← Matchups

Villanova

· 1-2 (0-1) · power -3.6 · #224
Our numberVILL -9.7 no book has priced this game

Bucknell

· 1-2 (0-1) · power -15.8 · #352
Final VILL 17 · BUCK 16 ML W our logged sides, graded on the record
Our side
MoneylineVILL to win logged ours 29%

Our number: VILL by 18.1 — VILL to win.

Projected score 30–21 VILL – BUCK
2026-09-05 · 6:00 PM Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium · Lewisburg, PA Early season

The books

No book has priced this game. Nothing to compare, and no ticket to build.

Series Villanova lead 10–9–2 · 21 meetings since 1900
2025 unit ranks — last completed season, from games actually played
Run game edge Villanova Wildcats 96 ranks
Villanova Wildcats #54 rush offense Bucknell Bison #150 run defense
Pass game edge Villanova Wildcats 135 ranks
Villanova Wildcats #82 pass offense Bucknell Bison #217 pass defense
Run game edge Villanova Wildcats 129 ranks
Bucknell Bison #168 rush offense Villanova Wildcats #39 run defense
Pass game even 31 ranks apart
Bucknell Bison #86 pass offense Villanova Wildcats #55 pass defense
Villanova Wildcats Run-heavy · 59% run Ball-control Bucknell Bison Balanced · 57% run Ball-control

Ranked by team-unit strength (rush & pass offense vs. run & pass defense) across all 265 D1 teams, not by individual players. Identity, tempo and unit strength are measured from the 2025 season.

The evidence 2025 production and power ratings · supporting the number above

Who carried each team in 2025
Villanova Wildcats
LB Omari Bursey 34 tkl · 1.0 sacks · 4.5 TFL #9 LB
DL Ugo Nwotite 6 tkl · 2.0 sacks · 3.0 TFL #82 DL
DL Ratu Delano Navoti 5 tkl · 2.0 sacks · 2.5 TFL #137 DL
DB Jamie Tyson 17 tkl · 1 INT #166 DB
Bucknell Bison
WR Sam Milligan 24 rec · 241 yds · 3 TD #17 WR
DL Jack Inserra 15 tkl · 1.0 sacks · 1.0 TFL #194 DL
RB Michael Cadden 131 rush yds · 1 TD · 12 rec #86 RB
LB Nick Hoying 13 tkl · 0.5 sacks · 2.0 TFL #298 LB

Top-rated players from last season, ranked within their position across D1. A grade measures what a player produced, and no 2026 game has been played yet — so this is who produced for these programs in 2025, not a claim about who is on the field this year.

Power breakdown
TeamPowerOffDefRank
Villanova Wildcats -3.6 -2.9 -0.6 #224
Bucknell Bison -15.8 -11.4 -4.3 #352

Def is higher = better. The projection assumes a 2.4-pt home edge (0 at neutral sites).

Where the number comes from
Villanova offense vs Bucknell defense+1.4 pts
Bucknell offense vs Villanova defense-10.8 pts

An efficiency adjustment from season-to-date EPA and success rate applies once teams have played enough games; before then it is 0 and the number is the power rating alone.