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GAME NOTES

The Matchup...
Wagner (2-3) and Monmouth (3-3) will meet for the 16th time this afternoon and the Hawks hold a slim 8-7 edge in the series which began in 1993. The Seahawks played perhaps their most complete game of the season vs. Monmouth last season, running past the Hawks 45-16 on Oct. 13 in West Long Branch. 

The Last Time...
Wagner was led by a 31-carry, 201-yard rushing day by senior RB Jason Butler. The eventual NEC Offensive Player of the Year wound up with four TDs on the afternoon. Then junior RB Rodney Davis (Bristol, PA/ Mansfield Univ.) added 117 yards on 10 carries, highlighted by a 75-yard TD run, and also had a 55-yard TD reception as the Seahawks compiled 518 yard of total offense. Then junior QB Matt Abbey (La Canada, CA/ St. Francis) was an efficient 10-of-17 passing for 155 yards. The last time these teams met in Staten Island, on October 14, 2006, the Hawks came away with a 28-7 win. 

1983 Team to be Honored on 25th Anniversary...
Wagner will mark the 25th anniversary of its 1983 team, which was the Seahawks' first to win a postseason game. The Seahawks, then in NCAA Division III, defeated St. John's 48-7 to win the ECAC Metro New York-New Jersey championship -- without John Franco, the first Seahawk running back to lead the nation in rushing.

Franco averaged 145.8 yards per game before sustaining a season-ending injury in the team's eighth game. The team, which finished with an 8-2-1 record, was led by a quarter if All-Americans in offensive tackle Selwyn Davis, linebacker Sal D'Alessio, Franco and kicker Tom O'Riordan. The players will be feted at a pre-game reception beginning at 11:00 and will also be honored at halftime.

Youth Day..
Wagner student-athletes will put on free clinics in baseball, football, lacrosse, soccer and softball for youngsters ages 5-13 from 10-11 a.m. Saturday. All youths who attend the clinic will receive free tickets to theMonmouth-Wagner game. Contact Marketing Director Brendan Fahey at 718-420-4008 for more information.

Matt Abbey...
Senior QB Matt Abbey (La Canada, CA/ St. Francis) replaced junior QB Andrew Farnsworth (North Ogden, UT/ Univ. of Iowa), who was injured in the second quarter vs. CCSU last week and went on to complete 11-of-22 passes for 102 yards. The Seahawks' starting QB the last two seasons, the 6-2, 185-pound Abbey enters the Monmouth game tied for third in Wagner history with 283 career completions and is ninth in career passing yards with 3,435. This season, Abbey has come off the bench in three games and completed 18-of-41 passes for 214 yards, one TD and one interception. For his career, Abbey has thrown 19 TD passes and 21 interceptions. 

The Coaches...
Walt Hameline is in his 28th season as the head man at Wagner. He became the winningest coach in Wagner College history in 1990, and boasts a .656 winning percentage at 188-100-2, which ranks in the top 10 among active FCS coaches in the United States. In 1987, Hameline led Wagner to the Division III National Championship. He is one just three NEC coaches remaining inn their positions since NEC football was formed in 1996, along with Joe Walton of Robert Morris and Kevin Callahan of Monmouth who is in his 16th season and has a amassed a record of 92-65. From 1981 to 1983, Callahan spent three seasons under Hameline here at Wagner where he served as defensive coordinator, linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator. 

Sophomore WR Tyrone Collins (Geneva, NY/ Geneva) had 10 receptions for 93 yards vs. Central Connecticut State, which were career high figures in both categories. He had a long reception of 20 yards on the afternoon.

For the season, Collins has nearly doubled his number of receptions from all of last season. The 6-0, 180-pound Collins has caught 21 passes for 180 yards. A year ago as a freshman, he had 11 receptions for 143 yards.

Junior WR Lon Woods (St. Petersburg, FL/ J.P. Taravella) tops the Seahawks with 27 receptions for 252 yards while senior WR Kyle Trueblood (Edison, NJ/ J.P. Stevens) is also having a productive campaign, having caught 19 passes for 155 yards. Combined, this trio of receivers has 67 receptions for 587 yards. 

About the Hawks...
Monmouth has rebounded from an 0-3 start by posting three consecutive wins and come into today's play with a 3-3 mark. The Hawks lost to three quality teams in Rhode Island (27-24), Maine (21-17) and Coastal Carolina (26-7), before posting a 30-17 win at Bryant on Sept. 20. On Sept. 27, the Hawks earned a 34-26 win at Robert Morris and last week they made short work of Saint Francis (PA), belting the Red Flash at home, 42-15. The Hawks are led by 5-9, 200-pound junior RB Dave Sinisi, who carried 30 times for a school-record 247 yards vs. Saint Francis (PA). With four TDs in the game, Sinisi moved into fifth on the NCAA's active career leaders list with 40 rushing TDs. Monmouth head coach Kevin Callahan is in his 16th season and has a amassed a record of 92-65. From 1981 to 1983, he spent three seasons under Walt Hameline here at Wagner where he served as defensive coordinator, linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator.