Geesey (Harrisburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley)'s extra point cut the Nova lead to 10-7 with 1:18 left in the first.
 
Villanova responded with a 59-yard touchdown pass from Bednarczyk to Bell with eight seconds left in the quarter.  Gudzak had an 11-yard catch on the first play of the drive, with the long throw coming two plays later.  The Wildcats led 17-7.
 
The Wildcats extended their lead to 24-7 with 12:36 left in the second quarter.  Bednarczyk connected with McClenton for a 53-yard score.
 
Villanova led 31-7 with 4:07 left in the first half.  A two-yard touchdown pass from Bednarczyk to Bell completed an 11-play, 84-yard drive.  A 13-yard run by Bednarczyk and a 12-yard carry by McClenton, as well as a 12-yard pass to Taurus Phillips helped to setup the touchdown.
 
Saint Francis cut the lead to 31-13 on an interception return for a touchdown by Wells with 14:10 to go in the game.  As Bednarczyk tried to throw it to his left, Wells stepped in front of the receiver, picked it off, avoided a tackle at the 30 and took it into the end zone.  The Red Flash went for a two-point conversion, but Drayer's pass to Lewis was batted down.
 
The Red Flash brought the game within 10 points on a one-yard sneak by Drayer with 33 seconds left.  Lewis caught three passes for 41 yards on the drive, including a 24-yard grab that setup SFU at the one yard line.  Holder also had a 14-yard catch.