FINAL STATS

Loretto, PA – Senior QB Matt Abbey (La Canada, CA/ St. Francis) hit sophomore WR Tyrone Collins (Geneva, NY/ Geneva) on a 33-yard touchdown strike with 7:06 left in the game to lift Wagner to a17-13 come-from-behind Northeast Conference (NEC) victory over Saint Francis (PA). 

With the win, the Seahawks snapped a three-game losing streak in improving to 3-4 overall, 1-2 in the NEC play. The Red Flash fall to 0-7 overall, 0-4 in league play.

Abbey completed 15-of-35 passes for 229 yards on the afternoon in guiding the Seahawks to victory. His favorite deep threat was Collins, who corralled six passes for a career-high 112 yards, while junior WR Lon Woods (St. Petersburg, FL/ J.P. Taravella) also had six grabs for 57 yards. Wagner welcomed RB Shane Smith (Susquehanna, PA/ Milford) back to the lineup after sitting out the last two games with a leg injury. The 6-2, 230-pound Smith was Wagner's workhorse, gaining 60 hard-fought yards on 25 carries as the Red Flash were stout against the run, limiting the Seahawks to 45 net rushing yards on 41 carries. 

The Wagner defense held Saint Francis (PA) to just 149 yards of total offense, 87 through the air and 62 on the ground. 

Following a scoreless first quarter, Saint Francis (PA) got on the board first as QB George Little hit WR Omar Winston on a 14-yard TD pass that capped a 10-play, 74-yard drive with 14:11 left in the half. Neither team would put a dent in the scoreboard the rest of the half as Saint Francis (PA) took a 7-0 lead into intermission. 

Senior WR Kyle Trueblood (Edison, NJ/ J.P. Stevens) returned the opening kickoff of the second half 37 yards, giving the Seahawks excellent field position at the Red Flash 48-yard line. Abbey then led Wagner on a crisp seven-play, 48-yard drive. He hit Collins and Woods for 15 and 13 yards, respectively, in the drive and Smith rambled 18 yards to the Red Flash one-yard line. On first-and-goal, Abbey took it over from the one to knot the game at 7-7. 

Late in the third quarter, Saint Francis (PA) recovered a fumble by Seahawk freshman RB Ryan Middleton (Winter Garden, FL/ West Orange) at the Wagner 14-yard line. After losing five yards on first down, the Red Flash went on top 13-7 when Little connected with TE Ryan Zarnich on a 19-yard TD completion. Wagner sophomore DB Frantz Placide (Miami, FL/ Archbishop Curley Notre Dame) blocked the extra point attempt which kept the Seahawks within six points. \

With 12:06 left in the game, senior PK Eric Ortiz (Oceanside, CA/ Vista) booted a career-long 38-yard field goal to draw Wagner to within 13-10. With Saint Francis (PA) clinging to that three-point lead and facing a third-and-15 from its own 27-yard line, Wagner freshman DE Julian Stanford (Bloomfield, CT/ Bloomfield) turned in the defensive play of the game, sacking Little for a loss of 20 yards back to the red Flash seven-yard line. 

Trueblood returned the ensuing Saint Francis (PA) punt 11 yards to the Red Flash 33-yard line. On the very next play, Abbey went up top on first down, finding Collins in the corner of the end zone on a 33-yard connection, giving the Seahawks the lead at 17-13. From this point on, the Seahawks defense did the rest as Wagner held on for the victory. 

Placide and senior LB Jason Haskins (Cliffwood Beach, NJ/ Kean Univ.) paced Wagner defensively with seven tackles apiece while sophomore DB Stefen Gage (Syracuse, NY/ Henninger) and junior DE Patrick Abdul (Brooklyn, NY/ Bay Shore) added six stops each. 

The Seahawks will look to climb back to the .500 mark on Sat., October 25 when they play host to NEC rival Robert Morris. Kickoff at Wagner College Stadium is set for 1:00 pm.